Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-23

athletic order, jumping, leaping, horse back
riding and other healthful exercises He was
none OF your dudes in any sense"
ENCOURAGING HOME MANUFACTURER
When the reporter asked about the state
ment that Gen. Washington was arrayed on his
Inauguration day in clothing every shred Of
which was Of American manufacture, Dr. Toner
said: His diaries say nothing of this: but
they say that during his III st term as President
he made trip through the New England states
and stopping at some factory in Connecticut
ordered piece of goods. When he arrived
home he ha d a suit made from il. and he may
have had others. 1t was doubtless his purpose
as he a man of large views, to encourage
manuf actures. He was familiar with the whole
detail of spinning, weaving and dressing cloth.
On his estate at Mount Vernon a regular bust
ness was made of spinning. weaving and full
ing of cloth, not for sale, but for use among his
servants and employees. You must remember
that he was engaged in farming operations on a
large scale. His estates at Mount Vernon at
one time embraced nearly 10. 600 acres Of land.
and included several plantations He had there
over hundred mich COWS and a greater num-
Der of horses. Besides. he had three planta-
tions in the valley of Virginia, two in Nanse-
mond county, and four plantations in New
Kent and King William counties. The latter
four he called dover lands. They came TO him
through his wife, and were managed for the
benefit of her children. The servants employed
upon these and other estates required much
employed in providing them with clothing.
Mrs. Washington was cons iderate, active and
industrious mistress of Mount Vernon, a faith
full ana devoted wife, humane and solicitous
for the comfort of her servants. Washington
speaks OF his servants as servants as negroes,
people, and employees He uses all these
terms. but have never came across the word
slave as written by mis- own hand.
HIS LOVE FOR MOUNT VERNON
sit is amazing" said DIR. Toner, THAT man
who was SO good judge of land as Washington
was remained there, as the region was not good
for farming purposes. 1t was not the character
OF the soil, but a sentimental attachment TO an
estate he inherited from a brother whom he
loved that kept him there. Like most success
fui men, he wanted to buy everything adjoining
him. The estate comprised between 500 and
LOCO acres when he received it: he left nearly
10000 acres. 1t is said, slurringly. that he got
his means by marriage. This is hardly true
His father left him a farm near Fredericks-
burg. He had made money by surveying and
by buying and selling land, and was a success
ful and well-to-do farmer before his marriage
lone of his pecullarities,' the doctor went
on, was that he never shut himself up or iso-
lated himself in any way in the community in
which he happened TO be. At Mount Vernon
he admitted his neighbors to his house grounds,
and table every day, and with the greatest nos
sible freedom. He took part in every measure
for advancing the interests of the community
i'll which he resided. There was scarcely an
enterprise of any account started at Alexandria
that he did not take an interest in, and usually
a leading part. Although never permitting IA
milarities that would lower his own or the dig
nifty of those about him, he engaged in sports
such as fishing hunting, and horse-racing. and
was fond of attending the theater. concerts
and like entertainments / do not find that he
kept horses that were entered IN races, though
he attended nearly all the races at Richmond.
Alexandria, at Annapolis, and other points"
How about attending church!' asked The
STAR.
His diaries show that he was a very regular
attendant of church. and took an interest in
building and repairing churches. lie was a
vestryman both in Truro parish, the old pOhick
church, and Fairfax parish, known as Christ
church, Alexandria.
HIS RELATIONS WITH THE FAIRFAX FAMILY
'There is little impression said DR.. Toner.
''that Washington was in some way dependent
for social favor, clinging to the Farfaxes and
seeking their patronage; but this is a mistake
At the age of fifteen he came to live with his
half brother. who was married TO one of the
FairfaXes. He was brought into daily relations
with members of that family. Lord Fairfax
was then making his home with his cousin.
Hon. William Fairfax, at Belyoir George
Washington as boy was full of enthusiasm for
observation-disclosures he could get ANYBODY to
carry the chain for hlm-and he busted himself
making plans for surveys and resurveys. He
was probably not much concerned about social
relations with Lord Fairfax and William Fair
fax and William Fairfaxs children were
continued basis of appreciative
equality. nephew of the generals, Warner
Washington, married for his second wife
daughter of the Hon. VIM. Fairfax. The inter-
course, too, between George William Fairfax.
son of the Honorable William, was intimate
down to the eve of the Revolution. The FAM
lilies we're constantly exchanging visits, and no
hour seemed inoppOrtune for either to call
the other The ayidanpas Ia +lotI
the calls were more frequent at Mount Vernon
than at Belyoir. L say this because. through
transformation or tendency to depreciate
Washington, the reverse view has been held.
1t was of ordinary occurrence for Washington
to ride over to Belvoir in the morning and
take breakfast and it was quite common for
George w. Fairfax to come to Mount Vernon
in the discharge of business early in the morn
ing, and, having breakfasted with Washington,
return to his own home.
wAsHINGToN's ENERGY AS FARMER
''In study of the life of Washington as a
planter" said DR.. Toner, lone thing that as
tonishes me is the amount of energy the man
was constantly expending. up early in the
morning, writing letters, planning improve
ments for or visiting his plantations and EN-
couraging and instructing his overseers both at |
seed time and harvest, directing carpenters. /
mlllwrlghts and men at almost every kind of |
work that he carried on to develop and i'm |
prove his plantations. He had three fishing 4
landings on his estate, ferry and two mills /
These were all created by his own energy. fore /
sight and management. He was in the habit /
of contracting with merchants in Alexandria |
or Norfolk to take all his -four for the season |
and all his catch of fish, both herring and shad, |
other than what he reserved for use on his |
plantations. The fish were owned and stored |
at his own fish house, but at the risk of the
merchant contracting. He. thorough
business man, neglecting nothing that prom
ised a revenue and return for labor. He sup
ervised all his farm arrangements. He made with
his own mechanics, plows and harrows. re-
paired the farm machineries at his own shops.
and made substantial Improvements upon the
pillow in use in his day. After the Revolution,
when he enlarged his mansion at Mount YER
non and laid out the land at the west of the
house in an ornamental manner, he endeav-
ored to transplant to it specimens of nearly
every native tree that could at all add to its
beauty or novelty, and his diary saws that while
riding through the woods or surveying where
ever he saw a handsome specimen of some tree
not already planted he would take note of its
locality and at a proper season would have it
removed and planted in the western lawn at
Mount Vernon"
Innocent Man.
ODD QUESTIONS WHICH HE ASKS OF WIVES AND
SISTERS. |