Evening Star Newspaper, January 30, 1921, Page 65

: k) SKIMP H-HUH. As Piddie oftem: re- marks, in that bright origi- nal way of his: “It takes all kinds of people to make up the world™ 1t does All kinds— and Skimp Willers. Lemme see, it must have been along last October when I had that touchin® interview with Skimp; and as usual I was the touchee. Not that I'm a soft mark as a rule, or have an oversize neart concealed under my fountain pen pocket, but neither am I a hard- shell crab. Besides, I'd just been gen- erous with myself in the matter of luncheon, includin’ a hunk of deep dish apple pie with a pitcher of ex- tra cream on it, and there outside the | chop house, lookin' more like a hu- man sliver than ever and a lot seed- ier than I'd have said he could look, is this relic of the old days when I was the outside guard on the Sunday editor's door. done a quick dodge if Skimp hadn’t seen me first. He did, though. That's what he was there for. Before I can let on to have the sun in my eyes, or get busy lookin' at my watch, he's sidled up to my right elbow springin’ that half moon grin of his. . “I say, Torchy, this is a lucky break, eh? says he. “Kind of a late one, though, I should says I, lookin’ him over curi ous. ain't you, Skimp “Absolutely,” says he, or I wouldn't be pulling a panhandler trick like this. You know that. Honest, Torchy, this is as near the bottom of the chute as I ever got.” “How many hours without food?" says I ou wouldn't believe me if I told you." says he. “In that case, into the grill her “No,” says he. “Not here. Why, I've tipped Louis a fiver more than once and I wouldn't want him to see me like this. A one-armed joint is good enough now—a place where I can grab something and wolf it down. ‘There's one over on 6th avenue. Come along and underwrite a double order of hash with dropped eggs.” Well, I accepted the nomination. It would have been simpler to have slipped him a dollar and told him to go to it, but with Skimp that would have been a heartless act. He needed nourishment badly enough. but also he wanted a willing ear. He always did. For, if he was up, he had to tell you of his latest road to easy money; and if he was down it seemed to help him to confide where he had slipped. Besides, he could be cheer- ful about either, and if the facts wasn't thrillin’ enough, Skimp could dress 'em up fancy. So I waited patient until he'd be- gun on a plate of crullers and his second eup of coffee before I gave him the cu “Let’s see.” says I “the last I knew, Skimp, you'd been eased out of a job as press agent for a movie concern and was doing publicity work for the .Brewers' Association. Bucking the Volstead act, wasn't you?” ing to,” says he. Tt was a sick try. You know. Might as well have been throwing ink at the moon. We didn’t dent anything but our own defense fund, and when that begun to run low, and the first year of the gredt thirst had come and gone with no action from the White House, and the Supreme Court had given us the thumbs down—well, my noble em- ployers. who had been so bold at the start, just threw up their hands and me into the street. “And since then?” says L “Mostly in the street.” says Skimp. “Oh, I've had a whirl at varfous things. For a while I was confiden- tial secretary to a prohibition en- agent!” says I, “in the enemy's i says I, “let’s step campT Skimp, shrugs his shoulders. “About all“we enforced,” mays-hes“was the-pie | bonus payments on bonded warehouse | releases. You see, I knew the places | that were still doing business, and I | made the delivery deals with them. | But there was such a how] put up | that my boss got the sack. That was| a pity, too. It was fat graft while it | lasted. I'd just had a rubber stamp | made and was working up a nice lit- tle business for myself on the side, when—BEang! We crashed. They came near getting me right, too, and only a quick shift to Atlanta saved me from the dragnet. Down there I tried horning in on the patent medi- , they're the people that know s a free mumryl About the only ones. They can bot- tle their stuff up to 40 per cent, plus! the done they want to throw fn.| says even ‘Tut-tut” to ould pull out was a ‘A _which?" says L “Writing letters for Mrs. Dodd, Felicia, Peter A. says he. cured by Jame: elling how n six bottles of “Himala- n Tonic. There was fairly good money in it, too. but it wasn' the kind of work I could put my heart in. the symptoms stuff finally s T, gawpin'. Describing how you felt before you found this wonderful remedy, plains Ekimp. “They 2 #t that. the best they ever had on a desk. 1 didn't rehash it from medical books, but just sat down and imag- ined backaches, and dizzy feelid the morning, and shooting pa n the side. That was art, that was. After a couple of months of it though, 1 didn't need to strain my A . I hag, ‘em. all. Yes,-sir, I At that, I might have | I | that was signed “Skimp. ! that don’t mean anything except that MAKES A SHIFT I developed symptoms of every known disease except -teething and house- mnid's knee. Took to taking the tonic myself, and that finished me. 1 had to quit and go to a hospital.” “You look it, Skimp,” says I “Oh, I've been out some time,” says he. “They found there wasn't a thing the matter with me except that my mind needed to be dry cleaned. Even now, though, I can’t pass a drug store without feeling shaky in the knees. But I'm getting back to mnor- mal. I can still knock out a copy on a typewriter. Say, don’t your people at the Corrugated Trust want some real high-class publicity stuft turned out, showing where you really run your business at a loss?” “You wouldn’t try to put over bunk like than on the dear public, would kimp?"’ T asks. ' ouldn’t I?" says he, grinnin'. “Why, I'd sign up as press agent for the oid boy himself if it would get me back on the salary list again. And 11l land something before long, you'll see. I'm on track of a firm of fake oil well promoters that need some ziddy prospectus work done, but 1 | can't tackle 'em until I raise the { price of a shave and a clean shirt. Would a_fiver be, too much to nick you for, Torchy?" “Am T the last hope” says I He insists that 1 am and there's such a pathetic shrug to his saggy shoulders and such a eager look in them shifty eyes of his that I has to pry myself loose from a federal re- i i serve super-jitney and kiss it g00d-guished lookin® guy, all got up in bye. dark gray, with a soft boiled lid to “Spread it thin,” says I, “for I'm match and a modest black string tie private pension bureau, you know.’ and gray gloves, It was the shell “Trust me, Torchy,” says he. “And|rimmed glasses with the gold bows I'll always remember who it was res-| that fooled me for a second, but cued me from a snow shoveling when I catches a glimpse of the squad. Honest, 1 was so low down 1[shifty eyes behind the thin panes I was almost ready to work. But now |had him placed. It's Skimp. watch .me scramble up the ertainly, sir,” Piddie is saying. “I am quite sure Mr. Ellins will want to see you. I will—Ah, here is his | private ‘secretary now. Torchy, this is—er—" ‘Lemme read the card, , says 1, reachin’ for it. “Well, well! Mr. Edgar Haughton Willers, eh? Hello, Skimp. How they runmin’ for —well, ladder.’ . Course, he always was a chronic optimist, Skimp Willer: But then, he'd never started with such a climb before him. Not since I'd known him. Some hectic career he'd had. Why, T've seen him when he thought he had to have a cabaret dinner every night and was known to half the head walters in the lobster district as & free spender. His costumes at such times would have made the young hicks who pose for the collar ads. Jook like cheap sports. Oh, he sure could spray the coin when he had it. And then again I've met him when his whole future prospects, includin’ his ability to pay up back room rent, depended on whether or not he'd ked-the right horse at New Or- ‘harmed to meet you again, I'm esays Skimp, cordial but digni- 1 suppose I should have asked for you at first, but as my time is limited and my engagements S0 N merous, I thought I would go at once to Mr. Ellins. indicate to him that I am—- “Oh, sure!” says I “Right this way., Skimp.” And when I'd towed him in out of Piddie’s sight I parks him beside my desk the corner and gives him the grin. ; “I'll say you do it well, Skimp, says 1. “But what's the disguise? All he does, though. is spring that sappy smile of his. It's a won- der, too; kind of a cross between | A CHART OF HIS UPS AND DOWNS WOULD BE.A GOOD DEAL LIKE A SKETCH OF NEW YORK’S SKYLINE FROM THE JERSEY SHORE. pened that the Rev. Percey Howler had recognized my natural talent for writing stuff that had a punch in it. More than that, he remembered. S0 when his crowd struck this new line and got over their panic about hav- ing ‘worked themselves out of a job. they looked me up and turned me loose hoosting for blue Sundays. Say, { whieh THE SUNDAY STAR, JANUARY %0, 192I—PART Z By Sewell Ford| THE RAMBLER TAKES UP THE HISTORY OF —y OLD LAND GRANTS AROUND WASHINGTON HE RAMBLER has long had in | mind the idea of digging into the history of the grants of wild lend, the farms that, by division, bequest and sale, were evolved out of those grants, and the families that lived on those lands, before the passage by Congress of “An act for establishing the tempo- rary and permanent seat of govern- ment of the United States,” an act approved by President Washington July 16, 1790. As an effect of that ace the present seat of government was chosen and the city of Washing- ton and District of Columbia were created. It was in 1791 that the “Ten Mile Square” which became the “Federal Territory” and later “the District of Columbia,” was “laid out,” or its boundary lines survey The owners of the land within the original boundaries of the city, which were the Eastern branch, Rock creek, Potomac river, the old North and South postroad, or Georgetown and Bladensburg road, which we called the Boundary, and now call Florida ave- nue, and the Bladensburg and East- ern 'Branch Ferr road, are always referred to as “original proprietors.” That is literally true, because they were the original proprietors of land in the federal city, but in some cases they were not “original proprietors” of the land when the site of the city of Washington was a part of the province of Maryland. The Rambler has long known that some of the "original proprietors” of