New-York tribune. [volume], February 20, 1910, Page 8, Image 50

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

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s
How the Father of His
Country Acted as
Neighbor. Husband.
Friend. Lover.
fOrrris*t. iSN>. b> Jofca EXlrcth Tv*tWins.>
Washington. l>b W^TOta kno^ Wxlc
*tf "Guerre U'asbnsstOT's oftteia: side is a
-. ,«M. w ;t v . scauain^sv-e with his human
-?dr i> only « rare luxury of out education.
U> i***e school cr cones* fairly intimate
-Pith Washington the' s=oMier am* the
Mcl reman, but fcmorant of Washington the
■mar. and ■ «.ur chance ... with -the
r.rst American in this latter role occur only
-in the course of our Incidental and acci
dent*! brow^inc? in pastures literary.
Bui Thai the world may now become bet
ter a'-mjaint^ri with Wsishiiijrton 'the neisrli
lM»r and friend: the toosband and lever— th»
man i:i the fle!=h— the Library of Consresa
iv PW having repaired ami substantially
mourned, bound an-J tsBTcToHy .-ataK>pue<l.
the nuv«*i~uu~igut*E vaFt and prk-eicfs but
lnnr r»cle«ted «-ol!ertioi! of SVashtegtra
maruscript!-. s"jpe :.«.r»fti» human docu
xirtot*-. :>T>s:"!y liners fr«->!n. to anu des«rii>
tivf ct this jp-cat immoilaL «rtiuse lT^th
lirthduy tc Khail colci^raic Tuesday next.
As <3"*criK-d by his friend. George Mer
cer. al»nut The timr of his Trarriac^. or
•wh«*n tventy-KrvTn, ho va> "as straight
sts an Indian, mcafTirinc fix feel two inches
inhii- storkirso. and ■wrichiiic 177. jwunds."
He ha<? well «l"\cloj>cd rr'is-«-ses. large-bones
Rnii 5.-.IITP. hie f'^t :>nd hand", w id<
■s-tKn'Kie'r?. '«ut .-: < -ti^st re|th«T deep m>r
round. He T>.a«: "'n«-at T\.->is-tfd." but broad
arrow :?k- Jiijvc. and his 1v ;<d was "J">t
larre." althouch hi»= neei was ••siij>rrb."
Hi* riof-^ was "larcr and straisrht rather
Than urtjjninent." hise;.-*^ blue-sra3"i : j>ene;
irstinr. widely sfTiarj»t«»d and over hunc by
Imjkvv browSk !?e was inTic-'arrd. with
li'ltli. ro'ind che»"k. tx»n~^ and a linn chin,
and h>s hisir. «x>rn in r 1 rue. was dark
brown. Jif had "'Hear. th"usl» r3ther a
cblorle*-* pale skin, which burns -with the
Fan."' £4iu his mouth na? "larjre and cen
*ra'ly firmly cJoeedJ wVij«h from time to
tune discloses some defective trrth.*"
HE TOOK ON FLESH
WT»m thirty-one he de^crib^s him&elf to
hif= t£i_'or aF '"Fix feet hit-h and - proportion
bbly made — if .-;:i>ihiTis: rather, slender then
thieS for a pen of that height, with
jarelty lone arms and thirh?." By the time
lie waF fifty -on» 1115 weight had inrrcase-J
l«j Z"\ ft . or ".r. pnuids <iwr what he carried at
t(t» time of his marria|E?c.
He was pockmarked in addition to ha*
lnc d< > f«^ti'v«* teejh. His attack of the
awful dipeaf* wh»eh ..... for life
-■■ „ - t-ontraeted at the are of nineteen,
•whil* with hi? invalid brother in F-arbado=.
"Wb*>Ti ... in th* 1 jear of his first
-nnucuration. Senalor Maria;.-, describing
liis *"a? he really is." said be "was of on
«sK*ptionahle nakf-. hut l«x appearance.*,'
and ■■ complained that his frame Tronld
*-e*m to warn flllmjc "up-" that his ....
j<?n •»•«'■ ■ v r«il«' — nay, almost
nnd that his voice was "hoHow and indis
tinct, .owir.c. at 1 beile>-e. to artificial
te^ih b»fV«r«- ri's epper law. which occa-
Bintlf
ThaT portiiitßre has failed to show us
the rra? "iV*a5 v ;inn ri n If the opinirn of pev-
mTttere Tibo s-rudied >.:ra after he be
carr" 1 Pr«>Fid«"nt and who lamented That
•there -, -' few portrait? -which resembi*
him." thai his face had an repression
■which "no pa:r»;»r hud ?ucceersed in tak
inr'" and that •Tir> plrt-j'-*- accurately re
f»mWe? him in ... minute trait? of Ws
person "' He write? of himself that -while
ptislnj: i^T tin Peaie pnrtrai* Vie --.-•;
prave and fiill^n mood and part of the
ttttw asleer. Ati'l when ■■-.-_■-■
mc *h«= rr"Ft famous at h'> portraits he
Fat with his lips padded out -with corron to
hice defecii. caused bs the bad fit of his
'r^r.t pair of -„-■- But later he
?rot better te*Th. of --.<. ■--
■whi-h h*- -wore - hile sitf.r.c for a miniature
fay Sharpicss. -which -res regarded by maiiy
R5 his best likcucEt.
AN ORIGINAL SPELLER.
That -- _-..■.-.- Ib» m. centicnu i« re-
by lbe«s mm in th*> vast srovern-
TT'*r.i coiirctioc Thu? he wrote "ex
■travafrerr*." •••orind^r."' •latt* l^" 'for
I^atin>. *>tr. But hP ediicatiiji was flnip^fd
only at a little vi'lac* yrhcoi in - iericks
hyr?:. wheTic* r.r d«-part«>d a pr.or srrarr.
