Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-04-04
A FAMOUS JUMP.

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jumper. Thackeray, in "The Virgin
ians," gives him the magnificent rec
ord of twenty-five feet three inches
for running broad. Young Harry
Warrington writing from England a
description Of a jumping match in
which he covered twenty-one feet three
inches, thereby beating his competitor,
Lord March, goes on to say Il then
told them that there was a gentlemen
at home who could beat me by a good
foot, and when they asked me who it
was I said Colonel G. Washington, OF
Mount Vernon-as you know he cam
and he's the only man in this country
or mine that can do it, So if Thack-
cray is to be believed George stands
the champion broad jumper of his
time; indeed, up to 1889 he could
easily have won all intercollegiate
champion competitions and most Of
the nationals. What the agile young
pater patria might have accomplished
with spiked shoes, a cinder path and
a nice plank "take off, no one can
say, but it is not improbable that he
would now stand not only first in
peace, first in war, and first in the
hearts of his countrymen, but first on
the list of running jumpers as well.
1t is rather unfortunate that the de-
tails of this remarkable jump are not
to be found, but l have discovered a
very pretty little story which gives
him record only two inches short of
that given him by young Warrington.
In pretty little village in Virginia
there lived in 1775 a rich and eccen-
trio old farmer whose daughter was de-
clared to be the loveliest maiden in all
the country round. The beautiful An
nette was eighteen years of age, and
of course had many suitors for her
hand and heart. Some offered her
wealth, some position, others nothing
but love and labor, but, obedient to
her fathers wishes, she encouraged
none of them.
On her nineteenth birthday the old
man invited all the youths of the vii
lage to a grand haymaking frolic, and
they came, among them dozen hand
some young fellows who were known
to still retain tender regard for the
fair girl whose natal day they had
come to celebrate.
The morning passed off in merry
labor. By noon the barns were filled
with the fragrant hay. and all were
ready for the feast Of good things that
had been spread under the shady
branches.
Now, nv lads, said the old man,
after the banquet was some time over,
"I've got something to say to you. 1t
seems that good many of you have
been casting sleeps eyes at my An
nette. Now, boys, l don't care any
thing about money or talents, book
learning or soldier learning. | can do
as well by my girl as any man IN the
country; but l want her to marry a
man of my own grit. Now, perhaps
you know it, and perhaps you don't,
but when l was a youngster | could
beat any one in all Virginia in the
way of leaping. Look here"
He held up, as he spoke, three
handsome medals.
"And all of them won in fair fight,
he went on, "besides which | got my
old woman by beating the smartest
man on the eastern shore. Now lis
ten; I've taken an oath that no man
shall marry my daughter without
jumping for it. There you have 1t
boys; yonder's the green, and here
Annette. The one who jumps the
farthest on a dead level shall marry
her this very evening.
This peculiar address was received
with great applause, and more thar
one youth, as he bounded away tol
the arena of trial, cast glance of an
ticipated victory upon the lovely prlz'
as she stood blushing beside her father
Dropping their various amusements
the entire party wended their way
laughing and singing, toward the wi
lage inn, before which spreadthe green
In the center of this plot the grounc
was bare and admirably suited to ex
ercises of the sort in which they wer
about to engage. Soon all was II
readiness for the contest. The sigma