Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-01-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Strange Stories About Old Times In An.
napolis aud Alexandria.
Traditional Tales OF the Wicked Ways
OF the Father Of His Country.
Swearing Like Trooper and Weakly
Won by woman's Wilcs.
Tho Tragic Cause of His Death--Dese.
crations Of His Grave.
Good Parson Wccms and Ills Hero-A
Fcyer Dream In Verse.

Special Correspondence OF the Gazette.
Washington, January lS--I en-.
counlertd to-day Col. Magruder Of An
napolis, Maryland, II gentlemen distin-
gushed for his hereditary and per-
sonal virtues. He was not long ago
mayor OF he ancient village, cape
cially distinguished because George
Washington chose to deliver there, be-
tore the congress of the Unit d
States, that immortal farewell
address which patty leaders and place
men 80 cruelty set NJ naughl in 1850 8.
{ WAS asking Magruder II, In the eyes
of men of this generation, any special
sanctity was ascribed 10 the spot on
which Washington stood while recit-
ing this famous state paper, and was
= nvely answered that the story was
quite forgotten in Annapolis and that
the scene of events, of almost one hun
dred years ago, was invested W tn lit
tie sanctity in the eyes of those who
were born aud reared and had spent
their lives at the spot, even as IL In
true that they who dwell ut the base OF
Calvary or HARDLY Niagara have
never cared to ascend the hill In the
one case, or look upon the mopstrous
cataract on the other. 1t Is curious,
too, to hear the country people, white
and black. from in the Immediate vi.
cinity of Mount Vernon, tell absurd
traditional stories of the daily personal
habits and bearing of this wonderful
George Washington whose fame was
envied by the great Napoleon. Queer
stories are told of the 'origin
..f In
IS and yellow-skinntd freedmen,
trace this origin to the father of
course, but practical iconoclastic
variegated SONS of Ham striking re-
semblances to the childless (?) Wash
ington.
VICIOUS TEMPER.
Then they do say that
George Washington's temper was
wreichedly ungovernable, that
he sought 10 rule absolutely everybody
with whom he wns broug In contact,
that he assumed insullerable airs OF
superiority, on one occasion, In the
prcsencs of old George Mason, his
rich and statesmunlike and sturdily |
Democratic neighbor, and that OLD |
George the LIST went rather violently |
for George, the country's pnteinnl an
cestor as aforesaid aud the two parted |
and never more recognized one an
other, Mason dying two years before |
Washington.
IL wns of this sclf-same old George
Ma on that James Madison said, "he
was the greater orator aud pr, foundest
sI.s 10 ...tf 4
WAS devoid of ambition aud was
Washington mentor till Washington
went after Alexander Hamilton into
federalism.
A WICKED RECITAL.
heard o gray-haired old fellow, sit
ting lazily in the Sunshine in front oi
a Dar-room In. AL, xandria, say that his
father, who lived eighty Years ind died
within three miles of Mount
Vernon. often stated that
George Washington did not "dle of
iuinsy,n as the hooks have ii, and that
he was not killed by bleeding and
,urging practiced by DR.. Craik, the
Mount Vernon physician, and that he
lid not beg the doctors 10 "quit,n ms
lleged, and let me die In peace" All
his was pronounced fabulous by the
old cuT-nIudgeon who lounged
lzily IN the LATEST sunshine OF the
izicst spot Oh earth--this self-saine
ncient village of Alexandria
Wien. with laudable curiosity, / In
ist, d that the man with the tfiulgent
ice should tell me how Washington
anne 10 die 50 suddenly, "Well,p lie
aid, refieclively, II don't like to tell
I. 1t seems nov like sacrilegc. Peo- 1
lie talk now of Gen. Washington n If G
q were god; bnt he was no god In {
~ fathers eyes. He neither loved Z
or admired tho irigid, naughty, self
IA, silent tryant. My father SAID \
iat Washington sent out one U
his sons as governor Of the \
indian Territory, now known IA In l.
iuna.p j Will not name This territor- l.
II governor because his name. IA borne
} his descendants, is most honorable. l.
nd yet If the greasy, earrulous globule r
/ beer and whisky / was Interview n
Dg told the nth, this family are the o
earest and next of kin to George Il
iashingtOn. | have heard this story
ON other sources, though II IL doubt o
rs The baldest fiction. But then v
after all, may have been "
mere man.
A WORSE YARN.
l confess have not the hardihood 81
print the story told by the peripate- ii
o old whisky keg--but / soon found ..
lat 1t was "a thrice-told tale among "
ie old men of the venerable town q
he sum and substance of II was that
Vi. Dungeriieid, whose old home n
cad is still designated as "ihe j.
estate, near Alexandria,
Rough partisan personal and poll -
cul friend Of Washington, shot the III
zen cx-president In the neck while
@ was In nagranti delicfu and In q
angeriield's home. Dangerficld and ii
jashingtoD, after The sudden in. =,
dent, agreed that the world should y,
ever know the truth. Thus IL W
that Washington was
ken home with his neck bound IN A.
Olhs aud therefore IL WAS that the VI
DRY went abroad that he died OF a
Iinny,n and therefore the criticisms A
which Washington was subjected
! Dr. Craik. Its q pity perhaps 10 N
rint such absurd caluinhies 10 which
~ EN- ., raneous jealousits and pas
oiis of partisausbip originally gave
irrency. but facts illustrate the s
lees Of our fathers aud serve TO show u
hat men and women Of one hundred b
ears Ago--eyen in days when parli. o
ai.isrn was an universal virtue ana u
americans were incarnatioIs &c
then, party split a
vas the bane OF society ns OF goyuin- :