The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-18
VAsaIINGToN'S PHN>EQIE
Training Made the Revolution
airy Hero an Athlete.
A REMIN1ScEHE OF HIS BoYISu
PRowE>s-HI5 CLEAI, CUT, SIN
EwY FRAME WAS Az AN~'
AToNuCAL MAEYEL.

gl0la recOuuts how once aS strip
Pllng be sat reading under the shade
of an oak tree near his school. Some
Of his friends bad engaged cham>
piOn wrestler Of the county TO test
their strength in an impromptu ring.
One after another fell victim TO the
champions skill, till, grown bold st
last, be strobe back ana forth like
one OF the giants OF old time ro>
nance. daring the only boy who had
not wrestled with him either TO put
his book down and come into tie
ring or own himself afraid
This was more than tie self-con-
tanned Washington could stand
Quietly closing his book he accepts
ed the challenge. Long after, when
the student under the oak tree had
become the conqueror with whose
honorcd name the whole civilized
world resounded, the ex-champion
told what followed after a fierce .,
short struggle" he SAID, i felt my
self grasped and hurled upon the
ground, with a jar that shook the
marrow Of my bone,."
With the memory Of these boyisl
encounters in mind, and with all HI
sympathy for athletic exercises,
think what it must have been to
Washington, when Comr-anIer>i
Chief OF the Revolutionary Army, to
come upon party of his young
officers amusing themselves at q
game Of "fives,' and, in spite of his
evident enjoyment Of the sport, to
find them too much overcome with
awe to 60 on playing. 1t was in vain
that the General encouraged them
to resume their sport; so, at last
feeling that gre4tAess has 5 draw
backs he bowed, wished h Office.
good day, and wa,kel away.
AS a horseman, from be,inding to
end of lis vigorous life, Washin ,ton
had no peer. Like all VirgIoian
boys, he took to the saddle as q duck
takes to water. Once astride his
steed, it vas all but impossible to
dislodSe him, From he day when
as lad he first rode to hounds after
old Lord Fairfax, of GreenwaYCourt, ,
across the county named for that
worthy nobieman he Was a skilled
and dashing fox-hunter. In the
army, when on horseback, riding
down the line, cheered to the echo
Ivy the soldiers, who believed, with
superstition worthy Of the anCients,
that here was a being born to lead
them, he was physically the most
imposing figure present. In person
Washington showed in bis maturity y
the fruits Of the lifetime given to
what athletics now adays call "train~
ing" HIS habits, st all times, were
those ex4cted or "creW" or team
of modern DAYS, before the occasions
when those heroes appear in public.
to fill with despair or exultation the
bUsoms Of their friends. From the
Indians of the Shenandoah wilder.
ness, among whom be spent weeks
during his first surveying tOu:, lie
learned the swift, elastic step tread
that distinguished him in walking
His powers Of endurance were
worthy Of his extraordinary phYsica
strength, though it must be said he
had few illnesses to test his Constitu
ton and, indeed was rarely ailing
1t may be some consolation to asplr
ant heroes Of the future to hear
while upon this topic, that Mrs
Washington said 1t WAS we'll tht
General was so rarely i'll. as S.,
could never ge4 him to take h 4
medicine
"Major Laurence Lewis once ask
ed his uncle what was his height il
the prime Of lifa," says Gusts, "H,
replied: In my best days, Laurence
| stood six feet two inches in ordin
airy shoes Of his weight we ar
ar evidence, having heard him sa,
to Crawford, Governor Of Canad
IN 1899: My weight, in my bes
days, sir never exceeded from tw
/ hundred and ten t0 twen-,,' Il.
form was unique. [ alike 7.0st at
ietic forms, which exparC 1t til
shoulders and gather in IL the hips
the form of Washington dcviate
from the general rule, since it d.
scended from the shoulders u th
hips in perpendicular lines, tb
breadth Of the trunk being nearly q
great at the one eni as the oLhel
His limbs were long, large aad siI
ewy: ne was what is called straight
legged His joints, feet a1d hand
were large, and co1iH cast haT
been made from his right hand (
far dil its dimensions exceed n
r,0Joh - uCulj bo,,a hoe