■rnarian. alth r iurh n -fair hand at arithmetic.
His grammar. hoT»e\-<?r, he improved in
lat«r- life until !)«= had mastprpd an eh
canr^ of frty]*>. His penmanship, always
lirifons. srr&c^ful and distinct, 'oilcwi-d
(iiffly ....... copies in "The
Tounr Mar> Orr.par.ion." -Rhirri he
rrudied industriously and -which contained
instruction d a end variety cf subjects.
frrrm carp*?ntr>* to «"tiquftte, and from
clpberinr to doctorinc.
But throughout his life "Wat hinctor. read
but little. &r.d what books he did peruse
■were chicf.y on agriculture and military
•dence. A complete catalccu*- of his
SlbrarT.'. pnßt"<l this -aririter for th«* Srst
lim*. reveiiif.. Uowevei 1 . that be had an ex
-r^ntive c-oll^ction of books. Books of 1-
ti'Ti ar*. howp\€T. -„-- few- and far gar
:«wi, and yoa could almost count them
or. yiur f:rie«»rs— "Gil Klas." "I'erezrin
Pickle." "Gulliver,"' "Humphrey Clinker."*
*T)on <^iiixm»'" and a few others. There
*.re a few volumes of miscellaneous vcrs*.
■ad the rmtmd«T cf th»^ hundred? "f vol
umes ar* csea>*s cr -works of th»> Informa
tive class. !?«■ it (Ik American i*n'~:."
dopa^dia. - HaaaaaTa a.nd Johnson's dl'-
tionari^t. arid there m no cad of text
b^oke on s:z'-o>n;ns: and Banataa In his
<iiarJ** b.r EfXT mentioned readme
LOVE DANCING AND TEAS.
In** «*« fond ff (Jannnc, afternoon teas
and pirnics. Kis ariea refer over an<s
o^«raajati to hts ati^tidanc** at hall.^. Ev»n
"-i^-ii^- tb» Bv^otSoc he induiirrd this
■->-'■■■---. rt at the
<■-«■ of his generals^ and it is - - .'■«Je<i
that «rnc»=. durincr ihis tim^ "his Excellenrj
«nd Mrs. Oreen danced npmrd of thr^
hours without o:ict> Kittins: down." And
O'lieral Kaaai wrot- that at one of th«"se
routs "we danced til iiJcht." The nlsrht
that h#» RH ►■ * iiis commission in Annap
olis "the general danc*td in every m».i." and
v ' • Eixty-tour he, warn soil! rayly tripping
the light fantastic.
His diaries are also full of references to
hi* drinking. !>ere. and therw, afternoon
t**a, v/fclcb at Ha • • Vcrnon -u-as rt- eularly
i^erx-ed upon the vide portico fa^-lnx the
river, and which during the ivar aaai n.e
punctually -• mci at th*> irenera;> heao
ajaacaat At Mount A'e.rnon h«> ceremo
niously j«"wdered his hair for dinner, at
K'hJrli v .-re served th* luxuriet of the day,
including vin*', often oiiampacn* — with
which he t<_»a£te«l "all our friends." He
%ca& very fond of the theatre, and when
President frequently entertained at box
pirtlej-. *■ I when in his twenties .an
tirsbltion lor ■fata acting. In his young
er days tic wa> also *ond of circuses, pupi^t
Cbowfc. aajaa»a«fci ■'■'• ■ concert*.
H*; bad a hlfh beaayec but k*-pt it under
dot»« control. "If. however, it i: ii' its
bendt, ne «-ss tremendous in his wrath,"
• rote JeiTert-on Oilo^rt Stuart *did that
-a!l Jus feature.s -were indicative of th«*
Hrrnc***^ and most ungovernable jiaEElonf-.
a^u -«-- -•-"-- tcra - tha loretts he
HUMAN SIDE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON— LAST WILL RESTORED
would rave bean the fiercest man among
the- Ba aga tribe?."' ._-..-.
Washington was a born Ipeculator At
Mount reraaa he was cocistantly encaged
lr land .it .-,!<=. and during the Revolution
he tried to get » shar^ in a privateering
enterprise. He was also sn enl rnsiastlc
patron of the rallies and lotteries which
v <--- fashionable-in Ms da
From the tttne that !i" was In hie twe.n
t'es until be was- 'well a<Tvanc«-d In his six
ties he mad»" repeated entries on his ac
counts of sums ranzlnc upward to frA" in
vested In lottery tickets. When thirty-four
!«■ made Hi on Id thus invested. He put
up £1 in" a raffle for a necklace. £1 4 shillings
f«.r a cnance on "Th" Kncyclopn^dia Britan
nua." snd he entered other raffles for
glasses, a coach, a pair of sliver buckles,
a watch, a run. etc He was a!.-" fond of
gamine:, and one euti'y in his diary stated
-..a - be *a^ ' 'fit home all day over cards,"
but Ma diary records Us largest gain as
£3. However, be once lost I? 14 shillings
and ? BBBMM The record shows that he
was generally unlucky at cards
He was fond of billiards, horse racing and
fox hunting. Indeed, from boyhood he was
passionately fond of hiorsei leffcrson
called him ""the best horseman of his acr."
He subscribed generously to the races, and
ran. his hrrses at them. He would co to
Annapolis or even as far as Philadelphia
to attend the races. And he rod*- to the
hounds until sixty-two, when he fell off
and sprained his back H*> went "ducking"
I -,- t*>als, spriciailr- and mallards along the
Poionia.' T)iarsi>c=. and '-at «ther tim^s he
went "ft dr^gcinc for Pturgeoi or ane'tng
for other of the finny iribes. H? also at
t< \<-t\ cock Crhts when Ihe chance offerefl
TOOK CARE OF THE PENNIES.
