The Madisonian., April 22, 1913, Image 4

About The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914

Image provided by: University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

                
jyr Sim STORY OT THE TIRST VVUlUlItiSAy'Jk
jfcw BY THE pur.sior.NT XZSvF
(CONTINUED.)
Even to tend a warning to the
French wti no easy matter when
the king's letter came and the chill
autumn ralna were at hand. The
mountain streams, alread y awollen,
presently to be full of ice, would be
rpry dangerous for men and horses,
and the forests were likely enough to
teem with hostile savages, now the
French were there.
A proper messenger was found and
dispatched, nevertheless young Major
George Washington, of the Northern
district The errand lay In his quar
ter; his three years of surveying at
the heart of the wilderness had made
him an experienced woodsman and
hardy traveler, had tested hla pluck
and made proof of his character; he
vn well known upon the frontier, and
his friends were very Influential, and
very cordial In recommending him for
this or any other manly service that
railed for steadiness, hardihood and
resource.
Dinwiddle Knows Hla Man.
Dinwiddle bad been a correspondent
of Lawrence Washington's ever since
the presidency of the Ohio company
had fal'.en to the young Virginian upon
the death of bis neighbor, Thomas
Lee, writing to him upon terms of
Intimacy. He knew the stock of which
George, the younger brother, came,
nnd the interests In which he might
be expected to embark with ardor; he
could feel that he took small risk In
selecting such an agent. Knowing
him, too, thus through his family and
like a friend, he did not hesitate In
Becomes a Messenger.
writing to Governor Hamilton of Penn
sylvania, to speak of this youth of
twenty-one as "a person of distinc
tion." Washington performed his errand
aa Dinwiddle must have expected he
would. He received his commission
and the governor's letter to the French
commandant on the last day of Octo
ber, and set out the same day for the
mountains. Jacob Vanbraam, the
Dutch soldier of fortune who had been
his fencing master at Mount Vernon,
accompanied bim as Interpreter, and
Christopher Gist, the hardy, self-reliant
frontier trader, whom the Ohio
company had employed to make inter
est for them among the Indians of the
far region upon the western rivers
which he knew so well, was engaged
to act as his guide and counselor;
and with a few servants and pack
horses he struck straight into the for
ests In the middle of bleak November.
Reaches the French Fort.
It was the eleventh of December
before the Jaded party rode. In the
cold dusk. Into the drenched and miry
clearing where the dreary little fort
stood that held the French command
er. Through two hundred and fifty
miles and more of forest they bad
dragged themselves over swollen riv
ers, amidst an almost ceaseless fall of
rain or snow, with not always an In
dian trail, or the beaten track of the
bison, to open the forest growth for
their flagging horses, and on the watch
always against savage treachery.
It bad become plain enough before
they reached their destination what
anawer they should get from the
French. Sixty miles nearer home than
these lonely headquarter of the
French commander at Fort Le Boeuf
they had come upon an outpost where
the French colors were to be seen fly
ing from a house from which aa Eng
lish trader bad been driven out. and
the French officers there had tittered
brutally frank avowal of their pur
pose in that wilderness as they sat at
wine with tb alert and temperate
young Virginian. "It was their abso
lute design," they said, "to take pos
session of the Ohio, and, by G ,
they would do It . . . They were
sensible the English could rsla two
men for their one, yet they knew their
motions were too slow and dilatory to
prevent any undertaking of theirs."
The Commandant Courteous.
The commandant at Fort L Boeuf
received the wsywora ambassador
very courteously, and even graciously
thoughtful, elderly man. Washing
ton noted him, "with much the air of
a soldier" but would make no pro
fession even that be would consider
the Englkh summons to wltbdrsw;
and the little party of Englishmen
presently turned back amid th win
ter's storms to carry through the
froten wilderness a letter which boast
ed the French lawful masters of all
the continent beyond the Alleghanles.
