davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25
WASHINGTON

the north room of the mansion Washington
entertained his political friends Among the
pictures ON its walls was small portrait OF
himself, on the back of which some one I'M
known, presumably an English gentleman,
wrote the following noble tribute, perfect
epitome of tie character of the great
patriot:
"Washington-the defender Of his countryside
founder Of lib .rty-the friend Of man. History and
tradition are explOr ID in vain for parallel to his
character. In the annals OF modern greatness he
stands alone; and the noblest names of antiquity
lose their lust in his presence. Born the benefactor
OF mankind he united all the qualities necessary to
an ilustriOus career. Nature made him great; he
made himself virtuous. Called by his country to the
defense Of her liberties he triumphantly indicated
the rights Of humanity and on the pillars Of national
independence laid the foundations Of great repub-
lie. Twice invested with supreme mags, racy by the
unanimous voice of a free people, he surpassed in the
cabinet the gories Of the field, and voluntarily re.
signing the scepter and the sword, retired TO the
shades Of private life. A spectacle so new and so
sublime was emplated with the profoundest ad.
mration and the name OF Washington, adding new
luster TO humanity, resOunded to the remotest re.
giOns Of the ear h. Magnanimous In youth glorious
through life great in death; his highest ambition the
happiness OF mankind; his noblest victory the
quest OF himself. Bequeathing TO posterity the in
hertance of his fame, and building his monument In
the hearts Of his countrymen, he lived the ornament
of the eighteenth century; he died regretted by a
mourning world"
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

eert to the state of Virginia. The tomb is a
few hundred yards from the house, near a
small wooded ravine. The picture represents
the entrance The bodyof Washington was
removed thither from the old family vault in
$751; A plain and poor structure indeed, is
5he tomb where rests the mortal part of
the great patriot. It's front is rough, and
has a plain iron door inserted in stone
easement Over the door, on stone panel,
is craven these words: II am the Resurrec-
ton and the Life; he that believeth in Me,
though he were dead, yet shall he live" A
brick wall twelve feet high, incloses the
tomb Its iron gateway extends several
feet in front of the vault door, over which
in the stone coping. is a tablet with this in
scription: within this inclosure rest the
remains of Gen. George Washington
The sarcophag of Washington and hi !
wife are in the ante chamber of the tomb,
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

Mount Vernon was named in honor of Ad-
miral Vernon, under whom its founder,
Laurence Washington, served in the British
navy 1t was built in 1743, is in Fairfax
county, Va, located on the right bank of
the Potomac, seventeen miles south Of
Washington. The house, or mansion, as it
was originally called is two stories high
and contains six rooms of Moderate size on
the ground floor The picture represents it
as seen from the river.
Gen. Washington bequeathed Mount Ver-
non to Bushrod Washington. AT Bushrols
death it passed into the hands of his nephew,
John A. Washing: on, who, in 1859, sold it
to the Ladies' Mount Vernon as ociation for
5000, 600, Edward Everett contributing over
$6S,OO The association holds the place in
trust, as a place of public interest, and
upon the dissolution of the association
or is failure to perform the objects for
which it was formed Mount Vernon will re-
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25
THE MOTHER OF WASHINGTON.
The Woman VINO Gave Great Son to
the World.

The Woman VINO Gave a Great Son to
the World.
Mary Washington lived in an age when
the mothers of great men and women were
not such objects OF interest to the world as
they are now. But lit e was thought in the
then new country of the mother share in
producing and developing an immortal fig
ure
Enough is known to support the supposi-
ton that from her he inherited his strongest
mental qualities and splendid physique.
After he became the military hero of his
country everything pertaining to his pa
ternel ancestry was gathered and treasured
with jealous care, but no one thought of the
maternal gerealogy.
Mary Ball was the daughter of a well-to-
do Virginia planter She was born in 1706,
was carefully brought up and religiously
trained. On March g, $780, at the age of "A,
she became the second wife of Augustine
Washington. friend and neighbor of her
father The wedding was celebrated with the
old time generous hospitality of Virginia.
The Washingtons were planters of con-
siderable means in Westmoreland county.
Mary Washington found herself the step
mother of several children and the mistress
of one of the most comfortable homes that
section of the country afforded 1t was
one-storied frame house with steep roof,
four large rooms and an entrance hall
of old-fashioned width At each end
of the house on the outside was an enormous
chimney 1t was situated on an eminence
about half mile from the Potomac river,
commanding view of the Maryland shore
for miles.
Here, on Feb. %, 1872, George, the first
child of Mary and Augustine Washington,
was born. Six children were eventually
born to them. They were named, respec-
lively, George, Betty (afterward Mrs. Lewis,
Samuel, John Augustine, Charles and Mil
dred. The last named died in infancy. The
three sons inherited separate plantations in
Virginia from their father, and there lived
and died.
When George was years old the Wash
ingtons removed to a large plantation or
farm on the Rappahannock river, opposite
Fredericksburg.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25
ONTHE 22D OF FEBRUARY,
ONE HUNDRED AND FlFTY-FoUR
FEARS AGO,

