Newspaper Page Text
MAGAZINE SECTION.
THOMASVILLE, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1905.
PAGES 1 TO
HOME OF WASHINGTON. .
HOW WOMEN PAYED THE WAY
rORRESTORA TIONOFMT. VERNON
Historic Place Is Now Exactly as It
Looked During the Lifetime of
Great Sthtesman.General - Thous
ands Visit It Annually.
The bell Is lolling, the band playing
“Nearer My God to Thee" and the
passengers know, even before they
raise their eyes to the fair sweep of
Virginia's shore line, that the steamer
It passing Mount Vernon. A pretty
custom—the tolling of the bell and the
playing of the fine old hymn. A hush
falls on the crowded decks, and one
M ' J «/ iiw \
WASH INUTON AND LAFAYETTE.
From a Painting at Mount Vernon.
feels the thrill of patriotism stirring
the hearts of the people.
But do the thousands who annually
sail down the Potomac to visit the
stately home of George Washington
know that to a woman's Initiative Is
due the restoration and preservation of
the beautiful Mount Vernon of to-day?
Away back in 1853 this home was In
a rapidly deteriorating condition. John
Augustine Washington, a son of Gen
eral Washington’s nephew, was the
owner of the estate. The descendants
of Washington evidently did not Inherit
the clear business sense of their illus
trious ancestor, for in General Wash
ington's time the farm yielded a hand
some Income. Now the fields were ly-
for future generations this home of
C_ueral George Washington.
In this connection It Is interesting
to know that during the ten-day annual
meet of the Board of Regents In the
month of May a banquet la given to
the Governor of Virginia. After the
feast Is ended and the toasts are drunk,
the entire association conduct the Gov
ernor about the house and grounds,
that he may know, by personal observa
tion, that the pact entered Into so long
ago is being faithfully kept.
It Is the custom of the ladles of the
association to lire at Mount Vernon
during the yearly session. At this
lime the old home wears an air of un
wonted gaiety. The kitchen gives out
the most appetising odors, and. stimu
lated to unusual activity by tales of the
old days, the corp of Virginia servants
are anxious to show their fitness for
the honor of "servin’ de ladles.” Even
the brick oven, a relie of colonial days,
Is called Into use, the beautifully
browned bread, pies and cakes attest
ing Its superiority.
Thirty States Represented.
The Mount Vernon Ladles’ Associa
tion Is a most exclusive body. It is
composed of a regent, who 1s president
of the association, and a rice-regent
from each of the Mates of the Union.
TMrty States are now represented.
The women are Justly proud of the
work that has been and Is being accom
plished, and so value their places In
the council that It has become a cus
tom for the office of vice-regent to de
scend from mother to daughter or
other near relative. When a vacancy
occurs in tbo council the Governor of
the State is Invited to nominate some
prominent woman; but should the
name not receive the favorable consid
eration of the regent and vice-regents
no appointment Is mado until one ac
ceptable to all Is proposed.
Miss Cunningham, the first regent,
lived at Mount Vernon from 18G8 to
1873, when she resigned on account of
ill health. She died the following
year. The present regent Is Mrs. Jus
tine Van Rennselaer Townsend, of New
York.
During the Civil War, though In the
very midst of the conflict, Mount Ver
non escaped serious Injury. This was
mainly due to the heroism of Miss
Tracy, the secretary of the association,
who took up her abode at Mount Ver-
STEM HIRUli CRASH.
STANDARD Oil MAGNATE PRE
DICTS CRISIS AND SUGGESTS
PAllATIVB MEASURES.
Would Have Nation Begin Work of
Vast Internal Improvements. Ex-
Premlcr Mellne of Franco Also
Sounds Warning.
J. H. SHANNON.
That the land Is the source of all
real wealth, has been said by philoso
phers time out of mind, and now with
the urban districts draining from the
country much of the flower of its man
hood the cry Is going up from the Ups
of legions of wise men, “Back to the
Land!" All manner of colonisation
projects ore being devised and tried
for the purpose of diverting foreign
Immigration from the cities to fields
and to relieve the pressure of conges
tion in the over-grown centers.One
Impends will be precipitated by over
production of manufactured goods.
