The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1890-02-21
LAKE CHARLES CCASEU PARISH LOUISIANA FRIDAY FEBRUARY n 1890
GU r
WHY HE WASTRULY GREAT
INCIDENTS WHICH THROW LIGHT ON
THE GREAT MANS CHARACTER.

AnBcuOBBs lhhL llluBtFhts u wen hAlAucbN
Character Of Gen, Zach
airy Taylor and Admiral Earragut.
Washington and His Gardener
Copyright, 1890, by American Press Association.l
A noble feature of Washington's char
acter was his adaptability to men and
events. While he sympathized with the
weaknesses of human nature, he was
not slow to admonish and reproVe, or to
extol the qualities of force, individuality
and independence Two or three Incl
dents may be quoted in illustration Of
this fact.
AS is well known to the readers of his
tory, Washington habitually used liquor
himself, and provided 1t for his guests
and IabOrers, yet he was one of the
bright examples of temperate eating
and drinking The following curious
document is extant:
ARTICLES of agreement, made this
18th day of April, ammo Domini one
thousand seven hundred and eighty
seven, by and between George Washing.
ton, ESQ.,, of the parish of Truro, in the
county of Fairfax, state of Virginia, on
the one part, and Phillip Batter, garden
er, on the other. Witness that the said
Phillip Batter, for and in consideration
of the covenants hereinafter mentioned,
doth promise and agree to serve the said
George Washington for the term of one
year as a gardener, and that he will dur
Ing said time conduct himself sOberly,
diligently and honestly; that he will
faithfully and industTiously perform all
and every part of his duty as gardener
to the best of his knOwlenge and abili-
ties, and that he will not at any time
suffer himself to be disguised with
liquor, except on the times here
after mentioned, In consideration of
these things being well and truly
performed on the part of the said Phillip
Batter, the said George Washington doth
agree to allow him (the said Phillip the
same kind and quantity of provisions as
he has heretofore had; and likewise an
nually decent suit of clothes, betitting
a man in his statiOnj to consist of a coat,
vest and breechesj a working jacket and
breeches of hOmespun besidesj two white
shirts; three checked do; two linen
pocket handkerchief; two pair linen
OveralIs; as many pair of shoes as are
actually necessary for him. four dollars
at Christmas with which he may be
drunk four days and four nights two
dollars at Easter to effect the same pur-
pose; two dollars at Whitsuntide 10 be
drunk two days; dram in the morning
and a drink of QrOg at noon"
The above is signed by the two con-
tracing parties and witnessed by George
A. Washington and Tobias Lee.
On another occasion Washington wrote
as follows to one of his oyerseers: II
shall not close this letter without exhOrt-
ing you to refrain from spirituOus liquors.
They will prove your ruin If you do not.
Consider how little Il drunken man diff
fers from beast. The latter is not en-
d0wed with reason; the former deprives
himself of it; and when that is the case,
acts like brute, annoying and disturbing
every one around him. Nor is this all;
nor, as respects himself, the worst of it.
By degrees it renders person feeble and
not only unable to help others, but to
serve himself; and being an act Of his
own, he falls from a state of usefulness
into contempt, and at length suffers, If
not perishes, in penury and want. Don't
let this be your case. Show yourself
more of man and Christian than to
yield to so intolerable vice, which can
not, ] am certain Ito the greatest lover
of liquor, give more pleasure to sip in
the poison (for it is no better), than the
consequence Of it in bad behaviour at
the moment, and the more serious evils
produced by it afterwards must give
pain"
Still another repliniscenne Of the Fa-
ther of his Country, in this connection,
10 interesting:
Towards the close of the revolutionary
war an officer Of the American army had
occasion TO transact some business with
Gen. Washington, and repaired to Phila-
delphia for that purpose Before leaving
he received an invitation TO dine with
the general, which was accepted. Upon
entering the room he found himself in
the company Of o large number Of ladies'
and gentlemen. AS they were mostly
strangers 10 him, and he was Of a natu-
rally modest disposition, be took Q seat
near the foot Of the table and refrained
from taking an active part in the con
yersation. just before the dinner was
concluded Washington politely requested
him, by name, ~ join him in drinking q
glass Of wine.
"You viii have the goodness to excuse
me, general, z was the reply, Has have
made it q rule not to take wipe.P
All eyes were instantly turned upon
the young officer, and q Dlurnlur of coR-
tempt and surprise gan round the room.
That person should be 50 uHsociaI, not
10 say pnean, as meyer to drink wine, was
really too bad; but that be should abstain
from It on an occasion like that, and even
when offered to him by Washington hin-
self, was really intolergble, Washington
noticed az once the feelings Of isgueste,
and promptly addressed them ID his gra-
cious and winning way, saying.
"Gentlemep, Mr., 49, 10 right. / do
not wish any of ppy guests to partalSe Of
anything against their inclination, and
/ certainly do not wish them 10 violate
any established principle in their inter
course with pie. / honor Nj. - for
bis fFaplness, for bis consistency in thus
adhering % 40 established rule which
can never DO bim harm, and for the
adoption of which / have no doubt he
has good reasons
IL IS q noteworthy fact that tbe name
Of Washington is Identified With one pf
the earliest and atFopgest temperance
movements q the ilrst half of tbe century,
Small organizations axisted AZ early ns
1904, the character q which may be Pr
ferred from the following bylaw.
H1So member aiiaH be intoxieated un-
der penalty of % eents no member
eha4 drink rp@, gip, Whisky, wins, q