"Take care of tVi* 1 pennies" was evidently
cne of the jr»ii»"-ars mottoes' .He « Mghed
fh<- to]l money irivMi to his • ■ ■ man. and
if it -■'■■ short. Tv^icht the latter was made
tli<* in«pr. Vet once, when General Stone,
of Maryland, givp what weighed three
1 alfpesc* over Washington wrapp« up
i hat .*■•■.•- for deliver>" t(^ Ptone
on liis return And returning from the
army the landlord of Mount Yen on
carefully measiirinca -<-• r >;n. found that - i
plasterer <•---_ in his absence ad o er
charred 15 shil'inr?. =■••.>--.-
This plasterer died, and his widow, upon
remarrying, advertised tfcat she would te
ceive and pay ail due to or by her former
husband Washington upon reading the tio
tiee made a demand for hir 15 shilling.- and
received them.
A m*»- contribution to know!?cg'" of
Washington's human side has just been
made by W. K. Bixby. of St T^ouis. who
purchased anl had printed Tor the rtrsi
time-in a very limited presentation edition
— th*- long lost ........ of the Mount
Vernon estate as appraised *by Washir.g
f.-n"? secretary. T..bia? I -car. ;;n<l three
..... in i?KV This, with the wills of
Georse and Atartha Washington, was Sled
la the Fairfax <"ourt.-ious«\ whose records
became scattered .ib.'j: the groundt= in a
nitm raid in the Civil War. The. captain
of a Union con.pary on the grounds -■ tno
tirr-.e r>ick(?a up peveral papefs, arawg which
Le lat^r four»«l Mrfc. Washing-tan's will H"d
t"'ie iinenTor; . These he retained until bis
ceath. when they were sold, the will b-ing
bought by a promiirent New York collector.
George Washington's will, However, was
never lost. .... ot the. Congressional
-.—a- - manuscrint divifi-'ii >s now down
at/ Fairfax Onrt House repiiirlnt it.
HIS TASTE IN ART.
■«> now pet our first knowledge from
this inventory of the original contents
of the rooms it Mount Vernon. It shows
that the general's* art tastes ran mostly
to war scenes and portraits of generals
H* had upstairs some -Nymphs Bathing."'
an "Adonis Carried Off by Venus" and pict
ures of thai ciass. but the greater part
of the collection consisted of reproductions
of unknown painters, largely landscapes.
The scale on which the general lived
at Mount Vernon is indicated by such
items as "fifty-five barrels; of shad " and
"117 barrel? of erring and there -were
counted on the estate 2?6 head of cattle.
23 horses. 77 mules, S&6 sheep and 227
hogs. There were also 124 slaves on the
place "which Mrs Washington intended
etatiug at the end of the year." and
which were not appraised for that rea
son.
The mansion wars filled with mahogany
imported from 'Encland. and the .valua
tions placed up"n it by th" appraisers
•niil interest mir modern collectors of
antiques The mahogany pH^b'-ard in the
dininc room was marked at $2.*!. the knif"
<-ases SS apiece, the mahogany chairs at
$t> apiece and the historic "key of the
Bastile. with its representation" (mean
ing, evidently, the model, of the prison);
•"<■-' valued a-t $10— with Lear as one of
the appraisers' The general's "gold
watch, two seals and a key" were valued
at $175: his "diamond eagle" at 5387. his
shoe and knee buckles, "paste and gold."
at $2?>o. One Item corroborative of the
evidence that the general was always hav
ing trouble with his teeth, is "one case
Of ttet'f instruments," found in his
study.
Th« Totfil of persons property
the Mouat Veraon estat< was apprs m
YOUR BOYS LIFE WORK
If He tnlists in the Navy at Seventeen, and Is a
Warrant Officer at Forty-seven. He Can
Retire on $150 a Month for Life.
B.« C TV. .I»nn">t»
CHAPTER -MX.
Th» c:ar«» atid clittrr of bra band^ and !
have unbounded attraction for it"" ,'
■ii ias.i fullW«>ori* > d boy: but add to thin
th» fascination of the s«-a and nary !if*»,
visiting th» ;.,.- ts of the world, ihe envy
<•■• all their acquaintances on i«uifi. with '
j.-intd living, good pa: and certain advance
-■•-■• and you have a condition that should
be e\en more appealing.
Just this life is op^n to every hoy <>f
seventeen, and. practically as well an theo- i
retlcally, tie •a' keep going on up as far s.s !
li«^ lik»»s, arid «■ the same, tune will have •.
the advantage of the best kind of Hre<-- |
tion and a crood home; *•" Uncle Bana'a I
Xavy Department ia a veritable father to i
hiK i)lu"jack*-t children
These sound like strong assertions, par- I
ticularly in view of occasional criticisms
that are made: but. to quote one of the |
government statements, in nearly all In i
stances these "reports were circulated by i
men who have been discharged for bad j
conduct oj who have been punished by the
department on account of bad behavior
and have left th* navy for the navy's
good."
Anyhow, by starting out your l«?y as a '
man-o'-wartman, no matter vnhat partieu* ;
!ar bent be may have, he wilj fiiwi here the ;
educAtion and training, and pay all the.
vhile, that will <-)»- <■-■„ bin into- Chi hi«rn
■at saaaibk pflldency.he has. in . Eia*can
wet up us h traman, as .«• vi^rk, t-tenoc
rapher aad baaftißajaßßr "IB nTTCTntJi"^ork.
■a a tailor, a ■ "ii"i O! /l cook: ■„ . a car
penter, maclimitt, lunfbel ;riirit-j. tlai^ I
NEW-YORK DAILY TRIBUNE. SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 20. lf>m.
WASHINGTON AT TWENTY
CNE.
