The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-03-30
wAsHINeToN's STRENGTH,
Anecdotes Relating TO the Physical Train
ing of Our First President.

ing of Our First President.
A tale still current in Washington's
old home neighborhood in Virginia re-
counts how once as STRIPPING he sat
reading under the shade of an oak-tree
near his school. Some of his friends
had engaged champion wrestler of
the county to test their strength in an
impromptu ring. One after another
fell victim to the champions skill,
till, grown bold ut last, he strobe back
and forth like one of the giants of old
time romance, daring the only boy who
had not wrestled with him either to
put his book down and come into the
ring or own himself afraid!
This was more than the self-con-
tanned Washington could stand. Quiet
ly closing his book, he accepted the
challenge. Long after, when the STU
dent under the oak-tree had become
the conqueror with whose honored
name the whole civilized world re-
sounded, the ex-champion told what
followed: after u fierce, short strug-
gle," he said al felt myself grasped
and hurled upon the ground, with q
jar tt,lt shook the marrow of my
bones.'
With the memory of these boyish en-
counters in mind, and with all his SYM
pathy for athletic exercises, think what
it must have been tc Washington,
when Commander-in-Ch OF the Rev.
olutionary army, to come upon IL party
of his young officers amusing them
selves at game of "fves," and, in
spite of his evident enjoyment of the
sport, to find them too much overcome
with awe togo on playing. 1t was in
vain that the General encouraged
them to resume their sport; so, at
last, feeling that greatness has it's
drawbacks, he bowed, wished his Of
ficers good day, and walked away.
AS u horse man, from beginning to
end of his vigorous life, Washington
had no peer. Like all Virginian boys,
he took to the saddle as duck takes
to water. Once astlide his steed, it
was all but impossible to dislodge him.
From the day when as a lad he
first rode to hounds after old Lord
Fairfax, of Greenway Court, across
the county named for that worthy
nobleman, he was skilled and dash
ing fox-hunter. In the army, when on
horseback, riding down the line,
cheered to the echo by the soldiers,
who believed, with superstition
worthy of the ancients, that here
was being born to lead them,
he was physically the most
imposing figure present. In person,
Washington showed in his maturity
the fruits of the lifetime he had given
to what athletes nowadays call train
ing" His habits, at all times. were
those eXacted of a 'crew" or "team"
of modern days, before the occasions
when those heroes appear in public, to
fill with despair or eXultat.en the
bosoms OF their friends. From the In-
dians of the Shenandoah wilderness,
among whom he spent eels during
his first surveying tour, he learned the
swift, elastic tread that distinguished
him in walking. His powers of en-
durance were worthy of his eXtraordin-
ary physical strength. though it must
be said he had few illnesses to test his
constitution, and, indeed, was rarely
ailing. 1t may be some consolation to
aspirant heroes of the future to hear,
while upon this topic, that Mrs Wash
ington said it was well the General was
so rarely i'll, as she could never get
him to take his medicine!
"Major Lawrence Lewis once asked
his uncle what was his height in the
prime of life," says Gusts. ale re-
piled: In my best days, Lawrence, /
stood six feet and two inches in ordin-
ary shoes or his weight we are an
evidence, having heard him say to
Crawford, Governor of Canada. in
1893: My weight. in my best days,
sir, never exceeded from two hundred
and ten, to twenty His form was
unique. Unlike most athletic frames,
which expand ut the shoulders and
gather in at the hips, the form of
Washington deviated from the general
rule, since it descended from the
SHOuluclS w luc hipS III peIpcHuictiuf
lines the breadth of the trunk being
nearly as great at the one end as at
the other. His limbs were long, large,
and sinewy; he was what is called
straight-legged. His joints, feet, and
hands were large, and could cast
have been made from his right hand
$50 far did its dimensions exceed ma
ture's modeD, it would have been pre-
served in museums for ages rs the
anatomical wonder of the eighteenth
century. Mrs. Burton Harrison, in
st. Nicholas.