Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-12-07
How He Locked, Talked and Lived
in Alexandria.
His Big Hands and Feet and False Teeth
Love fer Dancing and the THEATRE
Not ReligiOusly lnclined---His
Peculiar Business Ways.
aCarpr IN Clereland Letter.

/ Crta VINO are OLD enough 10 nave kEOWn Mn,
bat Alexandria was his business place for
years. He lived at Mt. Vernon, only nine
miles away, and his marketing buying AMI
general business were done at Alexandria.
He voted there. He had little Office built
on lot which he bought when he was a
Young man, and it is only few years ago
| that it was torn down. Alexandria was, IN
fact, the nearest town, and here he came to
| dance at the hotel parties, t. trade at the
stores, and to talk politics on the street
| corners Mr.. William Carne, the youngest
man talked with, was perhaps 80 years
| old. Mr. Carne said: The last Of the old
men who remembered Washington person
ally passed away about twenty years ago,
ard it is very late TO attempt TO get anthem
tic information about him. was born in
Alexandria, and l have been engaged all
my life in studying Washington's character,
and have talked with all of the old citizens
ofAlexandria for the past thirty years and
more in regard 10 him" He would take his
stand on the steps of the City Hotel aud
would begin 10 address the crowd on the
greatness Of Washington, and to tell them
anecdotes and gossip concerning him. |
have made an especial study OF Washing
ton as youug man. The traditions OF
Alexandra represent him as very proper
Young fellow six feet tall rather stately in
carriage, and exceedingly fond Of horses.
lie liked to try new horses, and it is said
that during a single day he rode ten differ
ent horses into Alexandria Every one
tells NE that he made fne.loohing figure
on horseback. He sat straight, and had
thorough command of his steed. This
s,raightueSs be kept until the last He is
said TO have danced a great deal as q Young
man, aud
To Have Eeeu Very Fond of Balls.
have no doubt that he danced some.
what. but DO not think he ever unbent
himself to any extent. The dance of ant".
revolution DAYS was far different from the
yvlrpiuous waltz aud the fantastic german
riEe present The minuet for instance, IS
moe like q funeral tread than ballroom
sip aud Washington could easily move
though this without appearing anything
Int eminently respectable. | have no
doubt that be drank glass Of wine or
~aiskv now and then, as was the custom OF
,hcse DAYS, but / don't think he ever fire..
quen'ed the tayerss or gossipei at the dog
gerieS.
As to his circumstances when a young
man, they were rather poor, and he learned
habits Of business which stood him well in
later Years. He did not begin to make
money until he became surveyor, aud
then he made it very FAST earning SIS
day. As to his business contracts. | be.
lieve be was very liberal in making a cOu-
tract, but very rigid in eXactng its fulfil
ment He wanted everything set down in
the agreement, and | have seen a contr"co
OF his employing an oversser in which ne
sipulates that the overseer shall have the
light 10 be drunk for week at Christmas.
lie probably knew the man we'll enough ID
know that he would get drunk anyhow,
and not wishing to have any trouble with
hin. made this stipulation in his contract.
Have you heard anything ofhis relations
I with bis wiieg | asked Mr.. Carne,
"No'king,' said be save that they were
o! Tire most amicsjle nature. His mar
.iage. you know, vas a case Of love az first
sight, and in one of the few love letters
which now e:is. of those he wrote her after
his marriage, he speaks very tenderlv OF her
aid addresses her as Nv Dear Patsy. Mr.
Curtis said that Washington wore his wites
picture in locket tied around his neck to
he dav of his death He managed most Of
he details of the house himself and during
his life took most of the care off Mrs. Wash
ington's shoulders. Martha Washington
was, however thoughly domestic. She
pridnd herself on her knitting aud spinning,
and when her husband was inaugurated as
the first President, the suit he wore had
been
Made by His Own Servants
at Mount Vernon. Mrs. Washington wove
many of her own dresses, and there are two
sroker OF which were made Of cotton with
six stripes Of red and brown. The silk
came from the ravellings of silk stockings
and worn out chair covers of rcd silk. 1t
Is said by some that Mrs Washington be
came insane before she died, bat | do not
think this is so. 1t Is true she shut herself
ND alone in room, and remained there
Until her de..th. but YOU must remember she
was an old woman. and there is wide dit
ference be wecn the crankineSs ofage and
INSANITY 1t Is possible she may have been
parsimouious as is charged but there are
no traditions here TO that effect
DO YOU think Washington was re-
ligious MANI
No" was the reply, Il do not. He was
o church member, you know, and vestry-
man, but the vestrv in those days was
seni-poTitieal and charitable board have
heard old citizens say that Washington
would often leave the church before the
services we're over. Communion, you know,
is served at the last of the service. The fact
that Washington sighted communion is
evidence 10 nv mind that he was not
Christian ofthe cast iron kind. Another
evidence is the fact that be 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
gotten a preacher if he had desired 1t. he
was thoroughly conscious until the last, and
it is said that he timed bis pulse as long ss
The breath was in his body. As it LETT him
his hand dropped from his wrist and he
sank back dead"
An old gentleman whom met above the
Braddock Hotel told me he had for years
heard George Washington Custis talk OF
his adopted father. Said he: Gusts look
ed up to Washington as god. He de-
scrrbei him as straight as an American In
dian, and as free in his walk as savage
From the stories have heard Of Washing
ton. have tried to picture him in my
minds eye. He was tail man, padded
with muscle. He was six feet two in his
shoes, and weighed 2lO pounds in his prime.
He Wore About No. IL Shoes,
and had gloves three times as large as the
average. His hands were so large that they
were curiosity, and his whole frame was
bony and large-jointed. He had broad
chest, but not full one. 1t was rather
hollow, and he was troubled in his last DAYS
with a cough. His mouth was firm; his
lower Jaw gripped the upper with de-
termined grip. In later years ne lost his
teeth, and the false ones he got did not Mt
well and pushed out his lower lip. He had
eyes Of cold light gray, which could look
stern and angry upon occasion, and which
seldom smiled. He was as wide at the hips
! = - ,bo shoulders and kent his straight