This picture, by an unknown artist r<RE XOMS "DF WASHfffGT ON'S WILL FOR MANY YEARS-
Glasgow.
THE OLD COURTHOUSE AT FAIRFAX. VA.
Washington's will was filed Here in 1800 for probate.
-. $r>7.2P<> 04 . including $2?.4fi^ 71 found !
•in th<=- --.-,-, chest," and exclusive of the ■
slaves. Put. exclusive of this and,, of his
■nife-p estate, 'the general, when he di*"l.
was -worth 5630,000. which means that in
Ms day !ic ranked financially as a Van-«
derbilt or a Gould ranks to-day. And th«
Widow Cußtis tvlipti she was married to
him, bad h fortune of $100,000, which -was
-. -....-- by $.=in.oon upon the death of
Patsy Curtis, fourteen years later
Th*> fatlier of his country was ever a
"ladies' man." [ndeed, one of },\<? bioe
ranher? goes so far as- to say that he
vac v*>ry much more at ease with women
than with. men. He. was not a?hnm»d to
be cau-ht "rompinc" with the girle at
Echool and when sixteen he became fas
cinated with Mary Gary, at L,r>f] rair
fax'?. but,, in tetters praising her, com
plains that "heijisr in company with her
revive? my form' passion for ? o;ir low
land beauty.*' The identity of tin? "!otv
land beauty," who had warmed the hear-t
of the country's father when he whs only
a lad. remains still a mystery- H p cou
pled lovelorn verse with mysterious ini
tials ii his journal
Then h* 5 was in love with Bcpi-m** Faun
tterov who pas.-cd "a cruel sentence" upon
him when lie was nineteen. But from the
time he returned from the wars, a youne
hero, in his early twenties, women be
gan to court him. And when he. was
twenty-four Mary Phillpse had the honor
of refusinr the slender younr man wbo—
had she but known' it— -was to he the first
c- - •■••an of America. Two years later
he was courting Martha Dandridgc Cus
tls. the rich widow, whom one biographer
sums up .-is "petite, everfond. hot tem
pered obstinate and a poor speller ' H«
was almost twenty-seven when lip married
her a"') she was nine months his senior.
He seems to ha 1 been always true to her,
the only ngible evidences of his infldeli
tiec ha\ing been proi - ed to be Tory forg
eries
Washington's eight failed during th« rjev
oiution. and he first put on glasses at forty
five. By fifty he was quite gray, by fifty
five quite deaf, and by sixty-three had lost
his last tooth. His last Illness was con
tracted at - -seven, while riding about
Mount Vernon in a winter storm, from
which .<-■ contracted diphtheria. First, an
overseer came and bled him of half a pint
of blood. Then the dctors came and bled
him to death; and his last words. addressed
to Them, were: "You had better not take
any more trouble about me, but let me go
off quietly."
.J<>H\ ELFRETH WATKIXS,
fitter, coppersmith, blacksmith or boiler |
inakT: as i pumi'r, as an electrician as a. j
fireman, as a musician, or hs a baker. j
And, unlike conditions on th« land, he will j
i" sent Lo school by his employers, all the. 1
v hiio ijnd*r pa\', «nd . ■ every facility I
to enshie linn t.. iniprov< in bis work, abil- i
ity and character. . And afi^r he has risen ,
as high as lie can I tirie Sam lets him re- .
tire at about rdfty^seven to fifty years of :
age. even though lir hasn't succeeded in
potting into .the commlßsjoiicd officer clan
by that time. on ■ life income of a.»- high as
?I.V» a month.
At the same time thai one or voral of
these lines of v.ork arc being mastered. the
government fosters fencing and boxing;
matches, concerts on the hip e^ fry nitrtii
and nomine dancing, minstrel shows by
tli" crew's own troupe, use of the boats
b"lonpinp '•• "• warships for sailing •>!•
ti--riiiic. football, baseball, boat racing— !
furntehinß everything ne.bessa.ry to ermtile
the UU4 .)ii' keti to enjoy themselves. One
fourth of the crew gets short leave daily
after afternoon drill, and may remit in away
til! the following morning, and ... Wednes
day. Saturday and Sunday 'afternoon's they
may go* earlier. ■ ;J
How to enlist for a life work of tins sort !
is best shown by quoting from one of the
pamphlets issued by the Bureau of Navi
gation: "If you ar<- between the ag*"s of
seventeen and thirty-five years, and have
« height of .'• feet ! inches to 6 feet I '
Inch* and weigh US <■, m pounds, with
chest measurement 'of .".% to '.+> i t tnche*.
writ* a letter to the Bureau nf Navigation.
Navy ;■•; d! '••:■■■ Waehlngton. tattna :
that you wish to enlist In tba navy, and i
A FAR FAMED WILL
WASHINGTON'S (SIFTS
TO MANY FRIENDS.
Testament Covers £3 Pages
— Bequest for University
Never So Applied.
Washington? will, the restoration of
■• rich has ' just been completed at the
courthoase in Fairfax, Va.. where it is Bled
as 'a part of the public records, is an in
teresting sidelight on the. human qualities
\ of its author. It is "written with my own
S hand, and every pa?' thereof subscribed
I with my name." according to the- declara
tion of the first paragraph. Each of the
twenty-three pages of the original manu
script bears his name at the bottom.
The fallibility of the "first man" is indi
cated in the. dating of the document, which
he wrote was, "this ninth day of July, in
the year one. thousand seven hundred and
ninety, and of the independence of the
United State:- the twenty-fourth." Of
course, this statement do<=p not hang to
gether. The testator omitted the word
"nine" after "ninety."
As the length of the testament indicates,
it is full of details concerning which General
Washington was almost most punctilious.
He gives full and explicit directions how
each item of his estate shall be handled.
