Middletown transcript., 1881-11-18
THE WEEPING WILLOW.

You have seen and admired the weep
ing willow tree-the SaliX Babylonica-
upon which the captive Hebrews hung
their harps when they sat down by the
rivers of Babylon, and wept when they
remembered Zion. 1t is a native of the
garden of Eden, and not of America,
and will tell you how it immigrated to
this country.
More than one hundred and fifty
years ago, merchant lost his fortune.
He went to Smyrna, seaside city Of
Asia Minor, to recover it. Alexander
Pope one of the greatest poets of Eng
land, was the merchants warm friend,
and sympathized with him in his mis-
fortune.
Soon after the merchant arrived in
Smyrna he sent to Pope, as q present,
box of dried figs. At that time the
poet had built beautiful villa at
TWickenham, on the banks of the
Thames, and was adorning it with
trees, shrubbery and towering trees,
On opening the box of figs Pope dis
covered in it small twig Of the tree
It was stranger to him. AS it came
from the East he planted it in the
ground near the river, close by his villa.
The spot accidentally chosen for the
planting was favorable to its growth,
for the twig was from the weeping will
low tree-possibly from the bank of one
of 1" the rivers of Babylon''-which
fiourishes best along the boarders of
water-cOurses.
This little twig grew vigorously,
and in few years it became large
tree, spreading wide its branches and
dropping, graceful sprays, and winning
the admiration of the poet 5 friends as
well as strangers. 1t became the an
cestor of all the weeping willow trees in
England.
There was a rebellion in the English
American colonies in 1775. British
troops were sent to Boston toput down
the insurrection. Their leaders eXpec-
ted it to end in a few weeks after their
arrival. Some young officers brought
fishing-tackle with them to enable them
to enjoy sport after their brief war
Others came to settle on the confscated
lands of the rebels.
Among the latter was young officer
on the staff Of General Howe. He
brought with him, wrapped in oiled
silk, twig from Pope's weeping willow
tree at Twickenham, which he inten-
ded to plant on some stream watering
his American estate.
Washington commanded an army be-
fore Boston which kept the British inn
prisoned in that city long time against
their will. On his staff was his step
son, John Park Gusts, who frequently
went to the British headquarters, un-
der the protection of a flag, with dis
patches from General Howe. He be-
came acquainted with the young officer
who had the willow twig, and they be
came fast friends.
Instead of " crushing the rebellion
in six weeks" the British army at
Boston, at the end of an imprisonment
of nine months, were glad to fly by sea
for life and liberty to Halifax. Long
before that flight the British subaltern,
satisfied that he should never have an
estate in America to adorn, gave his
carefully preserved willow twig to
young Custis, who planted it at Abing-
don, his estate in Virginia, where it
grew and fourished, and became pa
rent of all the weeping willows in the
United States.
Some time after the war, General
Horatio Gates, of the Revolution, set
tied on Rose Hill farm, on New
York island, and at the entrance to a
lane which led from Il country road to
his house he planted Il twig from the
vigorous willow at Abindgon, which he
had brought with him. That country
road is now Third avenue and the lane
is Twenty street. Gates man
sion, built Of wood and two stories in
height, stood near the corner of Twen-
ty-seventh street and Second avenue,
where 1 saw it consumed by fire i'll
1915. The tree which grew from the
twig planted at the entrance to Gates
lane remained until comparatively Il
few years ago. 1t stood on the north
east corner of Third avenue and Twen-
ty-second street. 1t was direct de
scendent, in the third generation, of
Pope's willow, planted at Twickenham
about 1922 Benson J. Tossing, IN
Harper's Young People.