The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-08-31
WRITTEN BY washington
\ COPY OF HIS FIRST BOOK Is
RECENTLY SOLD.
Gives an Account of His Inspection of
the Forts Along the Ohio Rivera
Great Find.

One thousand dollars has just been
paid in New York City for small six
teen page pamphlet, minus the cover
and otherwise rather delapidated.
At first sight so much money may
seem out of proportion to the object
purchased. But the man who handed
over his check for the amount is both
book collector and patriot, whereas
the tiny volume bought by him hap
pens to be the work of George Wash
ington, and save for two other copies,
the last known survivor of its edi-
ton.
The $1,000 pamphlet was printed at
Williamsburg, the old capital of Nir-
ginia, in 1886, according to the date
upon the title page. The government
printers of the old dominion were the
publishers, and George Washington.
Esquire, Colonel of Militia" is set
down as the author. 1t would be,
save for its associations, very unin-
teresting work. consisting solely of a
soldierly and altogether matter of fact
account of Washington's expedition,
under the orders of Governor Dinwid-
die. to inspect the frontier forts along
the Ohio river.
On his return from the expedition
to the forts Washington laid his re-
-, ii nd
was permitted by that functionary to
have it printed at the governments
expense Accordingly Colonel Wash
ington set to work and put his report
into shape, the result of this, his first
literary labor, being the pamphlet de-
scribed.
For generations the pamphlet had
lain, obscure and unvalued, in an un-
important private library. Tt was
generally supposed that only two cop
les of Washington's first essay in au-
thorship existed, and within the past
fifteen years both of these copies had
come up for sale-one of them in the
Brinley auction of 1882, fetching $3.50,
and the other being bought for big
price by the LenoX library trustees.
The discovery of pamphlet No. 3
was made by accident-a visitor, to the
house in which it lay having found it
while grubbing about some dusty pa
pers in the library. This gentleman,
knowing something of the value of
such a prize, persuaded the unbeliev-
ing owner to send it to New York for
valuation. 1t happened that the veal
thy collector who made the purchase,
wanted that particular time worn
print to complete his set of Washing
toniana, and quite willingly paid 81 900
for it. Little did George Washington
colonel of the militia, think as he cor
rected the proof sheets of his ere
port" away back in 1754-5, that a copy
of that unpretentious work would one
day be worth thousands of dollars.
When Washington set forth at the
head of detachment of militia to ex-
anime into the condition of the very
sparsely scattered Ohio river forts the
journey was not one suitable to a
mere carpet knight. Indians and
French were united against the Brit
ish-for it must be remembered that
George Washington was to all intents
and purposes a "Britisher" in the
years 1885.
In the course of his journey from
point to point the young colonel met
with adventures not a few, but all
through his report" he is extremely
careful to eliminate anything thai
might be described as stirring or UNI
conventional, although current histo-
ry tells us that the expedition en-
countered many events of this nature.
On the contrary the "report" simply
recounts the condition of the block
houses and stocl<ades visited. the
health and standing of their garrison,
and the exact quantities of ammuni-
ton, food, etc, in their stores. Alto
gether, ii would be difficult to extract
material for a historical romance
from this meager work by the father
OF his country. But your true book
collector never looks beyond the title
page. To the man that owns it,
Washington's "Report of a Visit to
the Ohio Forts, is well worth 81 900.
FEED THE NERVES
Upon pure, rich blood and you need
not fear nervous prostration. Nerves
are weak when they are improperly