He provides for all his debts, "of which,"
he interpolates, "there are but -few. and
none of magnitude." He first remembers
his "dearly beloved wife, Martha Wash
ington." and includes in his bequest to her
his "household . and kitchen, furniture of
every sort and. kind, with the liquors and
groceries which may be on . hand at the
time 'of my decease."
The thouphtfulncss of George Washing;
ton for those dependent upon him is illus
trated in the second item. This is the
noted section disposing of his slaves. 1m
it he carefully explains his reasons for
his testamentary action regard'jicr them.
•Tnon thr- decease of my wife,*' he. wrote,
"11 Ie my "ill and lesire that all the slaves
whom I hold in my own risrht shall receive
th» bureau will immediately write you,
giving you the address of the recruiting
station nearest >ou, and this recruiting
station Will examine, you physically and
accept or reject you. The government pays
your expenses from point of enlistment 10
training station or ship, but does not pay
your expenses to th^ recruiting office."'
The only mental requirement is that the
applicant he able to read an.i write no
English language.
Th» recruit is first sent to the training
school at Newport, XX.. 1., where he re
ceives without charge a romplete outfit of
clothing, valued m $*>0, and is then ready
for instruction in" drills and manual o:'
arms; in taking care of his clothing and
hammock (the navy man's bad); how to
swim, tO box ' the COmpaSS, to hfave the
lead, to make knots, splice ropes, roil down
Rear, to make hitches and lines, to
sail and row boats; how to take care of ■
rifle and revolver and to shoot! etc. If lie.
is industrious he may he promoted to he
apprentice petty officer while he is still
at training school, at an Increase of from
$! to VZ fiO a month. His pay at the start
is 117 *> a month. Aftr-r four months at
Qje school he has opportunity to take ex
amination for ordinary seaman, at 19* N a
month.
To summarize the further promotions,
after a year as ordinary seaman by
passing an examination he ■is promoted
Bi. seaman' at $I' 640 a month, then is at
once eligible to the position <•* third class
at s;> iV> to-Wf ■ in.-. nth. one year more
and he is eligible for first . lass petty of
fleer at J49"50 to Jf.'i a month, and in one.
more 'rut- for "chief- petty' officer at 577 a
month, which appointment in still another'
year, or by the lime he IK only twenty-two..
is made permanent and .irrevocable except
by court martial. A chief petty officer
Mho has .been in , the navy eight years is (
qualified for promotion to th* iaiJi of
-SETTING" THE INK OF A
FADING MANUSCRIPT.
One of the. operations employed m
"restoring" Washington's will.
their freedom. To emancipate them during
her life would, though earnestly wished by
me, be attended with such Insuperable dif
ficulties on account of their "ntermixture
by marrlac« with the dower negro*: a? to
exite the most painful sensations, if not
«liMgre*>rible constiuencee to the latter,
while both descriptions arc in the occu
pancy of » same proprietors: it not being
in my power." under The tenure by which
the dower negroes are held to manumit
them. And, whereas, among those who will
receive their freedom according to this de
•, jce there may be some, Who from . old
age. or bodily infirmities, and other?,, who,
on account of their Infancy, will be unable
to support themselves, it is. my will and
de?ire that all. who come- under the . first
and second description, shall be comfort
ably clothed . and fed by my heirs while
they live, and that such of the latter de
scription as ha\ 3 no parents living, or, if
living:, are unable or unwilling. to provide
for them, shall be bound by the court until
they shall arrive at the ace. of twenty-five
years, and.-in cases where no record can
be produced whereby their . ages can be.
ascertained the judgment. of the. court upon
its own view, of the subject shall be ade
quate and final.
"The negroes., thus bound.- are,,- by their
masters. and mistress, to.be taught to read
and . write, and to be. brought up. to, some
useful occupation, agreeably, to the laws
of the Commonwealth of .Virginia, .provid- j
Ing for. the support .of ; orphan .and other j
poor children. And. I do • hereby ex
pressly forbid the aaJe. or transportation ,
out. of said commonwealth, of • any - slave j
I may die possessed of, .under .any. pretense
whatsoever. And" I do. moreover, most point- ;
edly and mq/0 solemnly enjoin *,itf upon my '
executors .hereafter named,, or the' sur
vivors of them, to see-this.clause respect- j
ing slaves, and every part thereof, .he re- j
ligiously fulfilled at the 'epoch al which it .
is directed to take- place, without evasion,
nedect or delay, ' after the' crops, which
may then he on the "ground" are harvested, j
particularly as is respects, the ajred.and in- ,
firm; seeing that a regular and permanent J
fund be fs'abli-hed for Their- support, as j
long as there are subjects requiring It; j
not trusting to the uncertain provision to
be made by individuals." >
The interest of the Father of his Country
in education is indicated by the contents of
several paragraphs of his 'w ill. 'He gave
$*•*>-> in bank stock to the trustees of the j
Academy of ' Alexandria for the education
of orphan children and" the children of
"poor and indigent persons." " Heal«» made '
provision for a university in a bequest of
fifty shares of stock in the Pot.. ma.- Com
WHAT SHALL IT
warrant officer at an annual, salary of
Jl. :■>'«"• to $!'.**> From here- opportunity is
given to advance through • the various'
ranks of . commissioned ■ officer. It is not
easy to get. into the higher trade* but to
a boy of ambition and the necessary j
ability this Ie possible;; the navy- has s<«v- !
eral inch officers who have advanced from |
the ranks. . . *
There an- numerous opportunities for j
the man <> -\> ar.vnian to get extra pay. On \
re-«nftettn« tan enlistment ' Is „ for , four i
years) lie cot? an increase, of £, Z-n * I
month, and of $T> .v> a. month for each sub- j
sequent enlistment. This Is increased
still farther by $1 50 a . month, if h* i re- I
enlist* within • four months of . his '.dale 'of '
discharge, in which case- he pets a bonus I
of four months' pay. Racli modal for good
conduct ],■• receives carries with it an ad
dition <>i S3 cents to- his monthly salary.
