)UNT VERNON iHlSTORY RETOLBW HISTORY of the Ladles' A Mount Vernon Association, and of thnt finnmm cstnte which Is visited enoh year by over Bn.txio Americans, lids bpen prppnrpd fur tli Legisla ture of Virginia by Judge James R. flpwr of Fredericksburg, who has long been Identified with question of hls titrlcnl research In connection with flip Old Dominion. It lias been n lnlior of Inv on hi pnrt. niul only 5 copies ef tin nionoirrnpli hnvo been printed. -Mount Vpimkiii. It will lip recalled. wa named liy Lawrence Washington, porgp Washington's half-brother. In Timor of A 1 r 1 1 1 1'n 1 Vprnon of the Brit Isll nnvy, under whom lip served In Hip war ngnlnst Spnln. George Washing ton lnliprltpil Hip pntntp from Ills tirothpr In 17.13, when twenty-one j-pnr old. TIip mansion bad been Imllt ton years lipforp, nt a probable cost of Mount $10,000. The bnrn on the place wns tmilt later out of brick, snid to have been brought from Knglnnd. The chain of title to this famous estate show that It had nhvny been In the possession of the Washington, do nceiiding by will or inheritance from the grant of Lord Cnlpeper, 107m, to the time It was sold to the Ladies' Mount Vernon Association, on April 0, JS.18. John Washington, Hip grent grandfather of (icorgp Washington, riled In January, H177. In his will hp left this plnep to his son Lawrence, -who nt his death bequeathed to his on Augustine, father of the Genernl. Atigiistlno Washington. In the division of hi estate, left It by will to his eldest son, Major Lawrence Washing ton, who married Anne, the oldest daughter or William Fuirfnx, of Fair fax County, Va. Major Lawrence im proved the estatp, and built the mid dle portion four rooms of the present mansion. Ills portrait hang there In the room assigned to West Virginia. Jletween Lnwrence Washington nnd 11 half-brother Gporge, there was n remnrknble attachment nnd congeni ality of tastes, notwithstanding the (lis. purity of fourteen years In their ages. Major Lnwrence Washington wn an accomplished gentleman, and one of the far-eplng business men of hi day, t '4 1pk WASHINGTON AND LAFAYETTE AT MOUNT VERNON. B wn big father before him. lie died at Mount Vernon in 175a, aged thirty-four years, and bis remains rest In the great vault behind those of tteorge Washington. , Lnwrence Washington's widow mar ried Col. George Lee, uncle of Arthur and Richard Henry Lee, patriot of the Revolution. Georgo Washington wa unable, however, to five supcr Tlslon io Mount Vernon until after tbe full of Fort Puquesne nnd the ex pulsion of the French from the Ohio region, a his military duties engrossed most of his time; but nfter his mur riage, Jununry (1, 1750, he resided there and gave the closest attention to the Improvement of his estnte, and nil bis landed Interest In the Bhenuudouh re Klon and the Ohio Valley. He made Mount Vernon one of tbe best cultivat ed and most highly Improved planta tions In Virginia, and added lurgely to WIRT It bound iiutlt It embrnepd 10,000 acres, and Imd n rlvpr frontage of ten rille. Tlu natural ylpld of the soil of tbl plantation wn upvpt llrt cla; Indcpd, It I surprlslng-tlint so good n fnrnipt nnd Judgp of productive lands could liave reconciled himself to cul tivate tlirin to the extent l.c did, fl lands in the Shenandoah Valley were vastly more productive than those on the Potomac Itlvor. Hut George Wash lugtnn sppiiis npvpr to have faltered In his love for his Mount Vprnon home, nlthoitgh he was aware thnt no profit came from It cultivation, The clause of hi will referring to Mount Vernon Is In the following words: "To my nephpw, Rushrnd Washington, nnd his heirs (partly In consideration of an Intomatlou to his deceased father, while we were bache lors, and he had kindly undertaken to superintend iny estate during' my mil itary services In the war with Grent Britain nnd France, that If I fell there in, Mount Vernon should beconip his property), I glvo nnd bequeath nil thnt part thereof which Is comprehended within certain limits, nnd containing upward of -4m0 acres, with the man- .' Vernon. slon house nnd nil other buildings nnd Improvement thereon." The mansion nt Mount Vernon I of wood, painted to resemble stone. Along Its front Is a brond piazza twenty-live feet In height, with square pillars. The restored building I now divided nmong the States for