the site of Washington were rela- tively newcomers, and that white men and women had been living, marry- ing, rearing families, dying and being buried on the lands that came to be the District of Columbia nearly a cen- tury and a half before the District became a geographical fact. He has felt that a number of the farm names or tract names within the city were new names, applied about 1791 to older tracts and “grants” or “patents” of land. * K kX% In some cases even the older tract names were new names given to parts of original grants, and in some cases the tract names were given to consolidations of “original” or first grants or “patents’” The Rambler has already proved this in the cases of the tracts called “Mount Pleasant™ and “Mexico.” “Mount Pleasant,” a! consolidation of older grants, some | of them “original patents,” had (flri its south boundary a line from about what is now the intersection of Flor- | ida avenue and 7th_ street, running southwesterly to 17th and R streets. The tract extended north to a lin: the Rambler has not vye! learned, but the old tract underlies Meridian Hill and that part of the citv called Mount Pleasant. “Mexico” was a tract, being a con solidation of older tracts and orig- inal patent lands, lying on the east side of Rock creek from about O street to the mouth of the creek, and thence along the Potomac river to the weet edge of the town of Ham- burg, 23d street being the west t I've knocked out some appeals that hit ‘em right between the eyes. Had printed in thousands of country weeklies, even read from pulpits.” And for a minute or so all I could do was stare at him. Well, you're some ambidextrous bird, Skimp,” says 1. “From brewers to preachers! And when you've finished putting the sob sobriety you start in to take the sun out of Sunday. But you'll never Bet away with this last one. *“Think %0?” says he. ust keep your eye on us, Torchy. Why, in two Yyears from now, three at the outsid well be showing New York @ Sunday f you would klmfly!thn will make it look like Asbury Park In February. We're going to give the honest workingman a day of rest that will be the real thing, whether he wants it or not. He'll either go to church or he'll stay in the flat reading Saturday’s paper with the front shades pulled’déwr. There'll be no movie shows, no sacred con- certs, no profane amusements of any kind. f he tries. to poke his nose outeide without 8 par_we.= "js pas- tor or doctor's certiffici.. w ] have him pinched. And if he isn't aching to get back at his job by Monday morning we'll stir in a lfitle more blueing.” “8ome dream!" says I will never stand for i “That's what they sald about half of ‘one per cent beer,” says Skimp. “But look at ‘em no Tame as sheep, and not growler workingefrom the Battery to the Bronx. It'll be the same with these blue Sunday laws. They won't believe the thing is com- ing until it's been slipped over on ‘em. And-by that time we’'ll have our antj-tobacco - crusade in full blast, with funds rolling in from good peo- “The people “LEMME READ THE CARD, PIDDIE,” SAYS I, REACHIN’ FOR IT. “WELL, WELL, MR. EDGAR HAUGH- TON WILLERS, EH! HELLO, SKIMP. HOW THEY RUNNIN’ FOR YOU ™ what you get from a church usher and the facial expression of a circus clown. Seems to be frozen on, and | it frames the end of that long' nose of his like a new moon. “Really, old chap,” says he, “I'd prefer to See your president first. “Sorry, Skimp,” says 1, “but it can’t be done. You can buffalo a dead one like Piddie easy enough, but you ought to know that I'm different. I'm the inside guard. Nobody gets in to see Old Hickory without sketchin’ the plot of the plece to m And from all I know of you, Skimp, I expect there's some plot, all right. Come on, state it. Mr. Willers shrugs his shoulders, “0f course, Torchy, if you insist, 8 he, “but I hardly think that i necessary. Mr. Ellins knows all about iny errand, for we have been lY‘I communication with him for some time.” “We? “Precis “No™ say it must be you're representin’ a syndicate that has another set of the Russian crown jewels to sell. Eh?" “What a spspicious mind!” says leans. Say, a chart of his ups and downs would be good deal like a sketch of New York's skyline from the Jersey shore. But this was once when I didn't look for Skimp to come back. Some- how it scemed to me that he'd played out his game. So many people knew w a tricky customer he was. Not quite crooked, you understand, but generally just on the verge of it, and always ready to pass up anything that “resembled industry for some- thing that was 90 fer cent cinch. So 1 checked off the five as a char- ity donation to an unworthy cause, and proceeded to forget about Skimp as complete as if I'd read his obitu- ary. Oh, I might e wondered now and then, as I passed a gang of snow shovelers, or heard of how many had been counted in last night's bread live. if Skimp was among 'em, but gradually 1 got so I didn’t even do that. And then here a couple of weeks ago I got the shock of my life by openin’ a letter and havin' a crisp new five drop out with a brief note of thanks The sta- from the writin’ room of but, of course, Skimp. “If you'll take the trouble to look in the