When Washington reached Wil
liamsburg, In the middle of January,
1754, untouched by even the fearful
fatigues and anxieties of that daring
Journey, he had accomplished nothing
but the establishment of his own char
acter In the eyes of the men who were
to meet the crisis now at hand. HeJ
naa open ai mnniie pains, at every
stage of the dreary adventure, to win
and hold the confidence of the Indi
ans who were accounted friends of the
Kngllsh, and had displayed an older
man's patience, address and fortitude
In meeting all their subtle shifts; and
he bad borne hardships that tried
even the doughty Gist
When the horses gave out, be had
left them to come by easier stages,
while be made his way afoot, with
only a single companion, across the
weary leagues that lay upon his home
ward way. Gist, bis comrade In the
hazard, hud been solicitously "unwil
ling be should undertake such a travel,
who had never been used to walking
before this time," but the Imperative
young commander would not be
stayed, and the Journey was made,
spite of sore feet and frosts and ex
hausting weariness. He at least knew
what the French were about, with
what strongholds and forces, and
ootid afford to wait orders what to
do a ext.
The Governor Had Been Busy.
Dinwiddle bad not b!en idle while
Washington went his perilous errand,
lie had gotten the burgesses together
by the first of November, bcforo
Washington had left the back settle
ments to cro.-s the wilderness, and
would have gotten a liberal grant of
money from them had they not fallen
in their debates upon the question of
the new fee charged, since his coming,
for every grant out ef the public lands
of the colony, and Insisted that It
should be done away with. "Sub
jects," they said, very stubbornly,
"cannot be deprived of the least part
of their property without their con
sent;" and such a fee, they thought,
was too like a tax to be endured.
They would withhold the grant, they
declared, unless tho fee was abolished,
notwithstanding they saw plainly
enough In how critical a case things
stood In the west; and the tosty gov
ernor very Indignantly sent them
home again. Ho ordered a draft of
200 men from the militia, neverthe
less, with the purpose of assigning
the command to Washington and see
ing what might be done upon the Ohio
without vote of the assembly.
Defies the Burgesses.
A bard-headed Scotchman past sixty
could not be expected to wait upon a
body of wrangling and factious pro
vincials for leave to perform his duty
In a crisis, and, inasmuch as the ob
ject was to save their own lands, and
perhaps their own persons, from the
French, could hardly be blamed for
proposing in bis anger that they be
taxed for the purpoce by act of par
liament. "A governor," he exclaimed,
"is really to be pitied in the dis
charge of of his duty to his king and
country in having to do with such
obstinate, self-conceited people!"
Some money be advanced out of his
own pocket
When Washington came back from
his fruitless mission, Dinwiddle or
dered his Journal printed and copies
sent to all the colonial governors. "As
It was thought advisable by his honor
the governor to have the following ac
count of my proceedings to and from
the French on Ohio committed to
print," said the modest young major,
"I think I can do no less than apolo
gize. In some measure, for the number
less Imperfections In it." But it was
a very manly recital of noteworthy
A Ragged Regiment.
things, and" touched the imagination
and fears of every thoughtful man
who read It quits as near the quick as
tb urgent and repeated letters of the
troubled Dinwiddle.
. Virginia, It turned out, was after
all mor forward than all ber neigh
bors when It cam to action. Tb
Pennsylvania assembly very coolly
declared they doubted a Is ma
jesty's claim to ths lands on the
Ohio, and the assembly la New Tork
lollp.wed.suit. "U appears," they said,
In high Judicial tone, "that th Crenel!
have built a fort at th place called
French Creek, at a considerable dis
tance from th river Ohio, which may,
but does not by any evidence or In
formation appear to us to be, an In
vasion of any of his majesty's colo
nies." Th governors of th other colonies
whoso safety was most directly men
aced by th movements th French
In th west were thus even less able
to act than Dinwiddle. For the Vir
ginia burgesses, though they would
not yield the point of the fe upon
land grants, did not mean to leave
Major Washington In tb lurch, and
before an expedition could be got
afoot bad com together again to rot
a sum of money.
A Reglmsnt Raised.
It would be possible with the sum
they appropriated to put 300 or 400
men Into the field; and as spring
drew on, raw volunteers began to gath
er In some numbers at Alexandria a
ragged regiment, made up for the most
part of Idle and shiftless men, who
did not always have shoes, or even
shirts, of their own to wear; anxious
to get their eight-pence a day, but
not anxious to work or submit to dis
cipline. 'Twas astonishing how
steady and how spirited they showed
themselves when once they had shak
en their lethargy off and were on
the march or face to face with the
enemy.