George Washington Was Born-A Few
of the Many Representations of the
Hero Whose Birthday We Honor.
How Composite Photographs are Made.
No other Amer can has been so often a
subject for the painters brush as Gsorge
Washington. Artists and sculptors, native
and foreign have expended their skill upon
him with results which refuse to agree
Each picture and bust represents different
man in looks and char acter. No two re-
semble each other But for the fact
that they are labeled washington" it
would be impossible to guess who the
original had been.
Over three hundred portraits, busts and
statues of the great Pater Patrie by paint
ers and sculptors who were distinguished in
their day are in existence. They depict their
immortal subject in as many different
guises. Sometimes they make him noble
Roman, with a nose that equals the bravest
of them in contour and a mouth as grim as
stone wall again they make him sinister
old barrister willy diplomat, bespangled-
brigand, or a smirking courtiar. The follow
ing picture is from Gilbert Stuart's painting
painted in 1885,
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25
MARTHA WARRINGTON.
The Wife of Our First President, and
Her characteristics.

The Wife of Our First President, and
Her characteristics.
The manners of Martha Washington are
said to have been mo st engaging. She never
assumed to be anything extraordinary intel
lectually, wasn't much of a reader, but her
elegance Of manner has been mentioned
again and again in descriptions of that his
toric time when she was the first lady of the
land, the wife OF the revered first president
of the United States.
She is described as having been rather be-
low medium height, but daintily formed, with
a pleasing face and dark hazel eyes. The
picture given here is from an engraving
taken from Gilbert Stuart's painting in her
later years Perhaps the best ske .ch of her
now in print is the one in Laura c. Ho To-
ways popular book, "The Ladies of the
engraving of her in her youth, as well as
one when she had become a white-haired
grandmother, engraved from Stuart's pic
ture Therein is charmingly told the story
of her first meeting with the illustrious
Washington, the young colonel. 1t was
in 1858, at the house of Mr. Chamberlayne,
at New Kent, Va, while Washington was
on his way to Williamsburg, attended by a
body servant
She was 26 beautiful, rich and widow.
He was near the same age famous and hand.
some. They were mutually pleased, and
after few meetings arranged for a mar
riage.
Martha cambridge was the daughter Of a
Virginia planter and was born in 1882 Her
education was such as the limited facilities
of the times afforded, her social pleasures
comprised by the society Of Will msburg.
When very young she was married to Col.
Gusts, refined, polished and generous man.
They lived not far from the plantation OF
Mrs Custis' father, happy and blessed dur
ing few feeting years. They had three
children, the eldest an unusually bright boy,
who died few months before his father.
Col. Cu,tis died Of consumption, leaving hi;
young widow the possessor of ich estate.
Her country home, where Washington be
came engaged 10 her, was called the White
House. From that the executive mansion al
Washington took its name.
The Washingtons began life at Mt. Yer
non. They were wealthy and refined, aud
the best society of the country was glad to d.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25
WASHING1 ON'S BIRTHDAY, FEB. %,
1886.

