The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-03-26

r1ed IN IT45, the year Of his fathers
death, and from that date George was
visitor and almost constant resident at
Mount Vernon. Sharing each others
views on military matters, Lawrence
had obtained for his brother the position
as adjutant in the militia. and in 1746,
it is said, had secured him a midship-
mans warrant in the royal navy. Ac-
cording to the oft repeated story, the
boys mother was unalterably opposed
to her sons going to sea, and at the last
moment, even while his luggage was on
board the British man-of-war in the
Potomac and he himself ready to en-
bark, he yielded to her opportunities
and remained ashore. 1t is likely that
the adverse decision was the direct re-
suit of letter which Mary Washington
had received from her brother Joseph,
London lawyer, who wrote in part:
understand that you are advised and have
some thoughts CT putting your son George to
sea. think he had better be put apprentice
to tinker, for the common sailor before the
mast has by no means the common liberty of
the subject. +%% He must not be too hasty
to be rich, but go on gently and with patience.
as things will naturally go. This method. with
out aiming at being fine gentleman before
his time, will carry man more comfortably
and surely through the world than going TO
sea, unless it be great chance indeed. /
pray God keep you and yours.
JOSEPH BALL.
These were words fifty spoken, and
doubtless the boy, then in his fifteenth
year, gave due heed to them. 1t was
five years later-and he had already en-
tered upon that service in which he
reaped the reward of honest toil-when
an unexpected though undesired oppor-
tunity presented for sea voyage. Law
rence's health failed, and his physician
ordered him to the West Indies for re-
cuperation, and as he desired George to
accompany him the latter, who had
hardly abandoned the chain and compass
for the sword and uniform, obediently
went
They were five weeks on the voyage,
during which the young surveyor and
major of militia made a practical appli-
cation of his knowledge of navigation,
of which he had studied the theory. He
made astronomical observations daily
under instructions from the master of
the vessel, copied the log and took notes
Of winds and currents. Once landed in
that island of superintendent blacks and
sugar cane, at Bridgetown, the capital
of Barbados, George saw probably his
first theatrical performance-the 'Trag-
edy of George Rromwell and of
which he enters critical notice in his
journal. He was in love with the eli
mate and the natural beauties of the is
land. but of the inhabitants he says:
"How wonderful that such people
should be in debt and not able to in
dulge themselves in all the luxuries as
well as the necessaries of lifel Yet so it
happens. Estates are often alienated for
debt. How persons coming to estates of
two, three or four hundred acres can
want is to me most wonderful. F."
This was the first, last and only time
he was ever outside the limits of tie
American colonies Within those
bounds, later in his military life, he
travelled often and far, but the extent Of
his wanderings was circumscTibed. Like
the old stagecoach driver who had driv-
en- 40 years over the same road four
times a day, he could claim to be
great traveler-in one county.
He was so unfortunate as to be ex-
posed to the smallpox, which he took in
"the natural way" and was i'll three