The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-11-25
THF WEEPING WILLIAM.

You have saen ard adr7'~.,1 tl,o ,-no, fr,s
willow tree-tHe SoIi1 Bo57rlonica -unou
wmch tho c>,rtiva Hebrews huur fhn7r har.rS
when they sat down by the rivers OF Parvrrn
and "wept when they r..nnr,N Nor.,d H., 80
II is native of the Garden of Fdau. and not
of America. and will tel YOU how st inirni
grated to thi> rounfrv.
More than one burdr-a a,,I frt,- .,-pars % wv,
p uorrhart Io~t his fnr'u'.a n. v....-f -
SMYRNA q seaside oi'v 81 Ala Nf-or. -, rn
cover IT, Alexander P"re one Of the or-a'
poets Of England was tre merchants varn,
friend. and svmpathizrt wifi HIM IN his rafe
fortune
Soon after the merchant ar~fva,1 50. Sn.vrrr
he sent :" Pore. as = r~nsn'.f hnv 90 drfrE
fioS ~ that five t1r ro"t r..T '.r5't reru
tiful villa - Twictrnh0-. or tho 57'r 2
the TraupS and vas adornfngit zi'h frcas
s,,ruhborv AVID fl.veriro troo-
on orpnirr the hov If f. - P..r,. DISC var-
er in II - small tvyio - 'ha trcr T. yvas -
stranger To him Ash came from tive ea 81
he planted IT in the Ground near tha r7ver
close hv his villa. The srot aceir.lrtalIy-
chosen for the planting was FcvnraNlp to i'~
growth for the twir was from tie vonr,fnq
willow trrp- possibly from the Nark of o,e
of '':he rivers oF Bahvlou'' -wlf-h flonr;sIrrs
hest along the borders of warprrourons
This little twig grew vigorously. and i'm a
years IL became large tree. spreading wide
its branches and drocrinu. graceful SPRAYS.
and winning the admiration ~ the nns'S
friends as vel as strangers. T. hpcamn two
ancestor Of all the we"oir- willow rrn..- +
Fnrland
There was a rphallion in .h- E-~.--'
American cnlcnips IN 1865 pr;t;-N 'r, ,..
were sent tn Boston to nut down 'r fu-ur
rection. Their leaders p.-trd Il t, o.. q 3.
few weeks after their arrival SOM
young officers brought fi-hi." tackl" with
them 20 enable them to enjoy port after
their brief war Others came =" settle on
the confscatpd lands Of the -'reh-Is''
Among the latter was the Young officer on
tine staff of Genera Howe. He brought with
him wrapped in oiled silk a'twig from Pope's
weeping willow tree at Twickenham UhicI
he intended 20 plant on some stream W ,tpr.
ing his American estate.
Washington commanded an army before
Bnstnn which kept the British imprisoned in
that city a long time against thrir will Or
who frequently went to the British head
quarters, under the protection Of flag Will
dispatches for General Howe He he"an,e
acquainted with the young officer who had
the willow twig. and they hrcamp fast
friends.
Instead Of crushing the Rebellion in siN
weeks" the British army at Boston, at th,
end of an imprisoument of nine months
were glad tn fiv ~ sea for life and lih"rty t'
Halifax Long b,furp that fii.ht the Bri'iSI
subaltern. satisfied that he should Epver hav,
an estate i'm America tn adorn. gave his care
+ fully preserved willow twig to young CuStis
VINO planted it at Abingdon, his estate IL
Virginia, where it grew and fluurished, aut
became parent of all the weeping willow
in the United States
Some time after the war Gen. Horati
Gates Of the Revolution. settled ON th
Cross Hill Farm" on New York Island
and at the entrance to a lane winch led fron
a country road to is house he planted q twi
from the vigorous willow at Abingdon. whic
he had hruuch with him. That countr
road is now Third avenue and the .ane j
Twenty SECOND street. Gates mansion
bIilt of woud and two stories in height
stood near the corner of Twenty sevent
street and Second avenue, where | saw
consumed by by fire in 1918 The ire
which grew from the twig planted at the ~
trance To Gatels' and remained units CON
paratjvely few years ago. 1t >tu,d on o.
northeast corner of Third avenue ~ Tyyei
ty-Secund street. II was Il direct deScen,
ant, in the third generation. Of Pores wiIlov
planted at Twickeuham about 1722 B ,
tossing in HTpers Young People
FvEDxuorv j. n rr,,,5 f,tl.,,- ID. .,,,,...f..., 4