He says “Consumption must have Its
bounds, and so with the consumption
of manufactured articles. When la
man has filled all bis requirements In
clothes and furniture a mere lowering
of prices, which Is all that mechanical
Improvements generally mean nowa
days, can no longer attract him.
Therefore, when the output is not re
strained the market! necessarily be
comes choked.”
dictions as to periods of depression
and readjustment are seldom fulfilled
as to dates. Crises as a rule come un
expected and thif Immediate reason Is
most apt to He due to over-expansion
of credit, and overproduction of secur
ities than to actual overproduction of
goods; but when to the cause of over-
expanded credits is added overproduc
tion of manufactures and a lop-sided
Industrial system,recovering from the
crash is more difficult
lng unfilled and useless, and the house
and outbuildings wore showing signs
of the passing of the years. Tbe glory
of that splendid home was departing.
A Woman’s Work.
To the great credit of John Augus-
Hne Washington It Is related that he
refused absolutely to consider proposi
tions advanced by private companies
and Individuals to purchase the estate,
to be converted later into a pleasure
resort Think of the desecration—a
vaudeville performance on that magnl
ficent stretch of lawn, waiters bearing
their burdens of food and drink
through those stately halls, the daily
■proar of irreverent crowds.
And then came Miss Ann Pamela
Cunningham, of South Carolina. She
visited Mount Vernon In 1853 and was
shocked and grieved at the fate In
store for the historic spot She con
ceived the plan of rousing the women
of her beloved southland to the true
state of affairs and enlisting thefr co
operation In the raising of a fund of
1300,000, the price asked for the house
outbuildings, wharfage, garden and
some two hundred acies of farmlands.
So she went to work, end It must be
remembered that fifty years ago it took
bo small amount of bravery for n
woman to Inaugurate and carry on ar
undertaking of such magnitude. Bu'
after five years of effort the whole or
the 1200,000 was In hand. It wa>
found Impracticable to confine the
propaganda to tho Southern States, so
the North was Invited to assist, which
she did In generous measure.
At the close of 1858 the Mount Ver
son estate was purchased and tbe title
passed to the Mount Vernon Ladles'
Association of the Union.
Freed from Taxation.
A charter was secured from the State
of Virginia, granting exemption from
taxation, the association In return
binding Itself to the task of restoring
to Its original condition and preserving
non, accompanied by only a few serv
ants. Miss Cunningham, the regent,
was prohibited from crossing the mili
tary lines and could not Join her. For
four long years Miss Tracy remained at
the lonely home, managing the estate
and guarding the buildings.
The plan of the rehabilitation of
Mount Vernon, by returning to Its
rooms the original furnishings, or afti-
Day of Distress Near.
The richest man In America Is posi
tive, however, that the crash will come
about 1007—year after next—and so
sure Is he that the trouble is on Its
way, that he Is already wearing a
plan to provide work for those who
will be thrown out of employment,
ami thus ameliorate the panic. He Is
certain thnt the number of men who
will need help will be about 7,000, 000,
and when Is ndded to those men the
number of dependents, the total la ap
palling. Mr. 'Rockefeller tblnks tills
vast army of unemployed should bo
set to work by tho government on In
ternal Improvements, the building of
new roads. Improvement of old ones,
dredging of streams. Irrigating land,
etc. Ho says;
Vast Plan of Construction.
“There Is enongh labor today needed
on the public highways to employ nil
the Idle or surplus labor for a century.
Tbe Improvement of the roads, the
dredging streams, and especially of
the Mississippi, where annually mill
ions of damage Is done by tbe over
flow, the Irrigation of arid lands, the
preservation of forests and tho drain
age of the swamps are the great pub
lic problems thnt should be occupying
tbe public mind. Municipal, state and
national laws should be enacted now
for tbe building of roads, so that
when the Industrial storm comes It
will not be too late to breast It”
J. D. ROCKEFELLER AND HIS NEW WIG.
feature of the ominous flow of people
to tbe cities Is the phenomenal develop
ment of manufactures. There may
come a time when manufactures will
so overbalance agriculture that there
will not be enough basic wealth pro
duced to afford a profitable market
foP tfie factory-made goods. When
the Industrial situation shall become
so unbalanced, n commercial crash of
stupendous magnitude must ensue.