When detailed as coxswain of a launch h»
gets |S a month extra! When: qualified as |
a submarine man ho jets a day up to
$15 a month for every ' «lay served under
water; v~>,t-K- he is in , charge of store
rooms, or Is naeaaman to the crew. -or . ■
Bun captain, there Is an increase of S5 a
month. When fcervlrig as a ' gun. pointer
ho. efts tsjio .JlOa month, extra? as navy
mall ck-rk. from $15 to $25 a month «xtra:
«f!'i ship's t ill lofs " receive 'jl'O. a month,
above their ratine. ' ' • ,I**".v', I **".v'
Under the present law a man-o'-warsman. . j
if physically dlsqualifled. may retire, on
half-pay at the. end, of twenty ears, 'and '
may voluntarily 'retire at the end of thirty
(■ear*' service on" three- fourths pay. ' If he
has not reached the gra.de of warrant of- !
•tear he'also Rets'Jlf. 75a month 'additional !
in lieu of rations, clotniiig, et< Thu.«. your '
hoy, if he enlists. at th*r HKe, of : seventeen i
and reaches the srrade. of ■ warrant officer, [
can leave thr, si»r>lce-. by the ,lime he is
forty-«e\'en ' > !th an " lncoiat. ,of • *100 a I
month lor life.--'. - - ■-
pany, 1 which - th» LajßVatnrc vof v •'*•-.
"was v pleaded, a* an evidence of - its appro
bation .'of th* services I had rendered 'the
public, durinjr the Revolution." to" giv. . him-
He refused- to accept ■ th« . ytock for hi?
personal u«e. because. the acceptance "al
thounh the offer was highly honorable and
grateful to my feelings." wan "Inconsistent
with a principle which 1 had adopted and
had never departed from, viz., not to re
ceive pecuniar?- compensation for any •=•'
vices T could render rr.y country- in Its
arduous struggle- aeatnst Great Britain for
Its right*, and because I had evaded similar
propositions from- Other states in . the
Union:" After, a recital of • the circum
stances under which he consented to re
ceive the stock for public . uses, be eon :
tined with an expression, of his views .on
the need' for the establishment of a uni
versity. They form a background on which
to picture the progress of the United States
educationally.
FOR NATIONAL rjNIVXRSITY.
Influenced by "these impressions, so fully
dilated." he bequeathed in perpetuity the
fifty-shares which he held, in the Potomac
company "towards the endowment of a uni
versity, to bo' "established- within the limits
of the ' District of Columbia, under the a ' ;
pices of the gen-ral ernment. if that
government should incline to extend a fos
tering hand toward it." ■■
There ar* many universities in th-- .United
States to-d»y. but none of them has baa*
fited •by this particular bequest of his
public spirited citizen and early American
philanthropist The Washington and Lee
University still profits from his gift of one.
hundred shares In' th- Jam-* Rffer Com
pan;- made to the Liberty Hail Academr.
Washington's kindliness of heart hi indi
cated by the number of debts he wiped out
in his- will. " That he -was not i opposed to
the principle involved' in lotteries is :indl
c«ted in his testamentary disposition of
tome land in Richmond and the neighbor
hood, ••drawn In' partnership " with " nine
other?, all in th» lottery of the deceased
William rd."
Friendship played a" part in his ■■*
which was" recognized In gifts of the "gold
handed cane left me by br Franklin in Ms
will." other sold headed canes, "spyglasses
which constituted part of. my eqtilpace
during the late war.' a "tambour secre
tary." "the circular chair, an "app*ndace
of my study." "my larre shaving and areas
Ing table.' and my telescope." to various
friends and relatives. To General de La
fayette he c«»v- "a.pair of finely wrought
pt^el pistole, taken from the enr-my in' the.
Revolutionary War." Upon his nephews he
bestowed sword? "accompanied with' an in
■junction no to un^heath them for-the pur
pose of shedding blood, except It be for self
defence *<r in defence of their country and
its right*: and «n the latter caaa, to keep
them unsheathed, and prefer falling with
them in their hands to the relinrjulshment
thereof " " *'■" ".
Then Washington "barfaag 5? n c through
these specific devises, with explanations for
the- more un i " • understanding ol dM
meaning and design of them." ameaedad M
"the distribution of the more important
part" of his estate. He divided his real
estate, consisting of land, mills, distilleries
and other appurtenances, In a very careful
manner among . various . relatives and
friend", nnd after declaring:, that "it -Is my
express desire that mv corpse -may . he. In-,
terred.in a private manner.; without parade
or. funeral oration. ' closed .by naming the
executors of his will in- * ■'!*»'!■-." in which
Washington recognizes Ma prolixity.
PROVIDED FOR TRIBUNAL. .
His "lastly" ended with these ' words:
"In the ruction of .which it (his ."will
and testament >, will be readily, parcel
that.no" professional character", has been
consulted. . or has had any agency .in .the
draft . and that, although It has occupied
many of my leisure hours to digest, and to
throT it into its .present form, it may.' not
withstanding:.' appear rude ' and incorrect ;
but "having endeavored te be plain and ex
plicit i in. all devises, even at. the expense
of prolixity, perhaps "of tautology.^ I; boas
and trust that no disputes will arise con
cerning: them I But if. contrary to ajDJae
ta.tioh.. the" cage, should be .otherwise, from
th* want lega^. expressions ,er .the usual
tfchnjcal .terms, or. because too much or too
little has bpet) said on .any of the.drvises
to "be consonant, with law-, my .will and di
rection, expressly is,, that all dispute <lf
unhappily, any s'.iould arise )_ shall" be. de
cided, by. three impartial and * intelligent
men. known for their probity and good tin
derstandl'ng.'.two to bY chP««e n by the dis
putants, each having. th». choice of on». and
the third by. those- two ;. -w hich " three Tn"n.
thus . chosen., shall, unfettered by law or
legal constructions., declare their sense of
the testator' ! X, Intention , and such decision
is, to all intents and purposes. to be as
binding on the parties a-: if it had b»-en
given in the Supreme Court of the United
States." ". . ;• ' •." . ' " . .
