Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-08-10
THE WEEPING WILLOW.

4 Benson J. Losing in Harpsr's Young People
You have seen and admired tn
weeping willow tree--the Salix Baby
lonica-upon which the captive He
brews hung their harps when they So
down by the river of Babylon anC
swept when they remembered Zion.
1t is native Of the garden Of Eden
and not OF America, and | will tell yol
how it lmmigrated to this country.
More than $50 years ago merchan
lost his fortune. He went to Smyrna
q seaside city,ot Asia Minor, to recover
it. Alexander Pope one of the great
poets of England, was the merchants
warm friend, and sympathized with
him in his misfortune.
Soon after the merchant arrived in
Smyrna he sent to Pope, as present,
a box of dried figs. At that time the
poet had built a beautiful villa at
Twinkenham, on tho bank Of the
Thames, and was adorning ii with
trees, shrubbery and Towering plants.
On opening the box of figs Pope dis
covered in 1t small twig Of the tree.
1t was a stranger to him. As it came
from the East he planted 1t 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 willow tree-possibly from
the bank of one CT "the rivers OF
Babylon"-whlch flourishes best along
the borders of watercourses.
Thislittle twig grew vigorously, and
in a few years it became large tree,
spreading wideIts branches and droop-
ing graceful sprays, and winning the
admiration Of the poets friends, as
we'll as strangers, 1t became the an.
ccstor Of all the weeping willow trees
in England,
There was a rebellion IN the English.
American colonies in 1875. British
troops were sent to Boston to put
down the insurrection. Their leaders
expected it to end in 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 |
a twig from Pope's weeping willow |
tree at Twinkenham, which he intend.
ed to plant on some stream watering |
his American estate.
Washington commanded an army
before Boston which kept the British
imprisoned in that city q long time
against their will. On his staff was
bis stepson, John Parke Gusts, who
went to the British head.
quarters, under the protection Of a
lag, with dispatches for General Howe.
He became acquainted with the young
officer who had the willow twig, and
hey became fast friends
Instead of "crushing the rebellion
n six weeks, the British army at Bos-
on, at the end of an Imprisonment Of
iine months, were glad to fly by sea,
or life and liberty, to Halifax. Long
before that flight the British subaltern,
ruuv fiO 1utvtiiu isVsO sssi
state in America to adorn, gave his
'arefully preserved willow twig TO {
'oung Gusts, who planted itat Abing-
Ion, his estate in Virginia, where it ,
rev and fourished, and became a
,arent of all the weeping willows in
he United States.
Some time after the war General /
Horatio Gates, Of the Revolution set
led on the "Rose Hill farm" on New
FORK Island, and at the entrance to a
ane which led from q country road to !
lis house he planted twig from the 5
.igorous willow at Abingdon, which
10 had brought with him, That '
ountry road Is now Third avenue, and Q
he lane is twenty second street &
iatcs' mansion, built of wood and two
tories in height, stood near the cor.
er Of Twenty.seventh street and Sec.
nd avenue, where [ saw il consumed
y fire in 1915. The tree which grew
rom the twig planted at the entrance 0
0 Gates lane remained until compar- !
lively a few years ago. 1t stood on .
he northeast corner of Third avenue '
nd Twenty street. 1t was a !
irect descendant, in the third genera
ion, of Popc's willow, planted at
'wickenham about 1922.