A body of woodsmen had been
hurried forward In February, ere
spring had opened, to make a clearing
and set to work upon a fort at the
forks of the Ohio; but It was the 2d
of April before men enough could be
collected at Alexandria to begin the
main movement towards the frontier,
and by that time it was too late to
checkmate tne French. The llttlo
force sent forward to begin fortifica
tions had set about their task very
sluggishly and without skill, and
their commander bad turned back
again with some of his men to re
join the forces behind him before the
petty works be should have stayed to
finish were well begun.
Compelled to Surrender .
When, therefore, on the 17th of
April, the river suddenly filled with
canoes bearing an army of more than
500 Frenchmen, who put cannon
ashore, and summoned the 40 men
who hold the place to surrender, or
be blown into the water, there was no
choice but to comply. The young en
sign who commanded the little gar
rison urged a truce till he could com
municate with his superiors, but the
French commander would brook no
delay. The boy might either take his
men off free and unhurt, or else fight
and face sheer destruction; and the
nearest succor was a little force of 153
men under Colonel Washington, who
bad not yet topped the All 'ghanies In
their painful work of cutting a way
through the forests for their field
pieces and wagons.
ENjond in Command.
The governor's plans had been al
tered by the assembly's vote of money
and tho additional levy of men which
It made possible. Col. John Fry,
whom Dlqwlddie deemed "a man of
good sense, and on of our best math
ematicians," had been given the com
mand In chief, and Washington bad
been named bis second In command,
with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
"Dear George," wrote Mr. Corbln of
the Governor's council, "I enclose you
your commission. God prosper you
with It!" and the brunt of the work
In fact fell upon the younger men.
But 300 volunteers could be got
ten together; and, all too late, half
of the raw levy were sent forward
under Washington to find or make a
way for wagons and ordnance to the
Ohio. The last days of May were
almost at hand bofore they had cross
ed the main ridge of the Alleghenles,
Brought Them to Surrender.
so Inexperienced were they In the
rough labor of cutting a road through
the close-set growth and over the
sharp slopes of the mountains, and so
ill equipped; and by that time it was
already too late by a full month and
more to forestall the French, who
bad only to follow tb open highway
of th Alleghany to bring what force
they would to the key of tb west
at th forks of tb Ohio.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Back numbers of this Story can be obtain
ed at this office.
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contest for prizes. You pay your
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of a handsome picture, not some
one else a prize bought with your
money.
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will help as very much. If you approve
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NOTED SPEAKERS
WILL BE HEARD
i
When Kentucky Educational
Association Meats.
GATHERING AT LOUISVILLE.
Pregram Committee ef K. C. A. Ca
tremely Fortunate In curing 8erv
fees ef Many Distinguished f dues tors
and Speakers of National Reputation.
Partial List Given Hera,
If never there, you ought to go.
. If ever there, you'll want to fle.
Th program committee of th Ken
tucky Educational association has been
extremely fortunate In securing the
services of practically all the promi
nent speakers that were originally se
lected for the gathering In Louisville
on April SO nnd May 1. 2 and 8. The
music will be quite railed, as It Is
planned to have high school glee clubs,
class choruses nnd organ recitals.
Before becoming president of the
Armour Institute of Technology of Chi
cngo Dr. Gunsaulus occupied some of
the largest pulpits In that city.
Whether Dr. Gunsaulus talked In bis
church or in' one of Chicago's great
theaters, be always had a large audi
ence to listen to him say big things In
a splendid, big way.
Dr. Gunsaulus' lecture dates bars
carried blm all over the counry In the
winter, and during; the summer he Is
always In demand as a popular Chau
tauqua talker. One of the finest things
' about Dr. Gunsaulus Is that although
he Is popular, he has never failed to say
j strong, rigorous things.
Colonel Henry Exall.
