The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-18

From Virginia to boston Receiving
the PIaudits of His People-His-
torioal Data of Much Value.
Copyright 1919
1t is only few leaves of paper, in the
form of a booklet but to the possessor it
is more precious than green backs, more
desirable than government bonds. James
f. Joy, of Michigan, always keeps the
booklet in a safe deposit vault. To friends
who may inquire concerning the precious
leaves, he shows a printed copy of the
original; sometimes, too, he goes TO The
vault and takes out the treasure; with
satisfaction he turns the pages, calling
attention to the quaint old writing, the
odd contractions, the peculiar spelling
then he usually adds:
1T is George WashingtOn's own hand
writing, sir; it is his diary, from oct.
1859, TO March. 1890 and recounts his
trip, by stage, through the New England
states"
1t is true. The diary in the possession
of MIR. Joy is one of the priceless sOuve-
Mrs of the Father of his Country It's
early history, Mr.. Joy says, is wrapped in
obscurity. He CHANGED upon it years ago
in New York city. The seller, not wish
ing that the world might know Of the fall
and decay of his once wealthy family,
from the handsome leather case in which
the booklet was preserved. This desire
on the part of the former owner Mr.. Joy
has scrupulously observed; and thus 1t is
that he has little to tell of the early his
tory of his treasure
The diary is about four inches wide and
six inches long, and contains sixty-siX
pages, written on both sides. The hand
writing is large and round, in the we'll
known fashion of Mr.. Washington. 1t re-
quires study to translate accurately, by
reason of the unusual characteristics of
the penmanship, as well as the oddities of
contraction, spelling and capitalization.
Thus, if Mr.. Washington desired to write
Spurpose" as like as not he spelled it
"purp." followed by good sized period
He set down Colonel" as Colo" while
all words whose Importance in his mind
justified, he always distinguished with
capitals.
Anyone who may chance to study the
Diary, must be impressed with the prac-
ticality of Mr.. Washington, his excessive
dignity, his pride and his healthy com
mon sense. Throughout, there are but
two illusions to the beauties of nature,
and those are of the most commonplace
type The nearest approach to a romantic
or poetic suggestion is when Mr.. Wash
ington declares that the landscape APP
peared to him like a rich regalia."
Otherwise, the Diary concerns itself with
the condition of the hogs and geese seen
on the road the style of the farm
houses, the sort of fences seen
along the highway, and other
probabilities such as might hold the eye
Of farmer leisurely journeying through
the country in an old time coach. Mr.
Washington is especially critical of the
taverns by the wayside, and seldom it is
that he has a good word for their hos
sN,TT L.
largely with widows. " There is the
widow Haviland," the "Widow DOVE"
and others OF the Widow Haviland he
has nothing but praise. To his mind her
inn is the standard of excellence, serving
as the one to which he compares all
Others. The Taverus, then, are mot so
good as that of the Widow Haviland,"
or, maybe, ARE equal to that of the
Widow Haviland. "
1t is n quantity interesting picture,
dimly shining down the years, to fancy
Mr. Washington starting out upon this
little trip-of which history is silent
clad in his fine broadcloth and attended
by his retinue of six servants. Thirty
miles day was a good average of stage
coach speed. Now and again, as he passed
county or township lines, out would come
the selectmen, or perhaps, the governor of
the state of Connecticut, who would pre-
sent him with a written scroll of pompous
welcome. The local militia, in their
historic regimentals, would escort
the distinguished traveller from one
town to the next. Occasionally a single
cannon would fire twenty-oue times from
some town hall green, q fact which MIR.
Washington notes with dignified good
humor; they did their best to salute
with one gun" would be his entry, or
words to that effect. Usually, the Jour
pey would begin at sunrise and, before
breakfast, the general would travel 10 or
IL miles before arriving at an inn. Moving
slowly through the country, Mr.. Wash
ington would note, with the eye of an old
soldier, the condition of the highways,
setting down his observations in plain
language, such as 1.-The Road was execra-
hle," or 1.-THE Road was sandy, stony and
hard on wheels"
The Diary tells of sitting to James
Ramage for a miniature for Mrs Wash
ington. Ramage was one of the beauX of
old New Yord. He had studio in Will
liam street, and there t1ocked the military
chaps of the garrison and the social lead
ers. The artist is represented as hand
some fellow, who wore a scarlet coat, a
white silk waistcoat, embroidered with
flowers, black satin breeches, white silk
stockings, silver shoe buckles, a small
cooked hat, well powdered curls and
carried gold headed cane and a gold
Suuu DOX. ne uleu soon d1Cer pain ting
the miniature of Washington.
The Captain Mariner mentioned by
Washington was an eccentric old char
acter, associated with Captain Hyler in
whale boat warfare in the vicinity of
New York. Mariner lived in Harlem
and on Wards Island, and for many years
after the war of ,76 kept tavern at each
place.
The rebuke offered by Washington to
Gov. Hancock at Cambridge is worthy of
a special chapter. Hancock. as a matter
of record, believed that his sense of duty
was such, as governor, that the Presi-
dent must call first. This Washington
did not propose to do. Hancock, eccord-
ingly, feigned bodily illness Washington
settled the matter very effectively by
taking the ground that the governor must
call at the presidential lodgings This
Hancock meekly proceeded TO do before
ii was too late.
While the President was at Hartford n
good citizen named Taft did himself the
honor of naming pair of twins after Mr.
Washington and his wife, resulting in the
following characteristic letter from the
President
'rSir-Being informed that you have
given my name 10 one of your sons, and
called another after Mrs. Washington S
family, and, being moreover, very much
pleased with the modest and innocent
looks of YOUR two daughter Patty and