The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-20
THE REAL WASHINGTON
GOSSIP FROM ALEXANDRIA, NIT. WEIR
NON AND PUBLIC ARCHIVES.
How the Great Man Looked and How
He Conducted Himself an the Or
binary Affairs of Everyday Life.

Copyrighted, 1885, by Frank G.. carpenter)
| WASHINGTON, Feb. Isl have been for
some time gathering bits of queer gossip
and tradition about George Washington. Al
large number of his papers are on file in
the State Department. Papers showing
that he was behind in his accounts with
the government en- file in the Treasury
Department, and the National Museum has
one of the largest collections of Washing
tcnia in existence. Alexandria is full Of un-
published traditions of George Washington.
l spent a couple of days there some time
ago, and, though found no one living who
had ever seen Washington. I got fairly
good idea of him from the stories concern
| ing him which have been handed down.from
| father to son. Mount Vernon is only nine
miles from Alexandria Washington got
the most of his supplies at Alexandria. He
came there 10 vote, and until a few years
ago the little Office in which ne did business
| there still stood. 1t was at Alexandria that
| Washington met General Braddock, and
with him started out on that disastrous
! campaign. His last review of troops was
made from the steps of an Alexandria hotel
about year before his death, and when I
last visited the town l was offered MAJ
hcgany bed which had stood in this hotel
|
slept many a time.
From the traditions of Alexandria, and
from many other sources, L have tried to
make up in my minds eye picture OF
George Washington as he really was. He
was exceedingly TALL and, when young,
| quite slender. He had enormous hands and
feet. His boots were No. Is and his ordi-
nary walking shoes No. IL. No one can
look at the silk stockings which hang up in
Mount Vernon and not realize that it took
! a big leg to fill them. He was a man of
muscle. During his service in the army he
weighed 200 pounds, and was so strong that
he could lift his tent with one hand, al
though it usually required the strength of
two men to place it on the camp wagon. I
mean, of course when it was folded up and
wrapped around the poles Washington
could hold musket with one hand and fire
| it, He a good shot and good swords
man. The pictures of the father of our
country make you think that Washington
was brunette His face is dark and SOM
| ber The truth is he had skin Ike an
Irish baby, and his hair was almost red. He
had broad chest, but not a full one.
His voice was not strong, and during his
last days he had a hacking cough. His eyes
were cold gray, and it is said that he sell
| dom smiled, although there is reason to be-
lieve that he had considerable humor about
| him. His nose was prominent. He was
particular as to his appearance and fastid-
ious in dress. He wore plain clothes and
always kept himself well shaver, acting as
his own barber.
HE WORE FALSE TEETH.
During the latter part of his life he wore
false teeth. made by dentist named Green
wood His teeth did not fit well and pushed
out his lower lip. He had a lot of trouble
with his teeth and L have before me q
copy of a letter which his dentist wrote TO
him year before he died. The dentist tells
Washington that the old set Of teeth which
he sent him from Philadelphia was very
black, and that it must have been discolored
by his soaking them in port wine or by his
drinking too much port wine. He warns
| Washington that all wines containing acid
| are bad for the teeth, and advises him to
take out his teeth after dinner and put them
| in clean water, and Should any holes be
eaten in them by the acid, to fill them with
wax and seal them tight with a piece OF
red-hot iron, such as nail. He closes his
| letter as follows:
'If your teeth grows black, take some
| chalk and pine cedar stick; 1t will rub
| off. If you want your teeth more yellow
soak them in broth or pot liquor, but not
!
must be very often changed and cleaned,
for whatever attacks them must be repelled
as often, or it will gain ground and destroy
the works The two sets repaired Is done
| on a different plan than when entirely new,
| for the teeth are screwed on the barrs in
| stead of having the bars cast red hot on
| them. which is the reason L believe they
dissolve so soon near to the barrs."
Signed, your very humble servant, John
| Greenwood. Dated New York, Dec. Is, 1898.
washington was an eminently fair man.
| He had a quick temper but as a rule be
kept it under control Sometimes, how
| ever. it got the best of him. This was the
| case once in Alexandria. One or the county
| officers told me the story as we stood on
| the second floor of the markethouse in
| Alexandria and looked down at the open
| court within it, which is now filed with
hundreds of booths where the farmers bring
/ their products for sale on market days IL
was on that spot" said the officer, Wash
ington was knocked down by Lieutenant
| Pavne Payne was a candidate for the
Legislature against Fairfax, of Alexandria
washington supported Fairfax, and when
he met Payne here, he made remark that
pavra considered an insult, and Payne
knocked him down. The story went like
lightning through the town that Colonel
washington was killed, and some of his
troops who were stationed at Alexandria
rushed in and would have made short work
| Of Payne had Washington rot prevented
them. He pointed to his black eye and told
them that this was a personal matter and
| that he knew how to handle it. Every one
| thought that this meant a duel The next
| dav Payne got a note from Washington
! asking him to come to the hotel! He ex-
pected a duel, but went. Washington, how
| ever. was in an amicable mood He felt
that he had been in the wrong, and said.
Mr. Payne, I was wrong yesterday, but II
YOU have had sufficient satisfaction, let US
| be friends" There was decanter of wine
and two glasses on the table which Wash
| ington had ordered to smooth over the
| quarrel. The two drank together and be-
| came such strong friends after that that
PAYNE was one of the pallbearers at Wash
| ingtons funeral.
| WASHINGTON AS A DRINKING MAN. z
| Every one drank in the days of Washing
| ton, and the father of his country always
| had wines upon his table. have nowhere