preservation. Massachu setts has the library room, Georgia linn Mrs. Washington's sitting-room. The main hall is assigned to Alabama. South Carolina hns the dining-room. Ohio hns Mis Custis' music room. Illinois hns the west pnrlor, nnd New York hns the banquet hall. The room on the second floor in which Washington died is assigned to Virginia, and Is Immediately under the room on the third floor In which Mrs. Washington died. This last room is at the end of the house, looking down the rlvpr. nnd I nsslgnpd to Wisconsin. The two rooms Just across the main hall are assigned to North Carolina nnd Connecticut, respective ly, Connecticut's overlooking the riv er. Maine has a small room Just back of the North Carolina room. There are in all nearly thirty build ings on the Mount Vernon property, Including the mnnslon, ofllce, kitchen, butler's house, carpenter shop, spin ning house, smoke house, wngon shed, summer house, spring house, milk house, shelter house In deer park, two houses for servants' quarters, three green houses, a luundry, a couch house, two lodge bouses ut the north gate, a pavilion on the wharf for pas sengers, three cabins for employes, two lodges ut the west gute und u barn. Mount Vernon wus the home of George nnd Mnrthu Washington for more than forty of the sixty-six years of the General's life. The bodies of both nre side by side In the new tomb, a plain structure of brick, to which they were removed from tho old tomb in 1831. Washington sarcophagus is on the right; his wife's bears the sim ple Inscription: "Martha, consort of Washington, aged 71." Within the new tomb are the remains of many of the Washington, Curtis nnd related fu m Hies. Near tbe tomb is a monu ment to Bushrod Washington. New York Tost. . ; . I.' (I (Ifli The Wife of Lafayette America, though revering the nnme of Lafnyette, ha perhaps known too little of the noble woman who became hi wife before her fifteenth birthday, the groom himself being but sixteen years old, Thl match, nccordlng to the French custom, was arranged by relative, but It proved to be one of the most Ideally happy marriages known to history. .When "the Inspired boy" ran away from France and crossed the ocean to aid our struggling young coun try his child-wife did not reproach him cither in word or deed for what her friends declared to be gross neg lect, but upheld him In the course thnt he pursued, believing It to bo proper nnd right. It wn to her that he con fided his hopes and prediction In re gard to this country, nnd to whom he wrote: "The happiness of America I inti mately connected with nil of mankind. She will become the safe and respected asylum of virtue. Integrity, toleration and tranquil happiness.'' When the darkest clouds had gath ered over France, nnd Lnfnyetto wn banished to a foreign country nnd im prisoned, his wife refused to be di vorced from him, though the wive of many of the exiled aristocrat did so for tho purpose of self-protection. She fearlessly gloried In the name she bore. She began every petition to the Gov ernment with the words, "La femme Lafayette." Her husband nllude to this fact In a letter written to a friend soon nfter her death, nnd ndds: "Indulgent a she wa with respect to calumny nnd retty hatred, never did she allow, even nt the foot of the sen (Told, a reflection upon me to pass without protesting against It." Knowing that her husband would wish their son to bp sent to America, she parted bravely from the bright boy of fourteen, whom she confided to the care of (Senernl Washington. Wish- MME. LdrdYETTE. lng to Join the Marquis, even In prison, the news that she would be permitted to share that loathsome nhodc with him tilled her soul with infinite happi ness. In prison the sunshine of her pres ence nlli'Vlatcd the sufferings of the noble captive, and she noted Joyfully the signs of Improvement which her coming had made in his health. With him Inclosed within those narrow walls and behind those iron-bound doors, she was far happier than she would have been separated from him, though pos sessing tho freedom und luxury of a palace. BUST OF WASHINGTON By V Angers. This bust has been present d to tho United Istates Government by certain French fund lies, whose ancestors fought under Washington In the Amer ican devolution. The proportional increase in the popu lation of the cities wo less during