The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-06-17
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
NE AND THE TIMES IDIOT H%Fh n
PLEASANT CHAr TOGEJHER.
The General Tells About the Ratchet fsrn
and the Way lie Used to Play Baseball
Old Fashioned Poker Games.

Let me preface the following true in
cdent by assuring you patient, not gen.
ue-reader. that | am in the estimation OF
my friends temperate man. Neither am
given 10 drawing long bows, which goes
TO prove tina; altogether. 1 am a most
truthful, sober. and 1 may add. as de-
sfabie youLs unmlrr.ti man as any
idchmond grl may nope 10 find IN a
yak from The Vest i.uI Iase- !'alI
Phf@. 10 tJe lower extremity OF FULTON.
nave told you | was temperate and
truthful, That you might rest assured
mat what / am about 10 make kho"n
TO you IS a statement, the Ncracit! OF
winch Is beyond the reasonable shadow
OF even wOmaDs doubt. Therefore let
the cynical keep their peace and The I'M
squeezing believe.
The other night IN one Of my ramhles
was passing through the capital square:
WeAitd by the chasing OF some ttem l
| paused as | passed the statue OF George
on his steed. y tempting bench under u
shady tree caused me 10 seat myself for
| lew minutes rest.
/ know not how L was. whether II wss
| the moon or the signing OF the winds as
they blew over the top Of the city Hall,
that caused me TO cast my eyes toward
the place where Washington sat on his
| horse
As iookei up. The venerable general
| OF the Revolution lifted has hat drew
| large bandana handkerchief from his
breast pocket and wiped the honest moist
ure from his noble brow.
Great Scott" CALCULATED the general.
| but this is hOlte- than that summers
| day at Fredericksburg. when Tom Smith
| bet me n sweet apple and gravel
shooter. that I could not throw stone
across the RappahanOck."
| WAS II very warm that 1ay?" /! asked
| yes. sir" replied George. why Iemen-
| Der distinctly he continued. thai when
| my mother went 10 comb fer back mar
| that mOrning. that 'he noticed tnat the
| mirror gave no reflection, and upon x
animation she found all the quicksilver
/ had melted off the back.
That was at 6 o'clock IN the morning
! so you can form some Idea q = 10 how
warm IL was. / did not say anything My
vencration kept me silent so 1 lighted
| IL cigarette and tossed one up 10 George
who said, he did not care II he did
| lie seemed to have some difhcuitX. IN
| understanding the "modus operandi or
| the cigarette but finally managed 10 ls-
! mite the weed by striking light with his
| flint against the pummei Of his saddle:
After recovering from a coughing spell
| caused by attempting 20 inhaie the smoke.
| George asked me II Il was reporter.
| | replied in the Affirmative Does your
conscience hurt you? | said that fortu-
nately IT never gave me half as much
trouble as my best girl:
our conversation drifted along until
finally / touched upon the little Ratchet
| affair. when a smile over-spredd the
patriotic features Of the General
II YOU won't give me away / VIII tell
Won the truth OF the whole affair
| promised so George began. You see,
my governor was queer sort or an ola
duck. He hal 4 number o. la1s. Eng
! FISH dnntchprkncw, and one OF them was
cherry trees. He pcided himself on his
fruit orchard. and this particular tree
which / figured in so extensively, was
one in which he took especial pride wen
! one dav Barnum's circus came 10 We'll
| H., u1 I made mind 10 60.
Unfortunately for me Just the Sunday
before the circus came Thomas Jefferson
| ana myself stole off and went hathinE
| Now II was strictly against my failr
| orders for me to indulge in each iiq ia
designations on the sabbath. and When
he got q, 10 ne, he curtailod my hopes OF
seeing the woman IN green ushls 1 utl
somersaults. ! got huffy and IN my anger
thought Of his favorite cherry tree. !
had a hatchet which my little friend
Benny Franklin had sent me for pres
ent. / suited the action 10 the thought
and in a few minutes that trees name
Just as ] turned around saw my
father standing Few feet away; Ny
heart stopped beating temporarily. !
. wanted 10 run. but my knees shook so l
Did You do that. George" said NY
father pointing with MS niger 10 inc
work Of my destruction. / wanted 10
I say no, but he had seen me and l kne"
YES" I st,mme.ed out. i took my
/ narental sire about two seconds 10 grasp
!, | me by the collar. and let loose with MS
walking cane across my frame.
"Wouid yOu have denied the charge IL
you thought he ha1 not seen YOU. ASH
p ed. you bet yOIr sweet lie J w"p'd'
{ replied the ta-h n Of his country
7 Thus we chattcd on until suddenly
. George asked me what I thought about
q that bright little piece or conversation
| between the governor OF North and south
-. 4, q 81 =
O | answered. Sorry voI cant get up here
p replied the general as he produced 2
g pocket flask. This came over IN tht
v Mayflower, in fact | don't know how
n / coJld ever have gotten over the Delaware
that cold night. IL IL had not been toi
. an occasional pull at This TASK" ! ou m5S
= talk about your coctails and milkshakeS
II but the straight stuff for me every tlme
/, and George smacked his lips as he tool
I I asked the general what period durine
- his long public life he enjoyed most
Taking everything into consideration
guess my presidential terms were the mos
| ENJOYABLE. You zee AFR cRtiuet meet
lrcs. we used 10 lock the doors. pun do"I
tho shades and indulge IN = dWet ~ ~
game of draw poker. Flushes an'
j stlaigbts ware barred In those days. ant
y fCurs tOppcd everything.
$ II shall nov n forget. he c2ntihu'd
zone day we were rlavinG shlIlirs NIX
pots. There YER SIX ~ MS IN the rain'
and everybody had drH9pe out eNcep
General Iafayc.:s. who was visi:,ng m'
| ~ the time We had ea>h raised the Othe
come half n dozen times. Lafy Sfoo.
nat and called for one card. Ny French
friend wanted 10 bet his entire estate y
France ana was wiling 10 gre mort
cages on Mount Vernon. but though
better and cai'cl
"Lany had ace high while held Tow
maidcns. Oh I tell You that Frenchmal
was n buffer
r thus we discussed first one question
| and thcn another. until | finally aske'
8 George what he thought Of the Bloody
Shirts chances for winning the pcnnant
ITO be frank with yOI don't take ~,
same interest in baseball ] used 10. !
may be my tastes have changed but IN
game is not what il used 70 be.
when / was a boy l used 70 be snort
. sion on the jamestown. We had bull
= nine the last year / played. | rernembe
a game we played with the WILLIAMSBURG
team they beat us los 10 70 in four inn
inrs Then Patrick Henry Knocked hom
run and We had 20 call the game hecaus
we could not md the hill" y euppos
Won know that Lynchburg took tw
games from Vests pets Yes. rcph5
George. "and it's a shame, shame. shame.
The light in the east told us dav wa
dawnirC and as 7 took my leave Geory
said Goodbye oi1 chappie take = it'll
] vichy and ammonia and YOU Will fef
better.
t ADoc Resents Abuse Of Child.
During quarrel between Anthem
Kosnile and his wife their four-months