Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-01


skirtlng the lawn at GunstOn Hall. Inc
little village had been named Logtown.
because built OF thick hewn logs. Each
tenant had his psg-pen. poultry-house.
and garden, and lived In a degree of COM
fort which a European laborer of that
age might have justly envied.
The estates of the first citizens alons
the Potomac were small principalities In
area. The plantation Of George Mason
spread over thousands of acres, and was
divided into four tracts, each subject 10
the management of separate overseer.
and possessing its own band Of laborers
a different set of barns and stables foi
the crops and teams, and of CABINS ioi
the slaves. Mount Vernon was divided
into five tracts, subject to the same gen.
eral rules OF cultivation and adminlslra'
ton which prevailed on Masons estates
II covered a surface of about 400 acres
With his usual exactness, Washington
had drawn a map Of his plantations
with each field carefully numbered
/ Thoroughly informed by practical oo-
servation of the nature OF its soil. he d.
rected each year. even when in camp, the
manner IN which the field should be till
ed and what crop it should bear A week
~ report was required of his general
bailin. After his last term as President
had come to an end Washington formu-
lated a complete system OF rules for the
cultivation and management of the
Mount Vernon estates.
The principal crops OF George Mason
at Gunston Hall were maize ana tobacco
Washington devoted his attentions
To a greater variety OF products
not only to tobacco and maize, but also
TO wheat, rye. potatoes, carrots. peas
pumpkins. fax. clover, and timothy IN
the minute directions which he gave tof
the operations in his River Farm I'D
1889, we obtain a general idea OF inc
kinds Of work expected OF his agricultural
slaves I'm the spring that year. 'To finish
the old and prepare for the new crop,
TO put up fences, to heap Up the manure
early that it may get well and soon rot
ted: to carry il out and lay il in the FUR
rows intended FOR carrots and potatoes,
and on the ground intended for lettuceS'
making hills for the tobacco; grubbing
and filling gulles in the field with d'd
rails. stumps, trees, etc; leveiing banks;
all this. with the cultivation OF the crops
that will be planted and sown, and gain
ering them in. will compose the greater
part. II not all. Of their labor.
1t was the habit OF Washington and his
Re planters TO carry on their agrlcul-
tural operations in a manner 10 create
within their own estates all the resources
VT lch il would be necessary 10 draw on
from time to time. They We're careful TO
train from boyhood slaves to act as COOP
ers. sawyers. blacksmiths, tanners
curriers', shoemakers, spinners, weaV-
ers. knitters, and disullers. Their
forests supplied lumber and char
coal. their cattle skins, their sheep
wool. their fields cotton and max
their orchards fruit. The cooper and saw
yer made the hogsheads for the tobacco
and the casks for the cider, built ahc
kent In repair the cabins, barns, staoies
fences. and gates; the blacksmith menu
ed the pows, harrows, chains ana poles
which in general were imported lioi
England; the spinners and weaNers manu-
! featured the coarse clothes or the sidse'
and the finer goods worn by the children
Of their masters family; the us
/ each autumn made many gallons OF ap
nile and peach brandy. On some OF inc
plantations there were employed whl''
| male weaver to superintend the slave
weavers. and white female spinner u
| overlook the slave splnners.
Irving. I'm his charming Life OF WASH
ington" thus describes the relations vi
| that great man with his slave worKihs-
men. "He treated them with KINDNESS
| attended 10 their comforts; was partlcu-
larlv careful of them in sickness Du'
never tolerated idleness, ana eXactsa
faithful performance Of all thelr ahoteu
| tasks. He had a quick eye at calculatlns
each mans capabilities. An entry IN ms
| diary gives a curious instance OF 'his'
| -Four Of his negroes, employed as car
nenters. were hewing and shaping tim
| Der. II appeared to him. in noticing the
| amount of work accomplished between
| two succeeding mornings, that they loi-
| tered al their labor. Sitting down quiet
! Nv he timed their operations. how Ions
| il took them to get their cross-cut saw
| and other implements ready how Ions
to clear away the branches from the
| trunk OF a fallen tree, how long 10 ne"
and saw il, what time was expended II
considering and consulting. and, after ALL
how much work was effected during 'ne
| time he looked on. From this he made
his computation. how much they could
execute in the course or a Day WoIhihs
| entirely at their ease.
AT another time we find him working
! for a part of two days with Peter, his
/ smith 10 make a plow on new Invention
of his own. This. after two or three fail
ures. he accomplished. Then, with less
| than his usual judgment, he put his two
chariot horses 10 the plow and ran a
great risk OF spelling them In giving Bis
new invention trial over ground thickly
awarded"
Under the terms Of his will, Washing
| ton manumitted all the slaves whom no
| held in his own right. Freedom would
| have been granted 10 them in his lifetimd
but for their intermlxture by marriage
with the negroes belonging to his WHO
/ He provided amply for all those VINO
were 10 be liberated al his death, who
might be disabled by injuries, iniifmiueA'
or old age, and he forbade the transpor
tation out OF Virginia of such as should
be in his possession at that time.
In a letter to John f. Mercer. dated
| 17S6. washington declared his Intention
never again Of his own will 10 buy
negro. II never mean, unless partlcu
| lar circumstances shall compel me 10 u
| to possess another slave by purchase, u
| being among my first wishes TO see SONS
pIan adopted by which slavery in tn.
/ country may be abolished by law" Anf
he wrote to Lawrence Lewis, IN August
1851 as follows: Il Wish from my sou
| that the Legislature Of this state Nr
ginia) would see the wisdom OF gradua
abolition OF slavery; 1t might prevent
much future mischief"
IL the warning of the great washington
had only been needed, what sea Oh pr"
| clous blood and treasure would baVe beer
saved!