tbe last teu yean than previously. Many Years Grcnt grnndms liked to tell ut how, 10 ninny yours nun, When she wns but little child, just lik ourselven, ynu know, She snw the (Vmtinetala 1hm, one tunny slimmer dny, Upon their msreli to Tompton, tome forty raibs swny; And how Grorue Washington nnd aides, in failed bull and blue, Stopped nt her home ior luncheon. It's really, truly true. Snid she: "My brother lien nnd I were shy na we could he; Hut both of lis were pinned to hear the irenernl prnie the ten. And when the tnhie had been cleared, we went nt mother's enll To meet the famous patriot, who stood so xt might r.ml tail. I curtsied ns the f.i-liinn was, with both my check nllnme; He took my IiiiikI. mid snid I wnt a 'dainty litt'.e diinie.' "Then Hen't turn enme. The general bent down nnd took hit hand. 'In truth,' said he, 'my little man, you'd ninke a soldier grand!' Hut lten could only smile and stare, to very slrnnne it seemed That this wns General Washington, of whom so oft he'd dreamed The man who was to patient, to skilful, ami so brave. That all the peop.c looked to him their century's caue to tnve." As grandma eened. we heard the tall old clock a-tiking slow, A if it said, "I, too, wa there, to many years ago. I taw t lint nohle soldier who made the country free. l?emendier. then, hit glorious deeds when yon look up at me. While time shall last, in this our land, hit fame shall brigliter glow. I, too. beheld George Washington, to many years ago." 11. A. Ogdvn, in St. Nicholas. Thnt llntrliet Story. G. "Fn'her, I'm caught with the goods on me, ai d I scorn to squeal." New York American. Washington lllrtlnlity. Washington's Birthday was made a legal holiday by vote of the Massachu setts Legislature April 1.1, 1S.KI, there fore February 1JS.17. was first a le gal holiday. For many years previous Mrs. Harrison Gray Otis held a recep tion nt her borne on February 22. to which nil the people of the city of Bos ton were invited. Her house wus open to the public on thnt day, nnd before and nfter the dny became a legal holi day all the military companies of Bos ton would parade past her bouse on the 'JIM. l'robubly tho first occasion of Washington's Hlrthday being recog nized wns February 12, 1781. That wns by the French troops nt Newport, It. I. As the 11th fell on Sunday the celebration wus held on the 12th. This was nccordlng to the old style of reck oning. Map of Washington's First Journey, 1793. Ipfp Connttut ( (V ) J U (ft l B,dVenre. j f IN COLOMBIAN GOLD FIELD. J0C UIS row we nre having with 4 m-f, Colombia," said a mnn who 0 1 1 O hn been around some, "re H K minds me of a story told "VOIr by Captnin Uroenlenf, ot the Government service, und when 1 snw something tbe other day In the papcra about the Colombian force landing on the Isla do los I'lnos In the Gulf of Dnrlen, It began to get warm. 1 met the captain three yenrs ago doing secret service work on the I'nclflc Const, nnd ns nn Incident tothe Nome gold excitement ho told of' hi expe rience on this island in tho Gulf of Da rlen. "He snid he hnd been down there several yenrs previously on a trading hlp. and they hnd put In at the Island. No trading wns allowed, however, ns the Island wns a Government reserva tion used as a prison or a hospital, or something of the kind, but visitors were allowed ashore, nnd they could hunt over tho Island If they wished. The captain and a companion, availing themselves of the privilege, went Into the Interior for the dny and rambled around through the forests. During the afternoon they came to a small stream, nlong whose banks were low cliffs with tunny huge stones loosened and lying about over the ground. These stones were rough looking nt a little distance, but a closer Inspection showed them to be of a peculiarly bright quarts where pieces had been broken off, exposing new surface. Evi dently, however, the place had not been visited in a long time, nnd the atones had never been disturbed. "The captnin and his companion each carried away a piece of stone weighing two or threo pounds, ns souvenirs. They excited no particular comment on shipboard, nnd the other mnn one day threw his piece overbourd with a lot of rubbish. When they reached San Francisco several mouth Inter the cap tain rescued his piece from a corner where it was almost hidden In the dust and took it