As Helpless Babes.
Then the city-trnined men who
know not how to make bread oet of
tho soil will clamor for work, enrse
the economic condition of the period,
denounce tbo state, threaten the re
public with all sorts of fautnstlc theo
ries, and tliero wiii be acute friction
between the few rich and tbe multi
tude of poor. Gradually men will
drift back to the land and learn to
mnko tliolr living with the plow and
reaper nnd a satisfactory equilibrium
between agriculture and manufactures
will once more be reached. Before
this result Is attained, there will
be Intense suffering. Families that
nre In comfortable circumstances will
know tbe meaning of misery, and
families now affluent will fall Into
beggary. All this is not a dream.
Men of clearest vision see It coming.
Rockefeller's Prophecy of Panic.
It Is what Mr. John D. Rockefeller
sees when he predicts, as he did In a
recent Interview “an Industrial crisis
of world-wide extent and unprece-
Mr. Rockefeller says the crisis will
bo brought on by overproduction In
all lines. The Standard Oil magnate
THE TARIFF PROBLEM.
REVISION AND ANTI-REVISION
SENTIMENTS IN WASHINGTON.
Speaker Cannon between Two Fires
Question to be a Live One During
the Next Session of Congress.
It la rather amusing to those who
are on the Inside of tbe political arena
In Washington to observe tbe manner
In which discussions of the tariff are
conducted throughout the country. In
an academic way the theories of the
tariff arc talked over. But to the men
on whom the real work of revising the
tariff would devolve there are very dif
ferent considerations to Influence them.
They openly declare that the tariff
:ht to ‘
danger to business Interests would be
so great that they fear undertaking it
They Insist that a struggle over the
schedules would last six months, and
that during that time tbe business in
terests would be suffering stagnation
that would afflict the country very
sorely.
This view Is scouted by the revision
ists as one that has no standing with
men who believe In doing things. They
claim tbnt If such considerations are
to prevail there never could be a re
vision of the tariff.
So Easy To Revise.
Not long ago the difficulties In
agreeing upon changes In the DIngley
over the revision of tbe tariff. He <
dared that It would be an easy } '
Aa Simple as Can Be.
“What would you do with
tariff?" he was asked.
“Why,” be replied, “it's as simple i
can be. All you hare to do Is to lovn ,
the tariff on woolen goods and to make
a big reduction In tbe aboe schedules.
Practically that would satisfy every
one, sod If you did no more the coun
try would be pleased.”
Tbe Illinois representative was In
formed that he bad been preceded by
a member from Massachusetts wba
thought that all that would be neces
sary would he to put coal, hides r
wool on tbe free list
“Hides on the free llatr exclaimed • :
the Illinois speaker. “Not while I
have the strength to stay here to fight
It"
“Now you see wbat an easy thing H
is to revise tbe tariff,” said tho
speaker
“If I was God,” again remarked the
speaker In his quaint style, “I wool*
mske some changes in the tariff. I
body knew wbat they were to be mad
Then there would be no unsettling ot
business and at least some people
would be happy.”
Question an Absorbing One.
What alarms so many prominent
protectionists Is what the;
icy claim Is
the danger of unsettling the business
conditions of tbe country. The the
oretical adjustment of tbe tariff ac
cording to tbe principles of protectloa
JULES MELINE.
OLD FASHIONED GARDEN. AT MOUNT VERNON.
clee similar in design and construction,
la generally understood. Bdt every
woman should know and remember
that to the loyal, patriotic women of
the land belongs, the credit of .saving
from ruin and obliteration tbe fine <
home of the Father of Ms country.
does not stand alone as a prophet of
Impending evil. Essentially tbe same
Inst once premier of France, and
a man of keen perception, penetration
and of brood understanding. This
etateman rays that the crisis which
It makes no difference whether Mr.
Rockefeller be right or wrong In bis
forecast of a gathering storm, bla plan
for the employment of surplus labor
Is a practical and profitable one and
bis enumeration of road building, riv
er Improvement, Irrigation, foreit pres
ervation and swamp draining, aa tbe
truly great national problems Is phil
osophic. The work needs to be done,
and eventually 1t must be done, If tbe
United States la to progress. Waste
Is national loss—waste by flood and
drought aa well aa waste by fire.
