Show KATE FIELDS LETTER mount veroon vernon saved fayod by patriotic weman denaa As it la Is today tobay to day bay Copyright ett by bv aate field city ot at we 1 wore were I 1 asked ablated nihat aliat liat Is 9 the roost most interesting te spot in the united states I 1 should answer mount vernon no less east beautiful than llian this historical shrine owes its preservation to a womans comans inspiration folly four years yeara ago mrs cunningham lain of south carolina sailed up the potomac with her daughter pamela As an they painted cho horrid homo of washington the ilia elder woman mourned the dilapidated dat e al condition of it truly ideal country mansion manalon why cannot the women of the south rake enough money to buy mount abouna vernon and told hold it sacred for or asked airs cunningham the suggestion took iran irm toot loot irk in the heart oti her daughter who at once set et towar kito carry out it nobl noble a purpose the th estate wile was owned by collateral it descendants ot of the first pres arl fi dent rind and in bli years after tile the of the idea Virgin virginias las legislature granted a chair charter ter for the desired purpose to 10 a few southern women led by miss cunningham it soon bee became a an e apparent that the south could not fulfill a 1 neat cleat mission single handed northern women came to the descue and edward Ej everett ereLl delivered dea livered A ills his lecture washington for the benefit of the mount blount bernon fund he contributed out of that were raised in two icare with this money the llie mansion find and acres of the estate mere v ore bought then a 0 second and better belter charter was wag NO secured CUred that made the state slate 0 of residuary legatee in the event of the demise deanise of the mount vernon ladles ladies association of this tha union As AIR the association exists today to day it Is controlled by bv a regent mis alto justine van Rena Rens alear townsend of new york and twenty eight vice regents representing as many states 1 c e mrs mitchell jacksonville flo FIRL mrs airs margaret J M sweat portland me ale mrs mr cornelius L king bellows falls vt alice ill af longfellow cambridge mass A it winder portsmouth N H bar amri susan E J hudson stratford conn miss comegys Comegy a dover del mrs mail italy T barnes washington D C mrs banana R ball richmond va mrs ira ulla ella 33 washington Chatles town W va mrs letitia H walker walk cr N C mr airs lucy H pickens edgefield Edge neld S C mrs wilder savannah on ca mrs ida A richardson new orleans la mrs airs jenny AI ward ivard ottawa ken kan mrs ma hauha 1 f b a Al itchell milwaukee WAS mrs 11 elizabeth I 1 a A rathbone Rath bonc ann arbor alch mra ira mary T letter chicago ill III mrs mra woodward lexington icy mrs rebecca n B flandrau st paul minn blinn mrs baker Jackso jacksonville mille IM ila mrs alra phoebe A Ir earst ire arat san francisco cal mrs alice hill denver deliver colo mrs dundas lippincott philadelphia lu pa mrs airs georgo R Goldsb goldsborough more mole md bid MILS mary alary lloyd pendleton cincinnati datil 0 0 mrs airs francis S connor princeton N ni L J mrs benjamin graham st louis mo mrs fiill I 1 it new york city and miss aliss nlaly polk yeatman ashwood teno tenn forty early in juno june these patriotic tiR women meet yearly at mount vernon and remain there them a week holding dally daily meetings from 10 a m to p V ni during which time they settle the business of the estate for or twelve months during their absence the entire charge of mount blount vernon devolves upon mr fr alar rison 11 dodge an admirable superintendent in love with his work whose intelligence equals ills integrity Is it strange that such much a combination ot at womans comans lt it and sentiment should have vs restored mount blount vernon not only to its oil ginal complete completeness nees but a should hould have awe it a most molt valuable museum of As for or the grounds they are in better belter condition than ever thanks to tile the late laic jay gould thirty three und and one halt half notes were added to the estate in wa much to the joy ot of the regents ni av they feared eared railroad en cn directly north of their property it tie 0 o happened that mr gould jailed mount varnon while yachting on the potomac Po tomae and showed tie HO much interest in the work that had hien been dono done ns is to draw out the whole story from his guide v m ito ho wits was no lim less a person perron than sure Intend dodge would it not be an advantage to own owa more of 0 the river froner asked mr gould superintendent dodge was ivan quite sure such buch