along with him. "Jutt at that time it wns the fnd along the coast for men to wenr watch chain made of small pieces of quartz linked together, and tho captain con cluded to have his Darlen quartz made up if it was worth It. The Jeweler told him it wns, nnd to come back in four or five days. He did so, nnd the Jewel, er showed grent anxiety to know where the quartz had come from. The enp tnln became suspicious nn4 would not tell. When the jeweler wus convinced that ho could not learn where the quart: came from he Informed the cap tain if he bad any more of that kind he was a rich man. The captain said be knew where there were ton nnd tons of it whole chunks nnd cliffs, In fact. The Jeweler nluiost hnd a fit, and told him thnt one or two of the small pieces hnd been assayed nud showed a value of $2-10,000 to the ton. "Naturally enough tho captain was pretty well ngitated himself by this time, and hurrying away to some friends he told them the story. They maintained the greatest secrecy, but nt once begnu efforts to get at the field in the Island. They tried to secure con cessions without betraying their secret, but the Colombian Government would not permit them to tako any part of the island, nnd thry would not sny what they were nfter, because they knew they would get none of it if they did, and at the time he told mo the story they were still waiting their chance to get In with such rights that even Bogota boodlers couldn't work n desolating graft upon them nnd their told field." KILLED A GRAY WOLF. The skin of the only gray wolf killed in Vermont In thelnst fifty years was brought into the village tills week by David Dike, a farmer, who killed the animal In a patch of woods near his burn after a severe fight, in which Mr. Xlke nnd a dog were badly used up. Mr. Dike had Just gone into the house from the barn, where he hnd been milk ing, when his attention was attracted by his shepherd dog, which was loudly barking in front of the hen house. Taking a lantern be went out to inves tigate, and saw the animal had cor nered a gray animal nbout his own size. Both were bristling with fenr and rage and each eager to attack tbe other. The farmer had no gun, but be ran into the woodshed und procured a broom, with which he struck at tbe marauder. Thereupon the wolf, for such It turned out to be, dashed for the woods, with the dog after it, nnd came to a stand near the foot of a ma ple tr). By this tlme'the wolf was frothing at the mouth and snarling and snupplng nt tht shepherd every time he came within range. Once or twice he nipped tbe dog and drew blood. Mr, Dike en couraged the shepherd, and then boldly 'worked around to the reur ot tbe ma ple. This wns too much for the wolf, nnd in sheer desperation he sprang at the fanner, who dealt h'lm a telling blow with the broom. At the same time the dog tackled the animal In tho rear and got a good hold on his neck. Tbe next instant a three-cornered fight wns on. The wolf tackled the farmer and dog by turns, snapping nnd scratching at first one and then tho other. In the meantime the dog nud the broom got in some lively work, and at the end of ten minutes honors were nbout even, Tbe wolf could easily have escaped, but he evidently preferred to fight it out, and it was nearly twenty mluutet before be was vanquished. When the wolf was dead Mr. Dike found be was scratched in several places and the dog was wounded Id spots from tbe tip of (Ut none to tht end of bis tall. Tb skin Is much the worse for wear, bill will be mounted. Rtnrksboro (VU Cor respondence New York World. FIERCE ALPINE EAGLES. The maritime Alps of Eastern Franrt have long been noted as being th haunt of the most ferocious and power, ful brted of engle In existence. Children Innumerable have been car ried off by them, and they even attack adult on occasions, sometimes with dire results, A postmnn named Gustavo Bllvn, who carried the mall on foot between the villages of Rospello and I'tiget The nlers, was set upon while crossing the pass by three large birds and fright fully Injured. He mnnngpd to drive off bis winged assailants with the aid of his alpen stock, and eventually reached his des tination with bis bag ot letter. But his caso was from the first regarded at hopeless by the local doctors, and after lingering in indescribable agony fot six days he succumbed to his