Send thurd rous sound, cannon! from your throat
and irOI. lips
To the IL, that led chained Freedom from the
shahow of eclipse.
Mock wi IN brazen throated laughteron this glorious
ma al morn,
Sounds of woe and battletravail midst which Free
dom's state was born
Bloom with rel and white, o banners! on the cold
ard wintry air;
Shine, stars, i'll fields of azure! ON the deeds which
placed thee there.
Ba>k, freemen full enfranchised, in the light of
Freedoms sun;
Thank again the god of battles for the gift of Wash
ington.
Shout aloud till they can hear ye-cowering meath
despot's rod
That through him whose birth We honor we are men
before your God.
All! thou Fat Of our Country, not dost thou our
homage need
We who reap the glorious harvest from thy sowing
of the-seed.
For thy fame shall grow In uster is added age to
age,
Through the splendor of the scutcheon which rtlou
left a, heritage.
Never hand OF thine hadst carved thee out path to
fame more clear
Hadst thou grasped again the sword hilt cast away
by Belvidere.
For for Freedom thou unsheathed it, and its strokes
mere potent were
Than that miracle of splendor, Arthur's brand,
Excalibur
When thy patriot hand withdre it from the hiding
scabbard's shade,
Shone the CLINT of Freedoms Junburst on the glory
of its blade.
Never sought thou blood of follow. that Ambitions
ghouls might gorge;
Not the sword o. Freedom TEN pered for this at
Valley Forge.
prirht aosbcd ot utorind T,.nto,, enobo ooIDuad
at Brandywine,
Cleaning with a fiery splenGor Yorktown saw its
meteor shine.
Not till Phrygiancapped was freedoms brows with
olive crowns eawreathed
Vas the blade drawn for thy fellows back returned
unto Its sheath.
Never thou braved winery waters for the honors
thou mightst don,
As the mighty Roman Cesar passed of old the
RubicOn.
We shall see the breath Of cannon, when from out
grim mouths tits rolled
To thy whitened locks tire Lsmuted, which thy fore
ad aureocd.
And when on the nations birthday it the flag thou
CAV st en>hrouds
We shall see thy face Ct grandeur looking down
from out its clouds
Thou vert grander than the Roman when he thrice
refused crown
Where by banks of singing Severn there thou laidst
thine honors down.
Lipse with requiems c Potomac! on Mt. vernon's
storied shore,
Where are urned his sacred ashes, Freedoms Mecca
evermore.
Though through camp he fields Of heaven may by
others still be won
He amidst all con relations still shall shine as cen
trail sun.
He whom Freedom named as Father still is Father
of the State,
Though the Nation claims of heroes great tri-
umvirate.
Never shall his name rank lower on Fames mighty
muster rolls
Who so goes to claim valhaas apotheosis of souls.
Ben d. HOUSE.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25
wAsAINeToN's FAMILY.
The English Ancestors of the Nan who
Whipped England.

The author of the book entitled Mothers OF Emil
nent Men" sal | that While cosecting material for
her work shA many times forced to think that
eminent m N had no mothers, the difficulty OF find
ing out anything about IN IN be ,ng so great IN the
case OF Washngton's father, though we know all
about his an e>tr we know but It'll o. his char
acttr his ancestry be traced back to she thr-
teenth century but Of the man himself we know
scarcey NOR. than thu date OF his b rth and death.
What he wa in app aranc', mind and character we
cannot learn. They were not close chron clers In
that carly day The daily new pap r was unknown
ami tn writers Of blograph were few. AMI then,
the ath,r of Washington died when the son who
made him an obi ct of interest to Americans was
only II years old.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

Recently the citizens of Fredericksburg
have petitioned Mr. Croxton, their represen-
tative in congress, to endeavor to have the
bill soliciting an appropriation to fin ish this
monument, introduced last winter, referred
to an appropriate committee, and acted on
without los of time. in the hope of securing
its passage during The present session. 1t IS
scarcely possible that congress will turn
deaf ear 10 this appeal.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25
ABOUT MOUNT VERNON.
A Glance Mt Freedoms Mecca and It's
Treasures.

Treasures.
The great of many lands journey to Mount
Vernon to look upon the tomb of Washing
ton Tis hal'owed grounl The spirit of
the past is about it. Like a picture of a
vanished time the old Virginia dwelling
and its fair surroundings greet the eyes of
the pilgrims who visit it The scheming
striving atmosphere of the clptal falls
away from one like garment on entering
that holy retrea-. There mem ries of the
man who loved liberty so we'll that he gave
his life to her service extinguish the worldly
ambitions of the day. Before that plain
but eloquent tomb all stand i'll reverence.
1t holds he clay garments of hero. There
heads are uncovered and BENT eyes grow
dim, and reverent lips pray.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25
THE OLD CONTlNENTALS.