a consummation was devoutly to be wished as 84 three and one half acres then for sale ante would be bought by at 11 lall road company for or nobody knew what lui pose theae ewas was unfortunately no money what all amount I 1 aunt Is needed asked the gierat 1 financier ino neler twenty live hundred dollars on returning to his yacht mr jr crould di 01 ew cw sa ir heck and oving giving it to n superintendent dodge bald amid quietly huy buy that land jand but dont ruy any anything nebout it how could tho ilia delighted superintendent help belp saying something about it li its la la IV maa to report to tho the regents who gratitude tor for a welcome anti and vol iry offering tiner liiK lower tha flag at half anaut on the anniversary of oc jay goulda death deall another and later benefactor lene factor Is mr christian li curIch of 0 washington city who owns the land mount vernon on the mouth there lay a swamp that needed draining but as mr IJ eurich controlled tho the mouth mout h of 0 the swamp reclamation was wa impossible As aa soon as this excellent go gordnn amna american Amerl can citizen learned that mial ile he stood in the way of an improvement to a national memorial he deeded to the same elation nit nil the lunil land nodded needed to free mount blount vernon from maidi malila lot long may mr li curich live to carry carr Y out oui many ideas for the benefit of the public but allen han lie passes over the range lange ll 11 hu may ile ie sure that lit hi memory will be kept green 1 roan at the tomb of 0 washington to tho the sous sons of mra lira campbell late lat vice regent mount vernon vemon owes abe he restoration of fit tile the deer D a C r park that faces the mansion and extends down the ibis hill to the potomac lit in honor ot of their mothers moth pra memory theme gentlemen donated for this special pur bimage imse in ima michigan restored rest orcil tue tomb ot at avash lorton in and tho the old ohl coach house in 1893 now the vice regent mrs D H 1 A rathbone and her friends car are e trying liy laff to set fret possession or of Wita g aown ton B coalla boac r velch th r ar aa eald at R in I 1 ma telphia auction circus for tho th 0 enormous sum or of thoi 50 later I 1 om am told barnum balley bailey became its ita munera ou nera then the worlds world pair fair managers tried to 10 borrow tho the relle relic but failed the last headd train from the th old coach ja Is thit that lc it was vas at string wit with ft circus that hm since blen been wrecked on oil it L railroad if it lias has surN survived ived thin chock michigan in 0 o bound to restore tho the coach to its coach conch house blos Cunning cunninghams hams first rally ally was j Geor georgia Cla then came virginia M mrs re anna cora com mowatt ritchie being vice vicc regent among flat die jornt jarg of the north cm can states to join the association was maine blaine Us its vice regent mn mill little being succeeded jn in 1166 by mrs L D M A I 1 sweat of portland who for fourteen years cars served as secretary sec rotary or of the council it IL has been the rule of the association to distribute the rooms of the mansion among the states represented in the I 1 1 order of their readiness to furnish thern them all are now taken so new states stains are arc d to lo seek shelter in the out olit houses thus have been restored tile the slave quarters still and the spinning house to the school children of kansis kansas fe 1 the first task tack in ISSO these theme teri have been somewhat pome what enlarged bit but the bis big fireplaces nrc places have been latil lined and the upper story in 1 divided into small email rooms two of which are now occupy occupied d by kansas kanas kan as and colorado the spinning house was re restored stord three years are ago by the school children achl dran of st paul blinn therein the north star state michigan gan ohio georgia a and new have nest neat dormitories for their vice regents when MM ira gaea sweat succeeded mrs lit t alo to of M maine alne but one vacant room was I 1 oft loft in the whole mansion an attic room in the third story leading out oz 0 0 a alt similar rallar room aliened to south carolina ina six states clamored for that one vacancy and the board of regents derided decided to give gave it to whichever most quickly malsed the money to furnish 14 lc one year being the limit of time mrs I 1 sweat secured in six alx months and won ivon the peixe hisAla maine lne looks 11 llop a bit of colonial history tory with its ita ChIp chippendale chippendales Chippen pendal dales its iia four posted patti ami the rare old chair belonging to S samu A