The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-29
GEN. wAsH1NGroN's APPEARANCE.
Pen Picture of the Father of His Country
His Mode of Life.

Letter in Cleveland Leader
An old gentleman whom I met above the
Braddock Hotel told me he had for years heard
George Washington Gusts talk of his adopted
| father. Said he "Custis looked up to Wash
ington as god He described him as straight
as an American Indian, and as free in his walk
as the savage. From the stories have heard of
Washington l have tried to picture him in my
muscle. He was six feet two in his shoes, and
he weighed 2l0 pounds in his prime He wore
about No. ii shoes, and had gloves three times
as large as the average. His hands were so
large that they were a curiosity, and his whole
frame was bony and large iointed. He had a
broad chest, but not full one 1t was rather
hollow, and he was troubled in his last days
with cough. His mouth was firm, and his
grip In later years he lost his teeth
and the false ones he got did not fit
we'll, and pushed out his lower lip. He
had eyes of cold light grey, which
which seldom smiled. He was wide at the
hips as at the shoulders, and kept his straight
ness of stature to the last. He had large legs
and was good rider and runner. You have
heard the stories of his wonderful strength of
arm and how he threw stones wide distances.
His nose was rather thick and coarse l have
never heard that it had a blossom on it. He was
rather fastidious to his dress, though he wore
plain clothes when not on military duty. He al
ways shaved himself but had servant to comb
and tie his hair every morning. l have heard
Mr. Curtis say that he rose very early at
Mt. Vernon, often before daybreak, and as early
as A. NJ He would at sunrise, 60 , his stables
and look at his blooded horses When he came
back he had a light breakfast Of corn cakes, honey
and tea or something of that sort, and then he
ate nothing more until dinner l am speaking of
his later years. After breakfast he rode over
hisestate. and at had returned and was dressed
for dinner Dinner was q big meal at Mt
Vernon and Washington ate nothing after 1t.
He usually drank five glasses of Madeira wine at
desert, but | have never heard of his being
drunk. He was not opposed to the moderate
use of liquor, and when he was first elected to
the House of Burgesses of Virginia among the
items of his election expenses were a hogshead
and a barrel Of whisky, thirty-fve gallons of
wine and forty gallons of beer In the Virginia
House he did not cut great figure He was not
much of a speaker, but he was popular he
could not have held his place for fifteen years,
as he did. l have understood that he treated his
slaves very well, but that he made them work
and would allow no foolishness among them.
Washington liked the theater, and was fond of
dancing in early life
DO you think he was a religious mani"
mo" was the reply, Il do not He was a
church member, you know, and vestryman,
but the vestry in those DAYS was a semi-political
and charitable board l have heard old citizens
say that Washington would often leave the
church before the services were over Commun-
ion, you know, is served at the last of the serv
ice. The fact that Washington sighted com
munion is evidence to my mind that he was not
Christian of the cast-iron kind. Another evil
dence is the fact that he had no preacher at his
bedside during his last sickness. He was sick
you know, for several days, and there must have
been ample time to have got preacher if he
had desired it. He was thoroughly conscious
until the last, and it is said that he timed his
pulse as long as the breath was in his body As
it left him his hand dropped from his wrist and
he sank back dead During his last hours he
gave the most minute directions as to business
matters. directing his wife to go and GET the two
wills which he had made and burn the one which
he wished anuulled. He directed that his corpse
he kept for three days, and Tobias Lear, his pri-
vate secretary, says among his last words were
those in regard to his burial He died on Satur-
day night and on the next Wednesday he was
buried in a walnut coffin lined with lead. Many
years after this his body was changed from this
box to the marble tomb i'll which it now lies