iower left-hand corner of my card, under your thumb, perhaps you will understand that— “Great stutterin trombones!” says 1, tionery is the Plutoria Hotel, fore. “°‘Representing the ue to Enforce Sunday Observance! Why, Skimp! You don’t mean you've actu- ally horned in on that game?” irst assistant propaganda editor, says he, “and at a salary wholly ad. Skimp still has his nerve with him and can put up front enough to biuff the house detectives. That's the easiest thing he does. But it told me that he'd found some way of con- nectin’ with real coin again and set me guessin’ as to what and how, quate to_the positiol en at that. T wasn’t prepared for| “But—but how vision that made me blink my [ 1t2" says I “Yoi vesterday afternoon wWhen T t was quite rolled out into the general offices | “You see, 1 had done some work for to ask Piddie something and finds | the anti-saloon people after the him bowin' respectful across the{brewers gave me the sack. They brass gate to a party that Vincent,| were about finishing up, too, o that the office boy, has held up for cre- | didn't last long. Had to cut down deatials, He'a a tally alim, distipe| theix ¢ alsas But-it-bage reading off what I'd overlooked be- | n did you come to pun | eholcs, but I may have o put up with u!" ; Lo mple,” says Skimp. | “Huh! ple all over this fair land. 8o 1 should worry. And now, Torchy, if you don't mind, I'll see your Mr. Ellins.” “Just a sec,” says I. “You don’t expect to get Old Hickory lined up for any such campaign, do you?" “If ‘he wasn't interested,” Bkimp, “why did he phone the R Howler to send down a representa tive? It Percey hadn’t been alter big- ger game he would have come, too. But he knows I can land a four-figure check almost as well as he can, so he sent me.’ “You've got your work mapped out, T'll whisper,” says 1. “Why, say, Old Hickory is a twent: inute egg. The only way he observes Sunday is by playin’ either golf or billiards all the forenoon and spendin’ the rest of the day as far from a church as he can get. T can see him helpin’ finance any scheme that'll change his Sunday pro- gram the way you 14." Kkimp waves his hand careless. “Has the enforcement of the Volstead act deprived Mr. Ellins of his glass of port' or dinner Martini?" he de- mands. “] should say not, “What's he got a cellar for? “Neither will our blue Sunday pene- trate to country estates or spacious city homes,” says Skimp. “Mr. Ellins understands that thoroughly. But says L | every large employer of labor knows that his workmen will be beiter oft if their day of leisure is planned out for them by wise and pious men.’ ‘Such as you?"' I asks. “I am but the humble instrument of a great cause” says Skimp. “Then go to it,” says I. “If you can work a check out of Old Hickory El- lins along them lines I—Say, I'll that five vou jarred me with not long There’s his door. First on the 1 was wishin’ I could be in on this little confab, too, for when the big boss got the complete detalls of the proposition his remarks should be the kind that would scorch the paint. The best I could do. though, was to watch the private office door and how swift Skimp made his exit. Bt ten minutes passed wmmsn anything violent happening. Fifteen. And then I'll be hanged if it don’t open easy to reveal Mr. Edgar Haugh ton Willers being ushered out gentl: by the old man himself, with a partin handshake as a finl I must have had my face wide apart as Skimp pauses at my desk to let me see the size of the check Old Hickory has au- tographed for him. “Z-3-z-3ing!” says L ay, 1 give up, S8kimp, Here's your five. And I ought to make it ten for being such & punk esser. ' There's just one thing that pusszles me, though, Skimp. Where do you get off yourseif when you've painted the town bl You're little saint, you know. “Oh, as for that” says he, pullin’ on his gray gloves, “I have already made plans. - This is to be a world movement and the most efficient mem- bers of our organization will un- doybtedly be sent to reform the sin- soaked citles of Europe. Paris is my e? London or Berli 1. “When you get there look me up. 1 be well gettled there by that time. If I ain’t you'll know T've been sent up for life for tryin’ to bribe a cop to smuggle me in a Sun- day paper.”. — Ae3Tighly 1021, 5 Samelk Focdd 1 l ? | nd death bed, 10d! lowing. Bereby boundary of Hamburg. The land lines of Mexico are’ quite irregular, but on that tract are New Hamp- shire avenue from M sStreet to the river Pennsylvania avenue from 22d street to Rock creek; 24th, 25th. 26th, 27th and 28th streets from Pennsylvania avenue to the river, and parts of the lettered streets from O street to Rock creek and the Po- tomac. Washington Circle, the Naval Hospital, the Museum of Hygiene and Easbys point are on “Mexico.” ‘While this is rather an ambitious and serious job which the Rambler has taken upon himself, he hopes to work it out in a leisurely fashion, if you encourage him by following his_ stories, and the credit will not rest with him. Like all old chaps who have lived not too virtuousiy and not too riotously, he has a ®ood many friends, and some of these have helped him in this work. *I rreturn thanks for assistance ren- dered me by