, 1879-07-27


and costly system of agriculture by slaveg, who
who were then far more dllatory and lndolent
than In our day. It does not appear that
George Washington. even with bis double
inheritance, bis own estate n1s psoher 3,
and the large increase which came to him upon
bis marriage, was ablc to make head against
the abuses of the system. 1t IS not prooaole
that by his own exertions he could have acquired
a liberal estate during an ordinary iiietlne.
The circumstances which had favored MS lashef
the consequences OF q long gperststence in errone-
Gus Methods.
Readers are familiar with the diary of George
Washington as Virginia planter, aud they are
aware tint the old system frequently bai1eo nus
utmost exertions. With 103 cows, as ho records
table; and his mill was ffty-ive minutes IN
grinding one bushel of corn.@ 1t IS amusing to
see him observe the proceedings OF his shiitless
negroes, when he sat, as IL we're, watch IN hand,
timing Tom pnd Mike whlle they hewed poplar
log in thirty minutes,-the master patiently
noking that they spect "twents-ivc minutes
more In getting the cross-cut saw, standing to
consider what to do, saving the stock of IN Two
places, and preparing for further hewing." lie
took all this ineHciency In good part, alid spent
many years Of his life IN tranquil, but 1nettectu
al, endeavors to impart tonegroes omethlng Of
the spirit and sense OF Tree laborcrs. He could
not boast OF much success. With such negroes,
aud such oyerseers. it was Of little avail to pro-
cure from London the best book upon farming :
and we can infer from his diary that, in common
with his brotner-planteEs, be learned to put up
with exceedingly slack performances. Upon hls
Virginia farms he developed that wonderful
patieuce with the fncapacitv of others which ne
displayed during the Revolutionary War: he
puilt at length one of the best barns in tue
Province; but, gu coming home one day. a1ter
an absence on public service, he found his
negroes treading out his grain with horses out
ot-doors,-all In the good old-tashtoned way, to
Wniea lnev gnu tuelr lathess aH4 .ltar tas.Tas 49,. 10;
ia1hefs aau peen aceustotneo. Nutnns NV ~ ~
large capital saved MN from emoatrasslnsnt, ], ,
and probably that you'd nave scarcely sulhce4
If he had lived fifteen years longer IN the liberal
manner expected OF him. There are seyeral H.
tcattons in bis ater letters that be was Tar from
haymg the 1teing of ease and In salety Wnlcn aa
rich man should nave, 1nd Whlch consumes one
As country-gentlelnan living unon his
estates during the fifteen years interval OF peace,
he presents himself In
AN ArrRA cT1yE, BUT NOT EXPRESSIVE LIGHT.
He accented md enioved hfs gooo fortune
in the manner n The neriof1. :. helnr
fox-huntiue.- In the bunting season he would
he ont with such hounds ~ he had Two or three
times week. Hc gnYe the unbappy foxes Of
Mt, Vernon no peace. He rnaintaincd also The
prescribed chariot OF Colonial Virginia, and en-
Alexandria. Alex p Nor was % be the crave md sustero re-
personage We are frequently asked to think
him. The dtrest editing has not succeeded in
removing from bis published writings ali traces
either Of the kindly humor or the hot temper Of
tie Hem man. 10 + He ' was evidently fopl Of his Jest,
md conIa Toor with ianohrer m Xsnson. 'H:s
wit wit vas % not brill2pt, but it suf1iced to amuse
r,,aata ve1i d,sn,sc1 ~ n>err;men, altar DINNER
ifnn" ros,n.r h;o ;iary ~ ~, - :, foncv lin taiiUv
thor, ~ .h.. haI1 ha '.trens,ed a. Alarsndr r;a
whan ,hara uoe e,,h - njan1;t,,l 1ocE
- en .,,a a,;rtiee 1era11, nrn,,aad nt
e,,o,, a,.ortai".,,ost,. {. H,rpaosr n ;"
oonu ,n,,;ent ren., la.aoha;1 for ~. o,raoss
]epussea1 ] .oo."' usAasnee - ~ VIC ~. a.' poss'
auouuueo s1eat pAens1 W ue1H o..t out.G's 80
sonle ulssuits, WI ~ anu soee, m!en .Ae
ur1nheIs ~ eop.o uot 4lss1n;u l1uut uot natsi
s"eeteneu. oe ~ seaeaoeacu Iliat puehet- se
utnuheFc1''els selsea. .ue purposes U! taots-
c4otns anu nap1ans, ana tnat no apolooles were
maoe LOT c1lnes. snaii .nefetole ulstlhSnlsh
thfs pau " tne stvle aug tltie or te oreaa-and
butter pail" lhts Is kinI' homeiy, country
humo1, plcasant 70 rean anu seHe5nper. u WIS
no1 kllllns loke 70 cai1 lals pa oY 1ne sts!e
Auu t'tie oi tlc pleao-'nu-ouatet oa1l w AZ
c,,nt. a,,d h. peroenhared for mar months
Nnr has dp"nrn,,s rditinr oniie cf,nren}-
from us that Col. Washington could lose
hts temper. Mr.. Jefferson speaks Of his
temper as 'snaturally irritable aud
hlgh-tuned," though be learned to keep it
well under control. Occasionally it bazed out,
eyen III bis later years. We ought, perhaps, to
be grateful to a dccorous editor for not with
holding the letter Of It'll to an officer who had
rnmn|afncA nf mt rcreivinr hfs allotment Of