Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-19


| n, are on file in the
| IN yAxt&,gS re ury Depart
| ment. and the Ma
| uonai MUSEUM has one of the largest COL
! iections of Washingtoniana in existence
Alexandra is full of unpublished traditions
OF George Washington. / spent coupIe of
Gays there some time ago. and though I
found no enc living who had ever seen
Washington, 1 got a fairly good idea of
him from the stories concerning him which
have been handed down from father to son
Mount Vernon is only nine miles from Alex
andria. Washington got the most of his
supplies at Alexandria, He came there +,
vote, and until few years ago the little
Office in which he did business there still
| stood 1t was at Alexandria that Wash
inston met General Braddock. and with
him started ont on that disastrous cam
| palgn- His last review of troops was
made from the steps of an Alexandria no.
| tel about year before his DEATH and when
| i last visited the town / was offered a ma
hogany bed which had stood in this hotel
ana on which, 1t was said, Washington had
slept many time
How He Really Looked
From these traditions CT Alexandria. and
from many other sources I have tried 20
make up in my minds eye "a picture OF
was exceedingly tall, and when young
quite slender. He had enormous hands and
feet His boots were No. IL and his Or
binary walking shoes No. H. No one can
iCCk At the silk stockings which hang up
IN Mount Vernon and not realize that il
tock big leg II fill them. He was a man
of muscle. During his service in tn. army
| he weighed 30 pounds and was so strong
that he could lift his tent with one hand,
although it usually required the strength
of two men to place il on the camp Wa gon.
i mean. of course. when it was folded up
and wrapped around the poles. Washing
| ton could hold a musket with one hand
ard fire it. He was a good shot and a
| good swordsr:l.n. The pictures of the
| father of our country make you think thai
| Washington was a brunette. His face is
dark and somber. The truth is he had a
skin like 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 ne had hacking cough. His eyes
| were cold gray, ana 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 tastid-
| ious in dress. He wore plain clothes and
| always kept himself well shaver, acting as
his own barber.
knocked Washington Down.
| Washington was an eminently fair man..
| He had a quick temper. but a rule he
| kept 1t under control. Some times, how
| ever. 1t got the best of him. This was the
| case once in Alexandria. One of the county
| officers told me the story as we stood on
| the second floor of the market house in
Alexandria and looked down at the open
court within it. which is now filled with
| hundreds of booths where the farmers bring
| tier products for sale on market days
| 1t was on that spot" said the officer
| Washington was knocked down by LIEUT.
| Payne. Payne was a candidate for the
! legislature against Fairfax of Alexandria
| Washington supported Fairfax, and when
he met Payne here. he made d remark that
| Payne considered an insult, and Payne
| lightning through the town that Col
| 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 not 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 luel
The next day Payne got note from
Washington asking him to come to the
| hotel. He expected a duel but went
| ashington, however, was In an ami cable
| mood. He felt that he had been in the
wrong. and said, Mr.. Payna, / was wrong
! yesterday. but if you have had sufficient
Sattsfac ton, let us be friends There was
| decanter of wine and two glasses on the
| table which Washington had ordered to
smooth over the quarrel. The two drank
| together and became such strong friends
after that that Payne was one of the pail
bearers at Washington's funeral
Washington as n Drinking Man.
Every one drank in the days of Washing
ton. and the father of his country always
had wines upon his table 1 have nowhere
| seen it stated that he ever drank to excess.
| although he usually consumed five glasses
| OF Madeira wine at dessert During his
youth he was very fair politician. and
among the items OF his election expenses
burgesses of Virginia were a hogShead and
barrel Of whisky, thirty-five gallons of
| wine and forty-three gallons of beer.
George Washington was simple in his
| tastes. and during his youth he was an
enormous eater, but was not particular as
| to what he had. He wanted plain food and
plenty of 1t. During his later years he ate
very little. His breakfast at Mount Vernon
was of corn cakes, honey and tea with pos
sfbly an egg. ard after that he ate no more
until dinner. He kept however, a good
| table, and usually had friends with him.
His table manners were not of the best.
1 have book written by Maclay, which
gives his experiences when he was in the
United States Senate at the time Wash
fugtcn was President. Maclay dined with
Washington a number OF times. and scat
tered through his diary are bits OF gossip
about Washington. At two of the dinners
he describes Washington as amusing him
4
devils tattoo upon the table with his fork
At another time he says: 1.-The President
kept a fork in his hand when the cloth
was taken away. / thought it was for the
purpose Of picking nuts. He ate no nuts,
but played with the fork. striking on the
edge of the table with it."
A George Washfngton Fish Story,
Washington, at this time, had some
trouble in keeping up his establishment.
When the revolutionary war closed he had
plenty Of land. but little money He lad
exhausted his private fortune during the
war, and he had to borrow enough to take
him to New York to be inaugurated as
President. The result was he was quite
careful of his expenses, and would not
tolerate extravaganza. An instance of this
kind occurred enc day when he found the
first shad Of the season on his table The
President was very fond of fish, and when
the shad was brought into the dining room
his nostrils diated as the savory cdor
struck them, and he asked:
What fish Is that?"
"A shad." replied the steward, excitetIiy:
"a very fine shad. / knew your exce!Iency
was extravagantly fond of this fish. and
was SO fortunate as to procure this one In
f41o mn 1af h.