others” is often a evnhemistic way of saying that the other fellows have done the whole job, and the Rambler is going to be square enough with his readers to tell them that in this matter of land grants, deeds and all that, he would already have been up several tall trees, without any chance of getting dowy f{f it had not been for| his old friends, James 8. Shepherd.: commissioner of the land office of | Maryland at Annapolis; Arthur Tra- der, chief clerk of that offic E ward Phelps, also of that office. each of whom knows Maryland land pat- ents as most men know the alpha- bet; F. W. Richardson, clerk of the | court of Fairfax county for forty years; Summerfleld, or “Shorty,” Hall, clerk of the court of Prince Georges. at Marlboro, and the Rambler's old Washington friends, Jim Becker, president of the Real Estate and Co- Jlumbia Title companies: Will Van Fleck of those companies, and Billy Manogue. In this line of work the Rambler means to take up, first, the story ofl Analostan Island. That story wili follow Analostan Island from 1680. when it was granted by the Lord Proprietary of Maryland to Capt. Randolph Brandt of Charles county. in which county Analostan then was, to the time of the purchase of the is- 1and by Joseph Leiter, June 14, 1913, from the Analostan Island Improv ment Company. It will carry the is- land through the periods of owner- ship by George Mason, of Gunston Hall and his son, John Mason, better known to old Georgetown people as Gen. John Mason. * * ¥k The Rambler might begin this story | i in the land office of Maryland at An- napolis, which is one of the most in- teresting places within 10.000 miles of Washington, but without any thought of slighting the Maryland land office, the history of which he means to tell later, he finds it convenient to begin the story of Analostan Island in the clerk’s office of Fairfax county. There are the wills of George Mason of Gunston and of his sons and several grandsons. The will of George Mason is & very long document and contains only one paragraph relating to Ana- lostan, but more than a page relating to his son John, to whom, he be- queathed the island and other tracts of land on which suburban citizens of Washington dwell. The will as a whole ought to be interesting to Washington, Maryland and Virginia people, because of its many refer- ences to land tracts on both sides of the Potomac. And feeling confident that some of his readers are interest- ed, the Rambler will set forth the contents of the will. It begins: jeorge Mason of Gunston Hall in the Tish ot Truro and the county of Fairfax, Befog of perfect and sound mind and memory a g00d health, but mindful of the uncer- of human life and the imprudence of Jeaviug his affairs to be settled on his , do m appoint this my 1 3 testament. My soul I resign into the ‘ot my Almighty Creator, whose tender rcles are over all His works, wio bhat nothing that he hath made. and to the Justice and Wisdom of whose Disposision I willingly and cheerfully submit, bumbly hopeing from his unbounded mercy and benevolence, throuzh the merits of my blessed Savior, a remission of wy sins. M jy 1 desire may be decently buried at the discretion of my Executors herein atter named, close by the side of my Dear and ever lamentéd wife, and as for all’ the worldly Eatate with which it has pleased God to bless me, I diespose of it in manner and form fol- wi It is my will and desire and I order that sl tai ! man’s Imprimis ereby d slaves, crops, Tol ‘with all my in Virginia, Maryland and elsewhere. be kept together and considered as one common for the payment of my debts and legacies and ce and Bducation of my children of their Kortunes when my pectively come of age or ot before, ewch of them is irect and the Mainte d the pay: aid _childres marry, when, to receive his or her part of the same, as here- in respectively devised or bequen to each and when any of my children shall come of age or marry, and recelve his or her part of the same accordingly, the residue shall contipue and remain in the said common stock or fund until another of my children shall come of age or marry. The will of George Mason was made and witnessed on March 20, 1773, and probated. at the court of Fairfax of them, ( ! iy { Mary. | testator continues, “that is, until my [y county, October 16, 1792. The wit- nesses” were Gustavus Scott, Eliza beth Bronough, Ann Cockburn, John West, jr.; Rol Graham and John Davidson. The executors named were George Maeon, jr., and Martin Cock- burn. At the probate of the will this |George Mason was the surviving ex- ceutor and the surviving witnesses to the will were Ann Cockburn and Rob- ert Graham. The Wwitness to the sig- natures of these folk was Peter Was- ener, and the end of the will in the old record book at Fairfax Court- house bears this mark: “Examined by O. Gunnell.” He was probably the man who compared the transcription n”=l|e record book with the original will. The first thought of George Mason in disposing of his vast holdings was of his daughters, and.the Rambler re- publishes this jtem: “I give and bequeath to each of my four daughters, Ann Mason, Sarah Ma- son, Mary Mason and Elizabeth Mason, and to each of their