wounds. Meanwhile two young French tour ist, Messrs. Joseph Monand and An tolne Neyssol, went up Into tbe moun tain to try to kill the birds that had done tho damage, and were savagely attacked iu their turn. Both men were armed, but the sudden onslaught of the huge winged creatures completely unnerved them, and after Bring only one shot they tried to' escape by run ning. The bird, however, struck them down ere they hnd gone many yards, and they would have doubtless been both torn to pieces where they lny but for the opportune arrival of a party of shepherd. These succeeded In rescuing Mr. Neyssel alive, but terribly Injured, be having sustained no fewer than ten se vere wounds in tbe bead and back, be sides innumerable minor laceration! nnd abrasions. His companion, Mr. Monnnd, was killed outright early In the fray, and his body, when recovered, presented a most shocking spectacle. Mr. Neyssel recovered nfter six weeks in bed, but Is disfigured for life. Stray Stories. DEAD MAN STEERS A SHir. A sealing schooner, the Arietls. re cently sighted a mastlcss derelict about 100 miles southwest of Queen Char lotte's Islands. Although at first it was thought there wns no one on board a figure was nt length made out crouch, lng at a kneeling position at tbe wheel. The c.iptnln of the Arietls accordingly hailed them when within distance nnd proffered them assistance. Receiving no answer, however, and noticing that the steersmnn never shifted his posi tion, he lowered a boat and with some ot bis crew boarded the derelict. He found thnt the mnn wns quite dead and hnd apparently been so for some time, but his rigid hands still grasped the wheel and guided tho vessel on Its course. He hud evidently been desert ed by hi crew in a storm, nnd ns a hiKt forlorn hope bad lashed himself to the wheel. Some food was found close to him, and nlso two or three bottles of medicine, showing apparently thnt he was HI when his long watch began. The ship was almost waterlogged. but from papers which tho captain of tho ArlPtis maunged to recover it was found thut tho name of the dead skip per, who bad steered his vessel, .was Henry Saunders, nged forty, who wus a master mariner, of St. John, N. B. Tho name of the schooner was tho General Siglln, bound from San Frunclsco to Alaska. She hnd on board tho complement of six sailors nnd live passengers. Tho body of Captain Saunders wns duly burled according to tho rites observed at sea. Chicago In- tor-Ocean. A FIGHT WITH TWO EAGLES. Charles Read, a sheepman, of Red' wood Valley, is now uuder a doctor's care ns it result of a single-handed fight with two large bald eagles. Read had missed t-lieep and lambs from his pasture and set traps for coyotes. Yesterday bo discovered a large bald eaglo In ono trap. Tho eagle appeared exhausted by its struggles und wus lying down. Read released the spring and instantly tbe eagle attacked blm. Its niute, who was watching near, Joined in the fight. With their heavy wings they beut him to the ground, tearing his flesh with their talons and beaks. , Read secured his pistol, and while protecting his face be managed to get tho barrel of his pistol against oue ot tbe birds and fired. The other was frightened away by tbe report. The wounded one set Its talons In his right thigh and held on with a death grip. When Read recovered from bis ex haustion be was unable to remove them. He drugged himself to his cabin, and was brought to this city, where the tulons were cut out. The eagle measured nine feet from tip to tip. Vklnh (Cul.) Special to the New York Suu. WON THE VICTORIA CROSS. Iu a recent lssuo ot your paper, writes a correspondent to the New York Sun, it wus stuted that but one chnpluiu iu tbe British Army hud ever received the Vctorlu Cross, If you examine the records you will find that during General Kitchener's campaign iu Northern Africa Father Collins was awarded the cross for uu act of hero Ism, It seems thnt the British soldiers be came confused und were firing upon each other, when Father Collins rushed into the zone ot fire, nnd, raising bit hands, culled upon them to stop la God's name. He Is still a chuplalu. 