Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-15
HIS LAST HOURS.

On the morning of Wednesday. De-
cember IL, 1899, the clounds began to
gather which never cleared until after
| Washington was dead That night q
circle round the moon, which some I'M
wise people in those days held to be a
portent of evil, and others, only
weather-wise, held to betoken rain.
was in fact a portent of the storm
which was to drench Washington with
its chilly waters, and so led to his I'M
timely death.
His last days present picture of his
whole ife-devoted to duty The
morning of Thursday, the 18th, began
with business. During the early hours
he wrote letter to Alexander Hamil-
ton which is, in fact, the foundation OF
the West Point Military Academy. The
war with France had shown the need
of trained officers to succeed those OF
the Revolution, who were dying out.
and he spent the first two business
hours of that day in briefing his views
on the subject The sun had not yet
risen high over the Mount Vernon hills
when he mounted his horse for the last
time and started to make his usual
morning survey of his estate. Before
he returned snow had fallen. then Civ
ing way to hail, which in turn hid been
succeeded by a cold rain He cOntin-
ued, however, to ride On, buttoning his
overcoat which was not a macintosh.
closer about his neck, and returned to
the mansion shortly after three o'clock.
1t was now dinner time and, divesting
himself of his OvercOat, he took din
ner with his wet hair, which he wore
rather long, clinging to his neck At
terward he franked some letters. but
ordered that they be kept over until
after the storm so that his servant
might not be obliged to ride to Alexan-
dria in the rain. He passed that even
ing as usual
When he looked out of the window
on Friday morning, the 18th, the trees
and the earth were covered with snow.
which had fallen to considerable
depth during the night He discovered
at breakfast that he had a sore throat:
but, as the weather cleared in the af-
ternoon, he went into the open air for
the last time and marked on the
| ground between the mansion and the
| Potomac some old trees which he de-
sired to be cut down before the spring.
AT supper he was quite hoarse. and
more than once he laughed himself at
his own voice. He sat with Mrs. Wash
1ngton and his private secretary. Mr..
Tobias Lear, in the parlor reading the
newspapers which had been brought
from the postoffice at Alexandria.
Among them was copy of a new pa
per, The Alexandria Advertiser, which
had been issued two weeks before in
that town. He had been a subscriber
to two other papers issued in Alexan-
dria-The Columbian Mirror and Alex
andria Gazette established in 1892.
and The Times and District of Column
bia Advertiser, established in 1897.
| Before Washington retired to bed his
anxious private secretary, noticing
that his hOarseness had increased as
the evening wore on, urged him to
take some preparation for relief. NO
said Washington, ''let it go as it came.
never take anything for a cold" Be-
tween two and three o'clock in the
morning he evidently feared for his
life, and awoke Mrs. Washington. She.
frightened at the hoarse rancor of his
voice, wished to rise and call a servant.
This he would not allow h er to do, be-
ing entirely indisposed TO give any I'M
necessary trouble, and fearing lest the
chill of the night air-fOr they had no
fire in the room-might injure his del
icate health. 1t was the custom of the
servant woman to enter the room at
daybreak and make the fire in the open
fireplace. The morning was dark when
she came in, and Mrs Washington at
once sent her to call the private secre-
tary, Mr.. Lear. When he came the
gray dawn was shining in the windows
of the mansion and the day of Wash
ington's death had begun. The great
chief could hardly speak; but in reply
to an urgent request from Mr.. Lear
that he should send for physician. he
directed that DR.. Craik, who lived al
Alexandria, nine miles away, should be
sent for. Still struggling for breath
. as the day frightened into a darkened
morning Washington saw that some
heroic remedy was necessary before
the physician arrived and said: Send
: for Rawlins and let him bleed me;
= need it." The overseer, with his Ian.
4 Get, was soon beside the bed, and
v stretching out his arm over the bow
G which was prepared, Washington
a gazed at the white countenance of thu
: overseer and saw he was frightened
Don't be afraid; go on said Wash