It will be nn inspiration to the trus
tee who attend the Kentucky Educa-
. tionat association to listen to Colonel
Exall of Texas. Last January the
Commercial club of Louisville bnd Colo-
' nel Exall as the speaker at the annual
New Year gathering and be simply
electrified the men present
I Something over two years ago Colo
nel Exall derided that It was time for
Texas to take care of ber soli. Now,
DR. FRANK W. GUNBAULUS.
' when Colonel Exall decides things
ought to be done the things usually
have a way of getting done. He at
once Inaugurated the Texas Industrial
congress, wnicn onerea iu,uiu in
gold as prizes for crops In all parts of
Texas. It was soou evident tbut the
$10,000 in gold was the least exiensive
part of the undertaking for the various
coutestants must be kept In touch with
each other and the congress. The un
dertaking cost $30,000 for the first
year. Colonel Exall ruined the funds.
This year 4,000 men, women, boys
and girls contested for the prizes and
the whole state Is awake to the fact
that results are being produced. In
fact this feeling has become so strong
that a group of business men are pre
paring to finance the Texas Industrial
congress for a erlod of three years.
Dr. Chsrles Evens.
Dr. Charles Evans Is president of the
State Norinul school at Edmoud. Okla.
He is a transplanted Kentucktan, and
like any number of transplanted Ken
turkluus be has made good In the state
of bis adoption. lie grew up with the
country, audyrrew up big. In fact he
has grown stblg that be Is now being
spoken of as the uext state superin
tendent of Oklahoma.
Ills new book, "Growing a Life,"
published by Rand. McNully & Co., Is
receiving favorable comment from
prominent educators In all parts of tb
country. It will probably lie adopted
as one of tb Kentucky reading circle
books for the ensuing year.
Dr. Alston Ellis.
Another ex-Keutucklun on tb pro
gram of the Kentucky Educational as
sociation Is Dr. Alston Ellis, president
of th Ohio university at Athens. For
twelv years he bas been making his
tory at the University of Ohio, so be
Is sure to bav something worth while
to say to the teaching fort of bis home
Stat.
It Is said that bis lov for Kentucky
has never been dimmed by bis service
out of th slat. In fact It Is rumored
that be will build a handsome bom
at Fort Thomas, Ky., where b will
rssld after leaving tho university U
1U11
! f
FAVORITE FOEM OF PRESIDENT WILSON
OPPORTUNITY
By EDWARD
This I beheld or dreamed it In a dream;
There spread a cloud of dust along the plain.
And underneath the cloud, or in it, raged
A furious battle, and men yelled, and swords
Shocked upon swords and shields. A prince's banner
Wavered, then staggered backward, hemmed by foes.
A craven hung along the battle's edge
And thought, "Had I a sword of keener steel ,.-
The blue blade that the king's son bears but this "
Blunt thing!" he snapped and flung it from his hand,
And lowering crept away and left the field.
Then came the king's son woundd, sore bestead
And weaponless and saw the broken sword,
Hilt buried in the dry and trodden sand.
And ran and snatched it, and with battle shout
Lifted afresh he hewed the enemy down,
And saved a great cause that heroic day.
CORRESPONDENCE
News That Vou Can't Get Elsewhere
PANOLA
Mr. June Crow and family, of Franklin,
Ohio, are visiting relatives here.
Mr. H. L. Perry and Judge J. C. Chen
ault were callers at this place Saturday.
Misses Olive and Lucy Broaddus visited
Mrs. George Grlnstead at Waco Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. - Wallace Chrlsman were
the guests of Mr. O. T. Carr and family
Sunday.
Mr. N. V. White, salesman at the S. F.
Sharp store, spent Monday with his family
In Richmond.
Mrs. David Kindred and children, of Lo
cust Branch, spent the week end with hct
father, Mr. O. T. Cam
Little Miss Annie Richardson returned
to her home in Paris Monday,' after a
pleasant visit with her sister, Mrs. Alger
Harrif.
Mrs. John Doty and little son, of near
Richmond, were the guests of the former's
son, John Doty, Jr., Saturday, who is cash
ier at the store of the late D. F. Sharp.
UNION CITV
Miss Gladys Creekmore, of Jellico, Tenn.
is visiting her sister, Mrs. L. V. Sharp.
Mr. W. C. Griggs has lately purchased
the farm of W. D. Dunn, after which Mr.