1 was told this by a chaplain from tht British Army, Futber Rockllff, who went through the Boer war ami WUI acquainted with Father Collins, F.t,An. tnaaa fin Fin1) 1 1 am a . tt-i accidents, and 811,000 die from similar ' causes la 0t Unll4 Btatr , k. f 'L I 1 1 I " 1 Tl ltW TT-ir?" HINTS' gif WINTER rni'NIXO UNDESIRABLE , In pruning It Is very Important thnt (be healing process should atari ooi after tbe wound I tnndo; otherwise the cambium will bo killed bnck quite a distance from tho exposed surface and henllng will be greatly retarded. For this reason winter pruning should be avoided, particularly In frosty wenthpr. Iu tho enrly fall or late spring the enmbtum I active, and wounds made nt this time start to boat at once and there I little or no dying; back of the cambium. W. W. llult. In Connecticut Farmer. poil ron this fruit farm. ' The soil for the fruit fnrm should be free from rock, rnslly worked and well drained. For growing tree, the subsoil down to the water level should be of a porn nature. Tho Ideal lo cation Is high, to lessen the danger from frost, nnd level, to lessen the work of cultivating nnd los of sol from washing. By nil means hnve the berry plantation on ground that ls nenrly or quite level. The orchard may be on level ground or any slope but south or west. A south slope I all right for grapes and early vege tables. HOW TO MAKE HOT BEDS. Dig out the earth from a pit of the size proposed and eighteen Inches deep. Fill with horse manure for six Inches:' this should be warm with ferment Over this for six Inches spread manure thnt Is now hot with ferinentution and add a Inyer of enrth of an Inch or more. Then n Inyer of heated horse manure and on thnt six or eight Inches. of good rich gnrden mold. Fork thl over two or three times. Fit the cold frame over it, the slope to be south. Let It be a dny or more tilt tha earth becomes well warmed. Mark off the rows nnd put In the tomntoea, lettuce peppers nnd egg plants. Cover nt night. If It is cold, with strnw matting. Open, for three hour If the wenther Is plens ant, for ventilation, but be careful not to let cold wind blow In. The tempernture In n hot bed should nor be lower than seventy-flve dpgree. If' the plants nre yet lowlsh, they need! more nlr. The object In putting In the manure so carefully In luyera is to secure a regular and prolonged warmth. Ella Hess, in The Epltomlst, CARE FOR THE TREES. The storms of winter are likely to make trouble with trees in orchard nnd elsewhere, so It Is a good plan to have a supply of grafting wnx on hand' to dress tbe wound to limbs which may result. Iluve nlso n narrow blnde, but sharp saw, so thnt the Injured' tree limb may be cut oft nnd lenve a smooth surface to be covered with the henllng wnx. A good wax I made by melting slowly in an Iron kettle four pounds of resin, two pounds of first class tallow and ono pound of bees wax. When melted nnd thoroughly mixed turn the mass into n kettle of cold water. When cool tho mass may be pulled nnd stretched in the same manner that enndy I manipulated; ol the band with sweet oil, so thnt the mass will not stick to them. In ap plying during the cold wenther the wnx will be hard unless kept In rather warm wnter nnd applied quickly witb tho hand. The formula ns given Is for grafting wax, to be used under ordinary conditions, but an additional' half pound of tallow should bo used for the wnx to bo used during winter weather. The wound of tho trees thus protected will bcnl over nicely and the tree not be Injured so greatly as It would if the wounds were left: exposed. Indianapolis News. NEW riNK ROSE. The new pink rose, Idenl, which or tglnnted In liilladelphla. Is being watched with great iuterest by rose growers throughout the country. It 1 a free nod continuous bloomer, pro during large, clear pink flowers about tbe color of Bridesmaid, but a more, rounded flower like La France. It 1 delightfully fragrant and said to be a good keeper. At the fall exhibition of!" the l'euusylvanla Horticultural So ciety it received tbe first prize as the best pink rose In its class and also a certificate of merit Gardening. Man on Uand, One of the old herb doctors who flourished iu New England years ago was never disposed to admit hi lack, ot any remedy. Oue day, saya Lippln cott'a Muguziue, a chaffing acquain tance said to him: "See here, doc, have you got any dip loma V" "Wal, no, I alu't sot none on band Just now, but I'm goin to dig soma aa soon as tbe ground thaws out la tbt ui'Log."
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