chase of maryland a signer of the iho of in dependence and one of it the IO 10 associate justices of the united C states cates this rolac waa IM 1 presented by bv mr mrs jean davenport lander the well itts known own actress who Is a resident of washington on this top floor tire are the lispare spare chamber fui dished by C connecticut and the room 1 jn I which martha wool inkton filed died the th latter belongs to wisconsin almost most the first room to ho be furnished it contains it a charming mi hoenny washstand that was used by washington Theli tho ewt question I 1 naked fin in entering this bedroom with its one window south was why did martha washington choose an attic to live in 1311 because use it was waa the only room from which she sh could see tomb replied the color ole in at I 1 en daCal II 11 i here in sentiment IH 11 he laige laigri room below washington udd that fact shut irv door 0 o her and sent her above it net the roof i the remaining lr rooms dorng are arc gien to florida anoche district of columbia while passing through the former a lard shows what stage of chill za lion americans have reached visitors are reau requested ested not to write or deface decaco mount blount vernon property so awful haa h been the vandalism as to have forcell forcall forced c the regents to put iron screens her before most of the open door enese ore are locked and only favored guests who can be depended upon on not to whittle scratch or steal are permitted to enter of course the most moat interesting room Is that on the tha second floor where washington died with two windows rind and veranda wit with linen room grid and are creaking aKing room w with ill the lh bedstead on which washington lay tn in mortal sickness with his mirror on the wall with ith his secretary and compass and table near by and uh its trunk with plate marked 1775 on the noor floor hero can revel in the past what must shock pr profi Is the flight eight or washington camp liquor cheat con tabling six two quatt bottles battles how they manage to borgh re the father of his hl country n while h 11 e denouncing those whose ideas of tem consort with his would puzzle tile me did I 1 not know the unreasonableness nm of fanatics room belongs to vir SIMS while west virginia makes the tie next t room very attractive by a callec conoc uon lion of relies relics over which hours aly be the wonderful clearness cleaine s 0 of f chirography Is she shown van 1 in n a plan of the house drawn toy by lit him ina in a list of things by bv arm airs mi NIB all at philadelphia la in 1783 exact waist aalst measure Is indicated by the belt of a sword atilt and very soldierly it la Is there la Is no superfluous od all lapose to spoil his candage delaware has a fn ifill nia room oer mer looking the b baut L an colomac Po otoma lomac IN next ex t comes ft a nelly co chaus ittis ra room dan S bd ca callad I 1 to d because once occupied by her here hang family letters framed across th tho a hall new jersey occupies the lafayette lafayett room v w herein stands mands tha that bedstead on which general Lafay lafayette kte slept elect when he visited mount vernon acmon adjoining 13 the it fino river room furnished by penn pann alvania vanla and called the regents room because Us ito beautiful old furniture ill IH duo to 2 mrs Pla macalester calester laughton the late legenc whose to mount blount vernon can never be forgotten among other a chair that tha t belonged to a picturesque of spinning wheel illinois has ft a beautifully furnished room on nn the ground floor beside mrs R Cu curtiss music which contains her wedding weddin ff present front from washington a with five octaves and two pedals across the hall are arc mr ing tons sitting room to ofir geir pla gla ond and the family and room furnished hy by ruth carolina north ls Is situated the I 1 0 ve o jonm in which the regents hold I 1 ir I 1 meetings rand is th the library and dining room which properly belongs elonga It to MaRg achu go eclas its on the walls hang valuable oble relics and on the shelves of the like bookcase fare are many valuable old hooks banks homo of 0 which belonged to tile Pies president ident mount vernon villa wall wai baut in 1713 oy by major lawrence Ii wrence washington gLOn dying there in lie beau til I 1 ed the e to his half balf brother george washington lit la it not that it a spot abero lie rif all that ts Is mortal of the cho greatest of americans still of his wife should have bay been rescued from ile ft action by women wor lien and that theirs irmild h be the hands ond and heat helita is to hold mount vornon vallion sacred |