Every acre of ladd should be made to
pay. Tbe government promotes re
search and experimentation In agri-
effectiveness of tillage; there
reason wby It sboald not give counte
nance and support to reclamation of
land and tbe enchancement of tbe fer
tility of land already nnder culture.
It la tbe land—tbe farm, wblch la tbe
pedestal of the republic.
There should be no effort to mini
mise tbe worth of manufactures—
processes that work up the raw prod
ucts of tbe earth Into serviceable
forms. Tbe ares from which are ob
tained the metals of commerce are aa
much a product of tbe land as corn,
wheat and cotton—not aa primarily
Important, bnt quite as necessary to
man In hli present highly orgnnlxed
social state. It Is dlfllcnlt to draw
tbe line between some of the basic
manufactures and agriculture, for the
Iron furnaces and ateel mill* build the
railroads and bridges which give
farmers s short-cut to markets.
French Statesman Also Predicts
Panic.
Bnt the point is, that where mann-
fnctnres develop out of proportion to
tbe growth of agriculture, tbe world
Is being turned wrong side up. Hr.
e In declaring that tbe overpro
duction of manufactures will lead to
an Industrial crash, rays; “There la
room for everyone tinder the tun, but
on condition of sharing np the good
Instead of
things of the earth,
Hating upon one department of aetlr-
ity,”
schedules were Illustrated by rep-
escntatlves who called on Speaker
Cannon. It happened that one day
mlnent Massachusetts member
n prominent Massachusetts memuer
called to Impress the speaker with the
easy manner In which the tariff might
“Yon ace.” declared the Massachu
setts member, “we all make too much
over the difficulties In revising the
tariff. It would really be very sim
ple. We would only bare to put hides,
wool and coal on tbe ‘ ' —* **“
free list nnd tbe
country would be practically satisfied.
We mlgbt do more, but tbat would
really be enougb. There could be no
difficulty la coming to an agreement
on tbat—merely a matter of a few
weeks."
Tbe speaker listened Intently aa
he always does listen to advice. But
trailing on the heel* of tbe Maiachn-
setts member came a representative
from Illinois who also wanted to re
vise the tariff. He started In the same
ns bis predecessor. He thought there
was altogether too much fast made
la having very little effect on them.
In fact the protectionists do not even
core to discus* that phase of the qnee-
tlon. A revision of the tariff with the
declared purpose to simply lower tha
would have the
schedules they aay
same effect on the country tbat tbay
claim would follow an attack on
the tariff principle* by the fros-tradj
era. They claim that merchant! i
not buy goods when lower tariff rates
might still foi
further reduce the pries
they would have to pay. That condi
tions lasting six months they fear
would upset i “
. all basinets conditions.
They uy it might mean panic.
But they are likely to havt their
views very forcibly contested by tbe
tariff revslonlati next winter. Tbe re
visionist! and the men who believe In
tbe principles of reciprocity are bend-
together to give battle In the balls
lng 1
of Congress. Tba citadel Is now die- -
tlnctly In tbe control of tbe stud pat
ter* and It Is to be seen what power
tbe revisionists will develop In contest
ing their ascendancy.
Every reader of this paper should have this book.
Cut off the coupon and mart to us with $t.50.j
Illustrated
by
Ernest \
Haskell
Eugpne P. Lyle, Jr.'
Published August ist
The
Missourian
Tlw romantic advmtans of John Dinwiddle DrlsooU Cstekaanud “The Starm Centre
at the Court of ltazimfllaa la Mexico, where hlsaecret missioncome.iotc
erltb that of the beasttfol Jaoqeeliae, Tbe best romsntic American oorel of re
cent yetrs.
“Hot wtef so/no o/ft# claw potsett, She ilmMi of leaWyJaroi
5* infinite paint of detail, vcrUiKtUtvU,negation." .
—EL Louis Republic. /
ncervingly. A brilliant itort."
‘There ft no man dramatic period in Utag and Us
story boon nan tetdssst of careful and pnlaifsMss
study."—N. Y. Glebe.
DOGBLEDAY, PAGE ft CO. /fj
*3!r*37 East x6tb SL, New York. '/P