heirs forever when they respectively arrive at the age of 21 years; or marry, whichever shall happen “first, the following slaves and thelf increase: “To Ann: Bess, the daughter of Chloe, and her child Frank; Muylatto thé daughter of Jenny, and Nell, the daughter of Occoquan Nell. “To Sarah: 'Hannah, Venus. the daughter of Beck, and Mulatto Mima, the daughter of Jenny “To Mary Ann “and Nell, the daughters of House Nell, and little Jenny, the daughter of Jenny. “To Elizabeth: of Occoquan Nell; Sarah, the daughter of Great Sue, and Rachel, the daugh- ter of Beck. ok k% George Mason “confirms to his daughters, Ann, Sarah and Mary, the right to a slave given to each of them by their grandfather, William Eil- beck, deceased, to wi Penny to Ann. Priss to Sarah, and Nan to But in the meantime,” the daughters respectively, come of age or marry, the profit of all such of the above mentioned slaves as shall not be employed in waiting upon any of my said daughters, or for their use in the House, are. to’ remain in and be considered as part of the Common F-oct for the murnaeas herein hnere mentioned.” IIe gives to each daugh- ter one bed and cerlam Olner Liuwse- hold furnishings, and to each he leaves £600. He makes reference to sums of money left the young ladies by thier Granumouler and Ui aoabeawer | Eilbeck of Charles county, Md. To the eldest son, George, and his heirs the testator leaves “my mansion house and seat of Gunston Hall, with all my lands thereto belonging and adjoining, 6,000 acres; also a small tract of land adjoining the Rev. Mr. Lee Massey purchased by me of Giles and Benoni illett, and in general all my lands between Potomack River, Occoquan River and Pohick Creek in county.” He refers to “quarters” on Hallowing point and to land in that neighborhood, which he had bought from William Courts. To George he left slaves Alice, Bob, Dunk, Yellow Dick, Bob, the son of Occoquan Nell; Peter, the son of Great Sue; Judy and Lucy, “together with all ‘the slaves which shall properly belong to or re- side at my two upper quarters in Neck, adjoining the Great To George he leaves his stock in the Ohio Company, “my gold watch, which I commonly wear; also the silver salver, which being an old piece of family plate I desire may remain unaltered.” He confirms to his sqn “a negro man, Dick, given him by his Grandfather Eilbeck, and Tom and Liberty, given him by his grand- mother, Mrs. Eilbeck.” LJ #econd =on, William Mason, the testator leaves “my lands upon Chickamuxen and Mattawoman creeks Charles county in the province of Maryland; that is to say, all my lands in Christian Temple Mannor and my tract of land called Stump Neck, for- merly called Dogues Neck, with 200 acres of land adjoining and included in the same original patent.” To Wil- liam he also leaves a tract of 150 acres “whereon George Adams now lives, near Port Tobacco in the same county and province, being one moiety of a tract called Partnership. H leaves to William the slaves Milly, daughter of Kate, and Sampson, son of Mrs. Eilbeck’s Bess, together with one-fifth of the household furniture and books in Gunston Hall. He leaves to him “my silver watch which I for- merly used to wear.” He confirms to him “the negro lad, Cato, given to him by his grandfather, Willlam Eil- beck.” To his third son, Thomas Mason, the testator leaves “All my lands in Thomson's patent, repatented in my own name, beween Dogues Run and the south branch of Little Huntin’ Creek.” Also *“all lands upon both sides ‘of the north branch of Little Hunting Creek, contained in Thomas {Stafford's patents, Thomas Sandiford’s atent, repatented in mv own name: eorge Brent's sale to William Bourne and part of Ball's patent, which I bought of Mr. Sampson Darrell; also all my land in Mason's and Heryford's t | patents upon the branches of Dogues Run and Accotink, being a moiety of land devised by my grandfather, Col. i George Mason, deceased, to his daugh- ters, Elizabeth and Rosanna, also a small tract of Jand contiguous thereto originally patented by ome William Williams and_purchased by my father of Winifred Ball, daughter and heir- at-law to the said Williams, it being the land on which Edward Violett lived, and also a tract of land about 400 acres patented by my father upon the upper side of Dogues Run adjoin- ing to Matthews’ patent; in all about 3,300 acres. He leaves to Thomson the slaves Salley, daughter of Lucy, and Joe, son of Mrs. Eilbeck’s Bess; one-fifth of the books and furniture t Gunston Hall, and confirms title to ‘the negro lad, Cupid, given him by his grandfather, Eilbeck.” * % %k ‘We now come to that item 'in the will of George Mason of Gunston Hall which concerns the fourth son, John Magon, who became Gen. John Mason, celebrated in the early an- nals of Georgetown and the District of Columbia. To John, his father leaves “All my lands adjoining to and near Rock Creek ferry upon Pato- mack river; that ia to-say, lands can- being between 5.000 and | Fairfax | Vicky, the daughter | | RUINS ON ANALOSTAN ISLAND. tained in Thomas Ous , Thomas Gowing’s and my father’s patents (all repatented in my own name), with the lands I purchased of Ellis and Brodie and of Daniel Jennings, and a small