.. : Such is tlie originaUrr.anaer in. which this
early: and great American citizen, disposed
of an estate valued at approximately -553,0.
•••; an estate which undoubtedly. made him
one of the richest 1 Americans of his time.
and. .according;. la some, put him In . the
Morgan class of. his period. . . **.'.r.:
BE?
, Courses of instruction in schnaisi urn pro
vided for all those taking up special, trades.
sue,h as electricity,. y^cflpani;y, music, hos
pital -.« ork,- tl,e , artificer,'" school, sea gun
nery. . mechanics,, etc. .. {','■?■'<■ *-<
Tb. daily, life of .the .man-eA-warsmen
begin* with t'irntns: pu^ at .': ;•* o'clock in
the morning;, tying up their hammock" and
having eufl^e or eecoa. -with brrart or hard
tack. »nd smoking tor half an' hour. Then
the men ,wn?h; their' own. cloth-ji.. At 6:3*
all bluejackets clean £ne whip" from c.nd 10
end. ana. ' * ft- : r « ashing' themselves,' have
breakfast fat 7:3o o'clock. From *:.> • 2:3°
th« \e*«ei IB* prepared for Inspection, and
then there is drill, Mr two' hour«. with an
intermission of fifteen minutes." Prom 11:30
to 1:30 is the- dinner. Th»n, from 1:30 to 3
o'clock Is ! devoted to ""instruction. "after
which". the bluejacket. is .on his own ttnie.
except for twenty minutes at calisthenics.
Supper is served' al 5:30 and' at 7:30 he. must
mak ! up. his hammo.k. Nine* o'clock "la
the retiring hour, unless there is j< concert
or 'some' Other entertainment on v board ship.
ON SHORE OF HAMPTON ROADS
i• * :. ■„••• i # ' . « : » ■'•;*. .■ .
■ Fortress- Monroe;' Va.. Peri if Rumors <->?
the- delightful weather aa\|Bßa4Mßai at Old
Point' Comfort- Ape >njo> Ing have reached
living in th» Far. North and the West.
with the result that the. Hotel * 'h»raber!in
tia\Tnsr a'-mosrittv.ely *eason.; there : being:
an'"unusually: large number, tu* New .York
ers ■ and" ■■'BroaMynUeß' ". registered. ••. here.
RHdge. parties. •»■» Immtng < parties and long
.'cross-country > rides are '.a.- few of i the
(imu«fm»mn which" help to. make. the beau
tiful spriigHkr fa£a i>a.«s. merrily. \;Ex-Spc
retary and Mr*. Charle^J. .Bonaparte, off
Ra'lMmf>re.NarH\rrl tin first- r>f;.the we*k, "•
stay for 'some' time ' Prtc»ratlpns for. the
fr«at .f^p.r.N .dress, bfjj iaa 4 t*B» . night .of
"Washington's * Birthday •' are nearly . com
jpleted. -
Document Containing
His Last Wishes Now
Safe from Rough
Handling.
Officials connected with th»; Library of
Congress by prempt action hay» reaerMi
for the benefit of fdtare^Keneratlons on* «f
this 'country's interesting r»>Hrs. th» , !n?t
will' and teaUtasem of Georg* AVaJhin^torr.
Th« .work has just been completed.
That " rest rad • measures would |t',n
quire.i for the preservation of the docuTn*nt
has b^ en evid-nt far a long time. la th>
course of the century and more which Y.H3
elapsed since it was filed for probate fa tb«
old county courthous* at Fairfax. V a ., \ t
has be»n roughly handled Th» -— *■ • -
of a new lease of life f> this prodactlon «f
George W'asrinH'^n was road* TjoaatMe
only by mean? of a piece of manuscript
•ufgerj- which amounted almost to a mir
acle. .
■ Persons conversant with the an -rlth
which facia Sam fosrsrs and saferuafda
all the important state and private pap*-*
of historical valu** in hi.* 'Keeping mny natu
rally inquire H^a- it ha* come an«nt that
such a document as th» irDfl of ' 4slthaß>
ton I ••.I'l have been aUowedT^to fall lnt<*
decay. The wjl! is n«t and awaj has been
in ; Th» possession of the fevers govern
ment. It •*■»*• asi for probate in the v»*r
•;,r. at the county «•-• -' the. county in
Virginia in which Washington Used an<i
In that state it has aaaatl » ■■- sine.
It -as b?'n removed from its official rnt-
; nt place several' tlm^s. it." journ^yinss in
c.tsifflng a trip to Richmond during the Ct-.U
War.
The. will suffered m >#1 sf th« h?nd.<» "f tti
friends. Thr £ an ««rror of judement «*n
th" part ■■ ••« cusUvllans. who were, how
ever, acting with th«* best of lnt*ntlrn". it
»ait almost destroy«>d. >-•-•■ of th«
handling of the win, dM pinning toother
of its twenty-three pages and th» -x»ar
along the line of the creases in wh'ch It
had ben fo!d?<l. ■■ '»'.:• about in due
course that almost every one of th<* sheet)!
was completely severed through Th» mid
dle and along the line o* greatest dimca
sion.
