The herald., 1895-02-22
Very Intimately

-
old. Though born in
the rural districts of Virginia, within
few miles of that Mecca of American free
men, Mount Vernon, the greater part of
his life has been spent in Washington
city, where he has been intimate with
almost every distinguished man who has
been prominent in the various phases of
public life at the national capital during
the past seventytive years Many happy
hours of his childhood were passed on the
estate of the immmortal Father of his
Country, and as the Colonel is as vigor-
Gus mentally md physically as any man
Of go, his recollectious of the great patriot,
as well as those of John Adams, Thomas
Jefferson, Aaron Burr, James Madison,
James Monroe, John Quincy Adams An
drew Jackson, Martin Val Buren,, Henry
William Henry Harrison, John Tyler,
James X. Polk and many others of our
public men of bygone days are replete
with the charm OF novelty and interest.
While l think of myself only as a
boy " he said in a recent interview, Il
feel as though | were Just beginning to
live, being blessed with supple joints, a
good appetite, excellent sleeping abilities
and as great disposition to shun hard
work as any 16-year-old youngster could
possibly have, l must confess to what
the clergy call a realizing sense that |
am out OF my teens when re-
member that | am nearly 40 years older
than the railroad, SO years older than the
telegraph and nearly 100 years older than
the telephone and phonograph. | had
hurrahed and voted for my favorite pres
idential candidates several times before |
licked my first postage stamp, and it was
not until several years after | had arrived
of ie 10 hot ipua
ius produced a metal plow.
Long after | was married man, great
big gals iii old Virginny, where | was
born-with long waist ribbons and their
dress sleeves puffed out a balloon, used to
carry their shoes under their arms until
they came close to the meeting house,
when they would stop and put them on,
and they'd holler for Gen raj Jackson if it
killed them. In those days if Il boy got
pair of homemade low shoes, a pair OF
linsey- -woolsey pants and wool hat once
a year he thought he was playing in great
luck, as you young fellows say now.
1T was in such an outtit-for boys ar
rived at the dignity of bifurcated apparel
at u much younger age in those days
than they do now--that early in March,
1877, first remember visiting Mount Yer
non, being then youngster of 4 years.
1t was on the occasion OF Washington S re-
turn to home and domestic life at the ter
mination of his second Presidential term
Among a vast concourse of neighbors and
friends assembled to welcome him was my
father, who had taken me with him. The
occasion was made one of general rejoic-
ing. The people came tocking in from all
parts of the vast estate.
'Those who are familiar
Mount with the Mount Vernon of
today, with its 200 acres,
Vernon can scarcely realize that in
Washington time it num-
in the bered several thousand. 1t
was originally known as
Old Days. the Hunting Creek estate,
but when Lawrence Wash
ington, Georges half brother inherited
it from their father, he rechristened it
Mount Vernon, in honor OF the English
Admiral under whom he had served in
the disastrous campaign against Car
thagena, in South America. AT his death
it descended to his daughter Jennie, and
when she died, soon afterward, it became