tract of land I took up as va- cant lands between my other tracts, and in general all my Jands between Four-Mile run and the lower falls of the Potomack river, in the county of Fairfax, being about two thousand acres. “I also give and bequeath” con- tinues the will, “unto my said son John Mason and his heirs forever, my island in Potomack river epposite the mouth of Rock creek, which I had under a patent from the lord proprie- tary of Maryland by the name of Bar- badoes.” Barbadoes seems to have been one of the names under which Analostan Island passed, but in Capt. Randolph Brandt's grant of 1680 the island is described as “Annalostan” and in a book written by David Baillie War- den, and published in Paris in 1816, one will find an interesting descrip- tion of *“Analostan Island.” = After John Mason built the fine -house, the the island, it came to be generally known as Mason’s Island. Of these matters the Rambler will tell in a number of this geries. Under the will of his father, John Mason inherits “All my lend upon the main south run of Accotink and the | branches of Difficult run, in the upper | end of Truro Parish in Fairfax coun- jty. patented by my father, with a | small tract of land thereto adjoining, | patented in my own name, being about 200 acres” To John, George Mason leaves slaves, “Harry the son of House Pott, and Peg, the daughter of Chloe,” and one-fifth of the books and furnishings of Gunston Hall. To the Mfth and youngest gon. | Thomas Mason, George Mason be- | queathed “All my land upon the lower | side of Occoquan patented by my father and Col. Robinson, together with right and benefit of keeping | the ferry over Occoquan from both | sides of the river, which has been Vi in me and my anceetors from taken up or patented; als nds upon the Neabsco pur- y my father from Mrs. Ann West; also all my land upon Poto- mack river in Cockpit Point Neck also all my land upen the upper Millionaire (Continued from Third Page.) dence at a price of §400,000. It could not be bought for double that today. So Ambassador Sharp rented. ready furnished, the town house of one Bartholini, a retired Bwiss art col- lector, at no greater price” than had been paid (always out of their own private pockets) by Ambassador Herrick and predecessors. It was a war rent, very reasonable. There was a small garden. Ambassador Wallace rented, furnished (down to the silverware and cut glass), the elegant Radziwill house and garden in the elegant Place d'lena. The rental is not known. It ought to be consid- erable. And so, while bleeding #old from every pore, the American ambassador keeps moving aboyt. Nobody knows, for long, ‘where he lives. Certain American congressmen, we will say, cannot understand why our ambassadors spend this money, even if the ambassadors of the other pow- ers are able to do s0, and, in a mense, they are right. But imagine one of them himself, with all his inexperi- ence, to be appointed ambassador. “When he arrives in Paris or Lon. don and finds himself confronted i once with forty or fifty invitation: explained my own ambassador, * is obliged to consjder what he is go- ing to do. The invitations are from official people. Shall he accept them and not repay them? Or shall he seem inexplicaby discourteous and re- fuse the invitations? “Now, each French cabinet minis- ter lives in a palace. The French government accumulated these pal- aces from the revolution. They can seat in their dining rooms anywhere from 60 to 250 guests, from the! Elysee down. Presidents of the sen- ate and chamber have tremendous palaces. Accepting dinners, etc., from them, is it not necessary to his coun- try that the American ambassador shall live in a mansion befitting to re- turn such courtesies?”’ * %k % IN Paris business is done in enter- taining. Under guise of a dinner or reception, things are done or said that the American ambassador ought to know. Without a grand embassy our man is at a disadvantage daily. For example, there are Americans coming to Paris officially, visiting senators with a vague but real man- date, all kinds of government com- missions, congresses of surgeons, chambers of commerce and what not. If you can have these people meet at ‘the embassy those with whom they come to get into relatiohs, you at once start the movement. It gives them dignity. They are “sustained by the embass; Quite apart from the idle absentee colony, there is now & great body of Amaricans §n Paris, earnestly en. gaged in business and professional life, furthering American trade and other interests. It is the class to which the British embassy threw open its garden parties just before the war. Surely the American ambassador should be in a position to gather them around him at proper times. “Private Americans of importance come to Paris” he said, “and if the! ambassador be of a social and friendly | nature he will have to entertain man such. It may be designated as hisi pleasure, but oftentimes it is neces- sary.” Ex-Presidents, governors, senators, cablnet minjsters, etcy ruins of which may now be seen onj| One Office Which Only ‘ of Chappawamsic creek, and in gen- eral all my lands in the county of Prince William. Also iands’adjoining | to each other upon Goose bay and Potomack river, in Charles county, in the province of Maryland, being four | tracts, the lowermost called St. Bene- dict's originally granted to Bennett Marchegay; the next, called Mason's | Fields, patented by my mother, Mrs. Ann Mason; the next, interfering with Mason's Fields, a tract of 150 acres without any particular name whereon Henry Fletcher formerly lived, who purchased the same of Henry Aspinwall, originally granted; and the upper. called Fletcher's Addition, originall granted to said Henry Fletcher; and in general all my lands between Chickamuxen creek and Goose bay, in the said county and Province of Maryland. To Thomas Mason are bequeathed the slaves “Jack, son of House Nell, and Daphne, the daughter of Dinah,’ and one-fifth of the books and fur- nishings of Gunston Hall. George Mason mentions tracts of land owned by him in the county of Hampshire, Va.. and Frederick coun- {ty., Md., “near Fort Cumberland, pi ented in my name in trus ©Ohio Company. He empowers and directs his ex- ecutors “To erect marble tombstones over the graves of my honored fath and mother and my dear wife, if the same is not done by me in my life- time” To appraise his estate for residuary legatees, he appoints “my ood friends, the Rev'd Mr. James cott, the Rev'd Mr. Lee Massey, John | West, Jun.; Col. George Washington !and Alexander Henderson. Near the conclusion of the will, which covers twenty-five pages of the record book, is the following advice to his sons, which {berhlyl may be of | some b:neflt to all those patient read- 1 ers who follow these “rambles.” “T recommend to my soi from my own experience in life, to' prefer the happiness of independencé and p vate station to the troubles and vexa- tions of public business; but if either their own inclination or the neces i sity of the times should engage them in publie affairs, 1 charge them, on a father's blessing, never to let th motives of private interest or ambl i tion induce them to betray, nor the i terrors of poverty and disgrace. or i the fear of danger or of death to deter i them from aesserting the liberty of their country, and endedvoring to transmit to their posterity those sa- d rights to which themselves were s Can Accept send important people with letters, and often come themselves. Thg lei- ters contain a request that the am- bassador show them some attention. Some should be introduced to ¥rench personages. “Such presentations of repre: fellow citizens,” he said, “ar ing more and more an embassy duty, in the interest of good international understanding.” A similar reason for a grand em- bassy is that there are numerous soe cieties—like France-Amerique and that of the Ecole Politique—which it is becoming the ambassador's duty to receive annually. Of course, he is ac- credited to the French government, but if he can broaden his activities as does the British am! r it s better for Jur interests. We see the results in Britain's continued prestige, and sometimes we grow suddenly im- patient—and seold. Is it not better simply to play rthe game? That is what our millionaire am- bassadors have been doing. ‘What does it cost the ambagsador's. private pocket? Here, particularly, is where my il- lustrious friend made me ecut my notes. I ought to say that he was not Mr. Wallace. Thus, all the following are pre- war prices. Just now, when the dol- lar is worth sixteen francs, the ne coming ambassador might scrape through with them. But who can say how long they will respond te the high cost of living? ‘Entertainments, dinners, etc., cost. say, $20,000 per year. The one item of the ambassador's “free for all” Foyrth of July fete runs into $2,000. Mr. Wallace's reception to the Knights of Columbus probably cost as much. When he dines the American new: paper correspondents in a body the cost is pearer to $500 than to & les: er sum, and they are but “vague hu- manities” in his life of expenae. The ambassador's wife receives once & week In the seasom, and “It is as- tonishing how she is criticised if she does not do it well enough.” At the present gait, add $5.000 per year, at the very least, for this item. Add two automobiles, “or his wife will have to go in a taxl” Item, $5.C00 yearly. Add the wages and uniforms of liv- eried flunkeys, butler, cooke, scul- liong, chef and chef's lady housekeeper, econome, pantrykeeper, maids and valets, and his wife French secretary, and you find that the American aml r has & monthly pay roll of between 37,000 and $12,000 and more, If you pleage— for who can see his pocket? And he has not paid his rent yet. Nor his clothes and his wife's clothes. Nor his furniture. Nor his charities. Al to be paid out of $17,500 & yeart This is why it will be only right for Congress to get awake and act 1mme- diately and purchase an 'embassy palace In Paris. An important jtem will be its furniture. Its fixed charges, in say ease, should be provided for. On arriving. the newcoming American ambassador should find the embassy residemce & going concern., with experienced housekeepers, econome, chefs, butle: flunkeys, etc., in their places. And hs should have an ample cash sllowance per year for “entertainments.” silliopaires-to