In their ragged regimentals
Stood the old Continentals,
Yielding not
When the grenadiers were lunging
And like hail fell the plungiDg
Cannon shot;
When the files
OF the isles.
From the smoky night encampment,
Bore the banne RS of the rampant
Unicorn,
And grummer, drummer, drummer
Rolled the roll Of the drummer,
Through the morn.
Then with eyes to the front all,
And with guns horizontal,
Stood our sires;
And the balls whlstled deadly,
And in streams flashing redly
Blazed the fires;
AS the roar
on the shore
Swept the strong battle breakers,
Ger the green-sodded acres
Of the plain;
And louder, louder, louder
Cracked the black gunpowder
Cracking amain.
Row like smiths at their FORCES
Worked the red st. Georges
CannOners;
And the "villainous saltpetre"
Rung a fierce, discordant meter
Round tn cir ears;
As the swift
Storm drift
With hot, sweeping anger,
Came the horseguards' clangor
On our TANKS;
Then higher, higher, higher
Burned the old-fashiOned fire
Through tie ranks
When the old.fashloned colonel
Galloped through the white Internal
Powder cloud;
And his broad sword was swinging,
And his brazen throat was ringing
Trumpet loud;
Then the blue
Bullets flew,
And the trooper jackets redden
AT the touch OF the leaden
Rife breath;
And Tuunder, rounder, rounder
hoared tile iron six-pOunder,
Hurting death.
GUY HUMPHREY McMAsTER
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

in plain sight. That of
Washington has a lid,
on which is sculptured
the American shield
suspended over our fes-
TONED flags. An eagle
with open wings perchel
upon the superior har
of the shield forms the
crest, an engraving of
viii h is herewith given.
But in marble below the
design is the name
Washington" When
Washington was first
entombed a silver plate
in the form Of a shield
was placed on the leaden
coffin. Its inscription
was: George Washing
ton, born Feb. %, 1892;
died Dec. "A. 17O9." In
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25
The Land of Washington.

/ glory in the sages
Who. In the days of yore,
In combat met the foemen
And drove them from the shore;
Who flung our banners starry field
In triumph TO the breeze,
And spread broad maps Of cities where
Once waved the forest trees.
glory In the spirit
Which goaded them TO rise,
And form a mighty nation
Beneath the western skies.
No cline so bright and beautiful
AS that where sets the sun;
No land so fertile, fair and free
AS that OF Washington.
GEORGE p. MORRIS
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

immense building, looted on the corner OF Broad
and Pearl streets the Battery TWAS there the
principal officers OF this army yet remaining in the
service took leave Of their beloved chief Wa.hing.
ton entered the room where they were assembled
and, taking glass OF wine in his hand said, with
heart full Of love and gratitude: II now take leave
Of you. Imost devoutly wish that your latter days
may be az prosperous and happy as your former
ones have BEEN glorious and honorable" one by one
they grasped his hand, while tears aud sobs st.hed
their words. He kissed each one, and wept with
them. Heroic souls theF had gone through the long
and awful war with dry eyes but when II was over,
and peace separated theRl, they wept like women
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

tinguished the character of Washington II
is majestic, ennobed, grand.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

school of manners. Sharpless, an American,
painted him in 1916, ermitting him to be
an American-an American of that grave
and dignided time
Out of these seven profiles modern in
genuity has evolved, by means of composite
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

I photography, one pic
ture which contains the
best of The seven, and
in all probability bears
a stronger resemblance
to the original than any
one of them. in this
the seven artists pre-
sent, in one face, their
impressions of the great
Washington's appear
ance. Each artist con-
tributes only one-sev-
enth of the whole. No
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

single picture W hlch
represents the spirit of
many. Its efforts are
not confined to pictures
of the same subject.
From many faces it
can evolve one that
will have the beauties
of all that contributed
to it, and none of their
defects.
A composite photo
graph is made by ex-
to one face, an in
- -. It'll NJ, m rnvr
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25
A Historic Landmark.

