Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-02
wAsHrNGroNs APPEARANCES.
a Pen Picture OF the Father of His
COuntrY-His Mode of Life.

a Pen Picture of the Father OF His
COuntry-His Mode of Life.
An old gentleman whom l met above
the BraddOck Hotel, says 'ECarp," in the
Cleveland Leader, told me he had for
years heard George Washington GUSTS
talk of his adopted father. Said he:
''Custis looked up to Washington 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 pic
ture him in my minds eye. He was tall
man, padded with muscle. He was 6
feet in his shoes, and he weighed
21O pounds in his prime. He wore
about No. IL shoes, and had gloves
three times as large as the average. His
ha1ds were so large that they were a GU
rIOsity, and his whole frame was bony
and large-jointed, He had broad chest,
but not a full one. 1t was rather hollow,
and he was troubled in his last days with
cough. His mouth was firm and his
lower jaw gripped the upper with deter
mined grip. In later years he lost his
teeth, and the false ones he got did not fit
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
IAO A. PC 40 GU buC anu hCPb LIS
straightness Of stature to the last.
He had large legs and was a
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 blossom on it. He was
rather fastidious as to his dress, though
he wore plain clothes when not on mill
H1lfu Hn nlNuorc chotro6 hJuocalf
but had servant to comb and tie his hair
every morning. l have heard Mr.. GUSTS
say that be rose very early at Bit. YER
non, often before daybreak, and as early
as a. IN. He would, at sunrise, go to his
stables and look at his blOoded horses.
When be came back he had light break
fast of corn cakes, honey and tea, or some
thing of that sort, and then he ate nothing
more until dinner. l am speaking of his
later years.After breakfast herOde over his
estate, and at 8 had returned and was
dressed for dinner. Dinner was a big meal
at Mt. Vernon, and Washington ate
nothing after is. He usually drank five
glasses of Madeira wine at dessert, but i
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
80 gallons of wine and 43 gallons of beer
In the Virginia House he did not cut
great figure. He was not much of a
speaker, but he was popular or he could
not have held his place for 10 years, as he
did. l have understood that he treated
his slaves very well, but that he made
them work and would allow no foolish
ness among them. Washington liked the
theatre, and he was fond of dancing in
early life"
'D0 you think he was q religious
man?''
NO." was the reply; 81 do not. He
was a church member, you know, and
vestryman, but the vestry in those days
was u semi-pOitical and charitable board.
l have heard old citizens say that Wash
ingtOn would often leave the church be-
fore the services were over. Communion,
you know, is served at the last of the
service. The fact that Washington slight
ed communion is evidence TO my mind |
that be was not a Christian Of the 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 it. He |
was thoroughly conscious until |
the last, aud it is said thst 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, |
his wife to 90 and get the two /
wills which he had made, and burn the !
one which he wished annulled. He Gi-
rected that has corpse be kept for three
days, and Tobias Lear, his private secre-
tary, says among his last words were
those IN regardtO his burial. Ee died on
night. and on the next Wednes-
day 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 in which it now lies.