The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1873-10-30
Bret HaYte'S Discovery.
Revolutionary Reminiscent
ces---Georgo Washington
and JOSHUA w. PerkinS--.A
Confusion Of lmages--how
a EaeS5ian came to an end.
From the n. Y. Tribune.

from Tie n. /. tribune.
have seen her at last. She is 107
years old, and rcmbers George
Washington quite distinctly. 1t is
somewhat confusing, however, that
she also remembers a contemporane.
ous Josiah w. Perkins of Basking
Ridge, N. j., and, 1 think, has the
impression that Perkins was the bet
ter man. Perkins, at the close OF the
last century, paid her some little at.
tentlon. There are lew things that
really noble woman of 107 never
fofgets.
1t vas Perkins who said TO her in
1795, in Inc streets of Philadelphia,
"Shall | show thee Gen. Washing
ton p Then she said, careless like,
for you know, e..:' :, q, that time it
wasn't what it is now TO see Gen.
Washington, she said, 80 do, Josiah,
so do" Then he pointed to tall
man who got out of a carriage and
went into large house. He was
larger than you be. lie wore his
own hair-not powdered, had a
tlowerel chintz vest, with yellow
brooches and blue stockings, and q
broad -brimmed hat. In summer he
were a white straw hat, and at his
farm at Basking Ridge he always
wore it, At this point 1t became
too evident that she was describing
the clothes of the all-faseinatng Perl.
ms, 50 gently but firmly led her
back to Washington. Then it ap
peared that she did not remember
exactly what he wore. 10 assist her
| sketchcd the general historic dress
OF that period. She SAID she thought
he was dressed like that. Embold.
ened by my success, | added hat of
Charles H., and pointed shoes Of the
X1th century. She endorsed these
with such cheerful alacrity that /
dropped the subject.
The house upon which l had
stumbled, CT rather to which my
horse-a Jersey hack accustomed to
historic research had brought me,
was low and quaint. Like most OF
old houses it had the appearance Of
being encroached upon by the sur
rounding globe, as if it were already
half in the grave, with sod or two
in the shape of . moss thrown on it,
like ashes on ashes and dust on dust.
A wooden house instead of acquir.
ing dignity with age is apt TO lose its
youth and responsibility together
A porch with scant sloping seats,
from which even the Winters snow
must have slid uncomfortably, pro.
iected from door. that opened
most unjustifiably into a small sitt'
ing room. There was no vestibule
or locus pan,tenti@ for the embarrassed
or bashful visitor; he passed at once
from the security of the public road
into shameful privacy. And here i'll
the mellow autumnal sunlight that
streaming through the naples anG
sumach on the opposite fllckered an i
danced upon the floor, she sat and
d.scoursed of Geo. Washington and
thought Of Perkins. She was quite
in keeping with the house and seas
on, albeit, little in advance OF boil
her skin being Of a faded russe1
and her hands so like dead Novcm
bcr leaves that / fancleI they ever
rus,led when she moved them.
For all that she was quite bright
and CHEEKY. Her faculties still quite
vigorous, although performing irreg-
alayly and spasmodica'ly. 1t was
somewhat disc Imposing, confess.