Fraunce's tavern. where Washington had his quar-
ters when the British evacuated New York, Is still
standing. The picture represents IL II Is 1t is an
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

posing plate an instant to one face an in
slant to another, and so on until as many
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

=
Ceracchi, an Italian,
m kes an inf1exible
Roman of him, stern and
grim as Cato. Uncon-
ciously the Italia II
artist Italianized him.
A picture by Wright,
an Englishman, made
in 1879, transforms him
in to a naughty old
Briton. De Brehan, a
Frenchman. m ade a
bust of him in 1883,
which depicts him as a
French hero. Houdon,
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

also French, in 1875, completed Washing
ton bust which could well be mistaken as
having had for its mo lei refined and ele-
CANT French scientist. In 1779 Du Simitiere
painted Washing ton portrait, which is SO
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

THE WEEKLY STATESMAN,
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

Il
blandly French that it
must have astonished
the great American
patriot himself. st.
Menin, in 179S, almost
excelled him in the pc
culiar art of painting
an American into a
Frenchman. Els pic
ture is the typical old
French nob,eman, of
the severe and dignified
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

VI uLiolOl liiotlOh VAN BlN
cruelty than any o.her
martyr dead or alive.
He, the grandest Amer
can of all, the truest
patriot, has been sent
out on canvas and in
marble as a Frenchman,
a Dutchman an Eng
li.hman, and every
other kind of a man
that he was not. In
order to demonstrate
this fact, we reproduce
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

this fact, we reproduce here a few of tie
pictures of Washington by artists of diff
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25
taken as the artists

Gilbert Stuares portrait of Washington,
painted in 1876, is the one the American pub
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

has been brought to something like per-
lection, and that its uses are ennobling. 1t
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

1t was long sine, discovered that every
one put some of his ,rsonal ty and even hi
nationa ity into his work When the work
ispicture making, particularly portrait max
ing the subject undergoes denationalizing
process and comes out when the picture is
finished, a countryman of the artist. This
isn't fancy; it 5 an undeniable AMI rather
tragic fact. Photography will d the same
thing for its subjects.
Washing: on has suffered this kind of
Il, flnnIloIan.r
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-02-25

himself in the picture
to. Each artists worl
others, yet the picture
evolved from all is dis
tinct.
This photograph is
the work of w. Curtis
Taylor, a leading pho
tographer of Philadel-
phia, who found his
subjects among the col
lection of William S.
Baker, of that city.
Possibly all the world
may not yet know that
composite photography
has been brought to
-
The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-03-13
PLAYING u nanjo ON rike's Peak.

"Perllll,, the most undesirable posts in tho
signal >nrNi.t." laid one of the local obscrv.
err, ARE on Mt Washington and Pixies peak
In winter tloy are cverlastingly cold places,
too, while The worst of it all Is that they are
50 terribly isolated Tho observers ON Pixies
peak are showed in. and are literally cut of
from III" r,'>t of the world for about four
months. Two men are stationed thorr, and
for four month"; they do not hear from the
OUTSIDE woila, having only thcnsclvc, and
their books for company.
"Soinr winters ago one Of the Observers was
in Denver, | hcl,evr, purchasing supplies,
when Violent Snow storm came which made
access to the roak impossible The other oh
server was showed IN, AMI there b. must ~.
main uu,il sprias His supplies were santy.
ard it was not thought possible that he would
survive the winter Aisoon rs ii wa, possible
IN tho spring, II party started to reach him
rs they approached the station, they heard
the notes Of II baniO, and they then knew that
all was wcll The observer was queer old
fellow, who was pa,,,onateiy fond Of the
banjo, and ho hal played 1t all winter, keep
ing his daily rocur,l, Of course. lie said he
had never enjoy0 himself 40 much in his life
and seemed to tx ~ Jolly ~ could be, though
his provisions werc all but exhausted, ,snI il
h. had not bcen rescued just at that Il m ~
might never have lived 10 twang his l'Jo
again You seo the signal service has its dan
gers and opportunities for leroism, though
most people don't think D'-Cincinnati
Times Star