The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-08-09
justice to the great qualities of Wash
No.. 5.

Some characteristic traits in the
daily habits of this first of Presidents
may be here noted, as derived from a
variety of scattered sources. Wash
ington was always particular and re-
markably neat in his personal appear
ance. During his Presidency he usual
ly wore full black velvet suit, with
silk stockings, and shoes with buckles
of shining silver. His hair was pow
dered and tied in an elegant black
quene behind. He kept extraordinar-
lily early hours, making it his practice,
as well as in the Presidency as in the
army and at Mount Vernon, TO rise at
four o'clock in the morning, and to re-
tire at nine. He had a healthy mans
enjoyment OF the pleasures OF the ia
BILE. Though at no time of his life of
convivial habits, he liked the cheerful
converse of the social board, and at
dinner (Which he always had punctual-
ly served at three o'clock, he drank
to the health of every person present,
giving as his one invariable toast: "All
our friends" He ate heartily, but
was not particular in his diet, except
as to fish, of which he was very fond,
and he always ate Goldfish for his Sat-
urday's dinner, having formed an at
tachment to that article of diet from
the deliciously cooked fish he found in
Boston during the New England cam
paign. He drank home made beer,
with four We glasses of Madeira
wine, every at dinner. He in
dulged in nc .es of chance, except
when require, make up party at
whist, in playins a trife. In his
earlier life he was fond OF dancing,
and the last time he danced a minuet
was at grand ball at Fredericksburg,
Virginia, in 1871, in honor of the
French and American officers return
ing from the triumphant siege of
Yorktown. Tobacco, in all its forms,
Washington, abhorred. He was not
fond of music, nor did he ever play
or sing.
The finest horseman of his day,
Washington always spent much of his
time in the saddle. He had love
for fine horse, and his care TO secure
animals OF the most spirited breed,
and to have them always scrupulously
well groomed; was a marked trait in
his character. The vicious propensi
ties of any horse he might mount were
of no moment to this skillful and dar-
ing rider. He always said that he
required but one quality in a horse
to go along-and ridiculed the idea
that he could ever be unhorsed, provi-
ded the animal kept on his legs
While President, his stables were on
Minor street, below Sixth, and he
kept ten fine bays and two white
chargers. The latter always had their
boots blacked and polished before the
General would mount for ride. After
the horses were groomed he would
test the thoroughness of the stable
boys, by applying a muslin handher-
chief to their glossy coats if stain
was visible upon the white handker-
chief, woe to the unlucky wight who
had slighted his proper duty. When
he took out Mrs. Washington for a
drive, they rode in beautiful cream
colored coach, Of English build, with
six spanking bay horses before it.
Nothingso aggravated Washington's
naturally quick temper as neglect of
duty or want of punctuality. Colonel
Pickering relates that on occasion of a
Cabinet meeting, the General was
likely TO be detained by the shoe black
beyond the exact time. The Secre-
taries, in proceeding to the appointed
room for the meeting, had to- pass a
small chamber where the Presidents
boots were to have been placed by a
certain moment AS Pickering enter
ed he observed Washington in a stoop-
ing posture, holding the servant, and
belaboring him stoutly with his boots
He would always be up by daylight,
and his first care was to visit his sta
bles to see how the horses, were cared
for. On one such occasion, he found
that the coach horses, which had been
home late, had not had their legs rub
bed down, and mud being still on
them. The General was seen by one
who informed Mrs. Robert Morris, to
| seize his German coachman, and to
fsticuff him in the yard with a good
drubbing.
The English officers after the war
were all loud in their praise of W ash
ington's admirable and commanding
grace on horseback, and it was a com
mon remark that he and his horse
moved as one.
Washington never indulged in an
ecdote, and talked but little unless
drawn out. He seldom laughed, and
it was remarked by Sullivan that, at
Mrs. Washington's levees, when sur
rounded by bevy of sparkling and
beautiful girls, the President never un-
bent or dressed his face in smiles.-
The countenance of Washington never
softened or changed its habitual gravi
ty. At these levees he stood always
in front of the fire place, with his
face toward the door of entrance
The visitor was conducted to him,
and he required always to have the
name so distinctly pronounced that he
could hear it. He received every Wis
itor with dignifed bow, while his
hands were so disposed as to indicate
that the salutation was not to be ac-
companied with shaking hands. AS
the visitors came in, they formed a
circle around the room. AT quarter
past three the door was always closed,
and the circle was formed for that day.
He then begun on the right and spoke
to each visitor, calling him by name,
and exchanging few words with him.
When he had completed his circuit of
the room, he resumed his first posi-
ton, and the visitors approached him
in succession, bowed aud retired. By
4 o'clock in the evening the levee was
over.
In the Ana of Mr.. Jefferson we find
the following curious account of Wash.
| inpton's first presidential reception al