Dnnn purchased the home oHhe late Mrs.
C. Y. Durham.
" The stores of this place have had a de
serted appearance for the past few days,
owing to the fact that farmers are busy
getting ready for corn planting.
Dr. J. H. Jeffries, who recently came to
us from Ford, is building up a most satis
factory practice. The good doctor and his
charming wife are fast ingratiating them
selves Into the good graces of the people
of this section.
The warm days, the bumble-bees, the
boy with an empty can looking for fish
bait, and the omniscient candidate remind
us that spring time is here. Just now the
still small voice of the candidate is fre
quently heard, and in pleading tones he
informs us that he is willing to relieve the
present incumbent of the office to which
he aspires, of the arduous duties of said
office. ' It is also about this time that he
begins to grow proud of his plcbian blood,
and waxes eloquent as he expatiates upon
his love for the great common people. But
he is all right, let him come. We welcome
him, and may the best man win.
VALLBY VIUW
John Perkins is home for a few days.
Frank Hall, of Waco, is visiting friends
here this week.
Mr. John Chaney was in Richmond Sat
urday on business.
Mrs. Nannie Northcutt was in Richmond
Monday on business.
Mr. and Mrs. John Stapp, of Lexington,
were here one day this week.
Mr. and Mrs. G. VV. Hutchinson and
daughter, Lucile, of Richmond, stopped
To Fully Enjoy Pumps and
Oxfords Get Well Fitted
Many a woman has been poorly fitted
in PUMPS and OXFORDS and there
fore did not enjoy the wear. We Have
the Makes That Fit.
We are showing many styles in
Low Shoes and Pumps, and many fabrics and leathers. Our
stock for men, women, misses and children was never so com
plete as now. We will greatly appre
ciate having an opportunity to show
you. SEND US THE CHILDREN.
RiCE & ARNOLD
The One Price House"
ROWLAND SILL
over here Wednesday pn their way home
from Troy, where they visited Mr. and
Mrs. Jim Hutchinson.
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Masters will move
this week to their farm near Whitlock.
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Preston, of Lock 9,
were shopping In Nicholasville this week.
Mr. E. L. Maden, of Helena, Ark., was
here the past week mingling with old
friends.
Miss Ethel Wharton has returned to
Jolly Ridge, after being at homk for sever
al days.
Mr. Rob Long, of Newby, was here for
a few days, the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Wil
bert Stapp.
Mr. M. F. Wharton Is In Indianapolis.
Ind., on business. He will be gone for
several weeks.
Miss Deulah Hendren, of the Poosey
Ridge neighborhood, is visiting her sister,
Mrs. J. B. Million.
Between Ashing, spring cleaning and
gardening the little town has been quite
busy the past few weeks.
Miss Geneva Willoughby has returned
to her home near Richmond, after several
weeks visit with Miss Justine Bryson.
Mr. G. M. Lyons and little daughter.
Hazel, of Indiana, were here this week.
Their many friends were glad to see them.
Valley View will be a great summer re
sort this year. The Y. M. C A. of Louis
ville have bought land just below the lock
and are ); rsaWn rrdt?2-nct;fc to -build
a camp and dining room, It is
rumored, to seat 600.
The little summer camp belonging to
Morgan Sparks, of Nicholasville, is being
put in order for summer visitors. Others
whose names will be mentioned later, are
making arrangements to spend at least a
part of the summer camping here.
Remember when you come to town and
want seed that Covington, Thorpe & Cc.
handle the best that can be bought and
will sell them worth the money. Come
and see us at 232 West Main street. 11-tf
Big Fire
Georgetown has been visited
with a costly conflagration, en
tailing a loss of $30,000, with only
$16,500 insurance.
The big grain elevator of Gano
& Smith and the large tobacco
warehouse of Wm. Walker were
destroyed by fire last Saturday
morning.
00
We keep on hand always the best gro
ceries that money can buy and sell them
as cheap as the cheapest. Phone 72 and
144. Covington, Thorpe & Co. 11-tf
Our aim is to please everybody and we
will be delighted if you will call on us when
In need of anything in our line. Coving
ton, Thorpe & Co. 11-tf