| Show r U wowe WALDON PA E 0 it 0 M tons huma I 1 ad tomb at mount vernon have become a mecca tor for continual pilgrimages by the people 9 pt ft grateful nation to say nothing of tbt th tre fro quent visits ot of distinguished foreigners iut but cacila enough the birthplace ot of the father of ills his country located some miles nearer the mouth of the potomac nac Is neglected and ana to a considerable sid erable extent unknown fortunately a movement baa 69 been recently inaugurated to restore and preserve wakefield plantation where washington was waa born and where he be spent hla his boyhood this project Is t coincident with the plan for or the res j tor atlon of stratford the birthplace of robert hobert E lee C the opportunities for a memorial 1 shrine to the military leader of the conle confederacy demey are however somewhat f superior to those at wakefield tor for whereas the ancestral home homa of the lees Is yet standing in a fair state of preservation there are no remnants of the old buildings at wakefield save some tumble down log structures of uncertain origin which are reputed to have once served as slave quarters qu artera but which are now utilized as corn cribs the old manor house bouse in which george washington opened his eyes upon the world was burned in tho the last century but the brick chimney within the archon arch of which four people could sit and the cornerstone with a portion of the foundation were saved shortly before the civil war the historic farm passed into the hands bands of a family which at the outset showed 4 Q 1 I 1 X some appreciation for its associations A succeeding generation however demolished the chimney and the remnants of the walls in order to secure the bricks A marble slab blab bearing an inscription giving tho the date of birth and other information which had bad been set into the great arch of the fireplace above mentioned was waa removed to the old family burying ground but in placing it beneath two ancient alg arces planted by the 4 k 0 f h cc tr X mother of washington it was brolien broken and its ita fragments llo lie there today moss grown and vine covered later on picnic parties landed on an tho the sandy beach land and made such a practice of 0 carrying away the bricks as souvenirs that john W wilson the owner of the farm took steps to prevent further trespassing tres passing only a few of tho the old bricks together with the cornerstones aro are k now mow left these bricks by the way were brought over from england nearly two centuries ago serving as ballast for or tho the vessels which also brought all the woodwork and other furnishings nish ings the broad portico of the old house housa faced the potomac which Is here miles in width and in the estimation of many persons the view at this point surpasses that at either arlington or mount vernon in the year 1895 the national government erected at wakefield a miniature re copy of the washington national monument with the tion birthplace ace and in small mail letters at the base the words greeted erected by the tha united states A D 1805 1895 latterly plans have been projected for rebuilding the old mansion placing in a conspicuous portion of tho the structure the few bricks remaining from the old house and using thoi original cornerstone in the old family burying ground at wakefield there has haa recently been put in place a granite slab blab in memory of augustine washington father of 0 george washington this stone was wan provided by the society 0 of the colonial dames 0 of america in this graveyard also Is a marble slab bearing an inscription that indicates that it was placed in tta its present position in 1729 probably the me principal w the neglect of wakefield by the tourist throng that visits mount varnon bertion Ver tion la Is found in the lot birthplace lit in conjunction j with tho the erection of the governmental monument at wakefield d a substantial pier was waa distance out into the toto poto built e extending some borne mac inae but this pier la Is now no w in shoat shoal water and 4 steamers plying on the poto polo none 0 of the larger nine can reach tt it tn in consequence the only avail able means of reaching wakefield la Is to take passage on one ol of the steamers bound for colonial beach the loading leading summer resort of the lower potomac ac and upon arr arrival lyal at the leach beach to either charter a launch f for or the trip to wakefield or else eloe reach the same goal by a considerable drive over roads that are one none n too good even H ven this thin time consuming method of making a pilgrimage mage to wakefield la Is impracticable in winter washington Washingto Tf Is the tb mightiest name vt of the earth long since mightiest in moral reformation on that name a eulogy la is expected it cannot be to add brightness to the sun or glory to the name of washington la Is alike impossible let none attempt aftem pt it in solemn awe pronounce the name and in its naked deathless ellendor ep op lendor leaven leave it shining on Abra abraham barn lincoln america has furnished to the world the character of washington and it if our american ansti bad done nothing else that alone would have entitled them to the respect of mankind haca cw cair w wa |