The aarsaas in Lhatas cf the will r?a!iz*i
in a \ ague -way . that something ourht •-<
b* done, and th»: finally hit up«>n tlrs
scheme Of «•■«" "C tog c th»r the «ev»red •»?•
tions of each sheet. Now. the loving band?
that performed this task not only took larto
stitches, but in. an effort effectually" '• —-
unite 'the fragment* made. the stitches es
pecially numerous in the vicinity of "■a? -
in'gton's -signature and oth*r • "-"amtaat
parts of the document. To — th» "pre
cious sheets with needle holes was, of
cour?», • bad enough, but the sequel was
ev«»n mo:« serious, *- - with handling th*
bindings cut their way through the paser.
and the result was a number of erea:
gaplnr wound.* that «v» dM will t^s ap
pearance of being literally in BtMn
MANUSCRIPT WAS A WRECK.
All the while th« document ■*■« en «Üb>
biilaii la the offlc* of the --.-'•-- cenrt
at Fairfax. Va., in an ordinary wo?-i;a
box. which .not only ofTTed --d. ■ • pro
tection, from all sorts of rtestru-tire aceats,
but. ; by -•as"" of a class cover, pennttttf
the will to be constantly exposed .to the ac
tion, of . light. From all of -which cL-cg.t:
stances ritimay be surmised that ti:» c.ar
uscript was a ! r -»" -«. /i;-; week
when .the .— m»p- expert -. — • to a?"!"
restoratives."
Y«»t. he did net presMsssca the case bops
Irss.'by any' asaassi and now. after •hi
is equivalent to lei* than three w»*ks of
steady work, there has been vi-tuaHy roni
pleted what !*■ rank *? on- of tft«
most notable erne"'.? of a rrove! pro
fession, and the will Is. in .<o bra th*
casual observer could d*tecr. in ju«t the
same condition as it was when it left •-•
hand* 'of its dlsttn«ui«hed author. It Is
only -when a pace is held t" the lizMt tha:
one realizes- that technicallj- the docurt'^:
is only a ghost of its former self.
WILLIAM BERWICK TOOK CASE.
When taa situation with' i«sjard t"v th*
"Washington will had be<»n cone into it
■was * finally arraaajad that th* CbraflT
should send its chief exp-rt. WUltan B?*
wlck. to Fairfax Court TTooae and hay* ■
rsurr: on " the restorative work there. This
was done, and the outcome is as satisfac
tory as thousrh the work had been done ?n
the- w*n equipped plant up under th* ro*f
of the Concressional T.ib--ar- There ■••"•
many handicaps, however, not dM least of
which was found in the necessity for trans
porting to Fairfax a heavy pre>s a.- o!^*t
paraphernalia. The manuscript ■rurasaa
made daily trips between Washtncton asd
Fairfax while" dM work was in progress. ■
The success of dM restorative work <^a
the Washington will was 'arc- d'-i? to ■
aid afforded by a number of blank . sheets
of paper made especially for George Wash
ington and watermarked with his name.
When th«« government ■■•* - ■. - Inspected
•-■ torn and tattered ill they at once
realised that an inordinate amount e-f pac
ing and patching would be necessary, and
th^v were. in a quandary where to *••■
material that would match the crisr.na!.
Afjter a "long search, however. . there apj
dbcovered in a second hand book store hi
Washington a number of blank sheets "f
the writing paper which Oeorcre- Washing
ton . had manufactured especially for hi*
personal use. and with th!« material ia
hand the effective craning of the new ti-«
«=ue not only became a simpi-r matter, r1.::r 1 .::
the exact original appearance of the wffl
was preserved. . t -\ \,:; :
-•- ink of the will has .b-en •"•-: ■*>
that there , little ba Hiaad of furtn^
fadinc. ond each -•—' ef .paper . i» »
ba-Ue<l hv or mounted upon "crep-hn*
that fit" Will stand "any reaMypabt-. ifnwmt
of han-il.nc. Howerer. \i t* pot "P^**
that snr' proniteniotts ihombtap of tb«e
precis, sheets will '^ m^ ] '^'^
1-ontrarv. they ar- to be 1^.n.1 to the toi T1
nf a NK>k. handson^ r ~> g^
an d .he.^.l-inie posited in a 1^
proo'. burglar pr,>of -tee. cas*. which »J
I m.de s P e,,ally for vurpose^
the wperVisiob-of the government nSlc.a^
Advantage ««s :ak*-n of the opportunl X
to m.K^ PhotocrapM, facsimiles of £
Mi of the will for the library of Coar
C The dissemination of the *™^?£s£
Washington's, « lll »* on
ha« of late rears mad* into nuaiat »
hamlet -almost a- much uf « "^ ,8, 8
Mount Vernon.. The seat of the COW
which. Washington lived and . « : t
many . picturesque- mi las*« " oS tho0 <*
interesting of which Is the " la « -^^
in which Washington's; will ■*£££* >Jf
and which- presents t<-o*> '^Bf#* '
psaranca that ;t aid on tba ;^j, ,**
more t Than a century ago. ■■"«>*» ngtcti
kept in the. courthouse. , but- .'" *<us**
al the clerk al tue court.. *o lc ?-_ %
a i»ep»rate- building. • • * .., r ,..u--* ' lS
. Within a r-*v» •?«?" t'f.th<> COS Tfajt
th* -old . clerk's | office. . wher* «» —^at
pes-d tor. many ,year* after it **?* v ,^ ftt .
back from Richmond after - _ w
Some d«e» years **•• tt •*■ ;;' tbe u?»
th- neW brick . butrdlnc erected for i
o.f- t tbe c.-rk.of the cour , and ' ± ■
been ever ,»»nre. nnd . bo". J .-.- -
iestofatlon Vas carried on.