The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-04-27

~
old Court House, at Fairfax, Va,
gives a detailed statement Of every
article he possessed down to the calves
and sheep. His personal estate was
then pn. dcwn 9. 9 G11922 and this
included a vast amount Of tobacco,
large numbers Of cattle. sheep and
horses, nearly all cf which he willed
to his wife. This will is now kept in
a wooden box, the top of which is
covered with glass. 1t was torn in two
some time ago by some careless sight
seer, and since then no one has been
allowed to handle it. The account
books which are kept here in the State
Department show that Washington
was very careful about keeping a
record Of his expenditures. He put
down everything, and among other
items you see the amounts which he
lost at cards. In April, l772, he lost
800 in this way at the house of Rev.
Bouschcr, and q little further on there
is an item stating, "Paid for toddy for
self, Walker and others, at a little
jamborce near the Drummond Lake,
five pounds" During the time he
was candidate for the House Of Bur
gcsses Of Virginia, when he bought
the whiskey above spoken Of, his
losses at cards and at the horse races
are frequent. The curious thing
about his accounts is that there was
almost always a deficiency at the end
Of the year which he could not account
for. This made no difference, how
ever, with his starting the new year
with a fresh account, for one item at
this time is as follows: by cash,
either lost, stolen or neglected to
charge, IA pounds, 8 shillings and IL
pence" In other words, he was short
that year over 5000.
Through his letters, now owned by
the Government. you see here and
there which shows that he was very
hard up at times. In 1855 he wrote
that he could get no wheat on credit,
md that lie had 10 cash to pay for it,.
Three years later he urges a man to
pay the 81 900 which he owes him,
and says he has put of the Sheriff
three times already, and that he needs
this money to pay his taxes. He was
not afraid to dun his debtors, and he
is said to have been one of the shrewd-
est dealers among the planters Of his
time. He was always preaching
economy to his servants, but on the
whole was somewhat l%enient, as, for
instance, he employed one man, Il car
pcnter: making a contract with him
for q year and providing therein that
he was to have four days in which he
might get drunk about Christmas.
Washington wes economical, but not
stingy. lie could not endure waste Of
any kind, and he vent about over his
estates doing his best to stop the
leaks. In ere Of his letters home he
urges that greatest economy be used
in feeding the hay at the mansion
house. He writes:
II enjoin upon you to particularly
guard against Mrs. l.. W~ashington's
Charles and her boy in the stables, both
OF whom are impudent and seif-willed
and care not how ex~travagantly they
feed or even waste, for I have caught
the boy several times littering his
horses with hay. I sec no sort of ne
cessity for feeding the horses either
grain or hay when they are not used
or any horse that is at Liberty and able
to provide for itself. l can plainly
perceive that in n little time there
will be nothing either for my negroes
or horses to eat without buying it,
which will neither comport with my
interest or inclination. by Stuart's
report l find he still continues to feed
horses with corn, instead Of cut oats,
MS | directed. What two saddle
horses are those which stand in the
mansion house report? l know of
none but the one Mr.. Whiting used
to ride" The planter who demanded
reports like hat must have been a
good business man.
Speaking of Washington as a farm
er, from az almanac Of 1890 the
following:
General Washington possesses TO-
OO0 acres of land where he lives. lie
employs $50 hands and keeps twenty
four ploughs going all the year when
the weather will permit. In 1857 he
sowed GOO bushels Of oats, 700 acres
Of wheat and u large quantity of corn,
barley and potatoes. He has 100 acres
in turnips, 500 acres in grass and
$500 - 49,