Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-04-04
Washington's Physical Training.

WashingtOns Physical Training.
tale still current in Washingtop's old
home neighborhood in Virginia recounts
how once as a STRIPPING he sat reading
under the shade % en- oak tree near bis
school. Some of his friends had engaged
a champion wrestler OF the county to tess
their strength in an impromptu ring
One after another fell victim to the
champions skill, till, grown bold at last.
he strobe back and forth like one OF the
giants of old time romance, daring the
only boy who had not wtestled with him
either to put his book down and come
into the ring OF own himself afraid
THIS was more than the self-contained
Washington could stand. Quietly closing
the book, he accepted the challenge.
Long after, when the student under the
oak tree had become the conqueror with
whose hOnored name the whole civilized
world resoundei, the ex-cham pion told
what followed. After fierce, short
struggle" he said, Il felt myself grasped
and hurled upon the ground, with jar
that shook the marrow of my bones"
With the memory of these boyish en-
counters in mind, and with all his sympa.
thy for athletic exercises, think what it
must have been to Washington, when
commander in chief IF the Revolutionary
army, to come upon party of his young
officers amusing themselves al a game IF
''hves," and. in spite OF his evident enjoy.
ment of the sport, &C find them too much
overcome with awe to go on playing. It
was in vain that the general encouraged
them to resume their sport; so, at lasl,
Iff,rr haf hoe "a 4
he bowed, wished his officers good day,
and walked away.
As a horseman, 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 astride his steed it was all but i'm.
possible 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 a skilled and
dashing fox hunter. In the army, when
on horseback, riding down the line,
cheered to the echo by the soldiers, who
believed, with superstition Torthy of
the anoiepts tGat here was a being born
to lead them, he was physically the most
imposing figure present. In person,
Washington showed in his meturity the
fruits of lifetime nc had given TO what
athletes nowadays call training" His
habits, at all times, were those exacted Of
Grew or "team" Of modern days, be-
fore the occasions when those heroes
appear in public, 10 fill with despair or
exultation the bosoms of their friends
From the Indians of the Shenandoah vii
derness, among whom he spent weeks
during his first surveying tour, he learned
the swift, elastic tread that distinguished
him IN walking. His powers of eudur
auce were worthy of his extraordinary
physical strength, though it must be said
be had few illnesses to test his constltu-
tion, and indeed, was rarely aiiing. Il
may be some consolation to aspirant
heroes of the future TO hear, while upon
this topic. that Mrs. Washington said it
WAS well the general was so rarely III, as
she could never get him to take mis- med
iclHe.
"Majur Laurence Lewis onoe asked his
uncle what wSs his height in the prime Of
best days, Laurence, | stood SIX feet aud
two inches in ordinary shoes. or his
weight we are an evidence, having heard
Nun say - NluIuY EoftluOI "a OaA'
da in 1899, My weight, in my best days,
sir, never exceeded from two hundred and
ten, to twenty His form was unique
Unlike most athletic framee, which *
pand az the shoulders and gather il al
the hips, the form of Washington devi-
ated froD. the general rule, since 1t de-
scended from the shoulders to the hips
in perpenjioulsr lines, the breadth of the
trunk being nearly as great at the one
end as at the other. His limbs we're long,
large and sinewy; he was what Is called
straight-legged. His joints, feet, ana
hands were large and could cast have
been made from his right hand $50 far
did it exceed natures model), il would
have been preserved IN museums for 9ges
as the anatomical wonder of tns
eighteenth century. From washington
as an Athlete" by Mrs. Barton Harrison
in St. Nicholas for March.