The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-10-19
HUT USED BY WASHINGTON
LOG CABIN ONCE USED BY THE
 FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY,

"hIIe surveying Loru hhirihA s AAst"'os'
 Stin Standing Near Berryviile, Va
 washlngton's Diary, Written in 1T6T,
 Has Been Found in Possession of n
 Family in the old Dominion.
 While hundreds of pilgrims daily crowd the shrine of Mount Vernon, one of the most interesting relics of Wash ington remains unknown and unnoticed and is rapidly falling into decay. This is a small cabin which was used by Washington when a young man, en- gagged in surveying the lands of upper Virginia, The house is located in Clarke county, the district being formed in 1880 from Frederick, and named for the illustrious general, George Clarke of early days
 Near Berryville, in Clarke county, General Daniel Morgan of Reyolutiona- ry fame, built handsome home, which he called Soldiers Rest" About two hundred yards from the site of this manor is located the cabin, which is re- garded with almost religious venera- tion by the people of the neighborhood, and which is being slowly eaten by the tooth of time.
 The house is twelve feet square, and there are but two rooms, one on the ground floor and one for a garret. Be- meath the building flows, or rather did flow during the last century, a small stream, which was used for cooling purposes The upper chamber is lathed and plastered only one window lights it, while a rough door gives access to the visitor, who must mount by lad der. Here it was that Washington was accustomed to keep his instruments when on a surveying expedition.
 Lord Fairfax, a wealthy English mo- bleman, obtained from his government large grants of land lying in the north ern portion of Virginia, and bordering on the Blue Ridge mountains. When he visited his estates he was so much pleased that he gave up his residence in England and built on his plantation a fine country seat, which he called Greenway Court This beautiful resi- dence is now in the possession of Hem ry Fairfax, who, however, claims no relationship with the family of Lord Fairfax. Lord Fairfax was bachelor, man of eccentric habits, and passed most of his time in the woods in pur- suit of game.
 Desiring to have his immense estate accurately surveyed, Lord Fairfax called into his service George Washing ton. Washington was at that time scarcely more than boy, but so sue eessfully did he accomplish his work that he won the lifelong friendship of the noblenan. His first surveying ex- petition was begun in March, 1748, when he set out in company with young George Fairfax, whose sister had mar ried Lawrence, the brother of Washing ton Washington's life in the woods as a surveyor is beautifully described by the historian Bancroft in the following words;
 At the very time of the Congress of Ak la Chapelle the woods of Virginia sheltered the youthful George Wash ington. the son of widow Born by the side of the Potomac, beneath the roof of a Westmoreland farmer, almost from infancy his lot had been that of an orphan. And now, at sixteen years of age, in quest of an honest mainte- nance, encountering intolerable toll, cheered onward by being able to write to 8 schooiboy friend, Dear Richard, a doubloon day is my constant gain, and sometimes six pistoles;' himself his own cook, having no spit but forked stick, no plate but a large hip, roaming over spurs of the Alleghany and along the banks of the Shenandoah, alive to nature, and sometimes spending the day in admiring the trees and richness of the land, among skin-clad savages, with their rattles and scalps, and un- i eouth emigrants who never spoke Eng | fish, rarely sleeping on bed and hold 1 ing a bears skin a splendid couch, glad | of a resting place for the night on lit- 1 tie hay. often camping in the forest where the place nearest the fire was the | happy luxury, this striplirfg surveyor In 1 the woods, with no companions but un- | lettered associates and no implements l of science but his compass and chain, contrasted strangely with the imperial magnificence of the congress of Aix-la- l Chapelle.'
 Possible some patriotic society will rescue this hut, in which so many days were passed by Washington in early l toll. or some provision will be made by 1 the government for purchasing the | place so that 1t may be inelosed and preserved for coming generations Ne gotiations have already passed between | the man owning the house and some persons interested in museums, and il is probable that it will not be long be- i fore the hut will be placed on exhibition by some enterprising individual.
 While relics of Washington's life dur | ing it's later period are plentiful there | are comparatively few souvenirs of his youthful days or of the years prior to | the revolution, when he was a simple country gentleman with the title of col | onel. But a most interesting memento was brought to light a few days ago ir i overlooking keepsake treasures by one of the old families in Virginia It is ar almanac of the year 1767, and on most of it's blank pages Washington has in- scribed in very small writing the weather and other items of importance to the farmer. This diary has never been published, and besides being val uable as containing the writing o1
 Washington, it possesses great histori- cal interest from thief act that it gives g. full list of the prominent men of the day holding public office.
 The book is about five inches long and contains sixty-five pages, the dates l fro.,o To, ,,t1a,.v tn he