Weekly times enterprise and South Georgia progress. (Thomasville, Ga.) 1905-????, October 27, 1905, Image 7

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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