The Washington times., 1901-07-14
Bought Of Pricilard K Davidson.
Richmond. January 81. l79s.
Received payment in full.
Prichard 4 +

Prichard & Davidson
The writing is symmetrical and legible.
and the statement very neatly arranged
The date. 17gS. indicates that the goods
were bought in the year before Wash
ington's death, when he and Mrs. Wash
ington had retired to private life, and
evidently they had lived for some time
in or near Richmond. though a journey
of some kind apparently took them out
of reach of this store between June II
and September 8.
In spite Of it's modern business-like
form, it is e quaint old document. isn't
it, with it's pounds, shfllings, and pence,
and its items of quills and waters. And
the titles of the books seem little dif-
ferent from those we see nowadays in
the book reviews
1t is to be feared that Mrs. Washing
tons taste in literature was not entirely
for the classical authors. the Haunted
Four" Victim of Passion" and Les
sons of a Governess' indicating some
very romantic tendencies
There was also a Oil TO Mrs. Washing
ton for several caps and for doing up
lace. This bill is of about the same date
as the one copied above. The other pa
pers are considerably older. one being
dated as far back as IT7l.
This old paper is sort of shipping re-
ceipt OF bin of lading for cargo of cats,
negroes, and wool-three very profitable
commodities at that time.
There is a bill made out 10 General
Washington for fixing his shoes, and an
other for supply of corks. One or two
OF them are marked From the Presi-
Dental Mansion"
There is a letter to Mrs. Crawford
from her sister, Mrs. Hannah Washington.
dated at Templeton Cross Roads. Va, in
1900 It seems 10 have been written to
apologize for not having visited her, and
gives several good reasons, one being an
epidemic OF smallpox among the negro
servants. another that they had not yet
bought the horses thay had intended, and
without them could not make-Lhe journey.
She says that the guests she had been eX-
pecting had not yet arrived. mentioning
their names. There was one. William
Seton, whose name appears in many
books dealing with George Washington
The FarqUhars are also mentioned.
Mrs keenan, has number of other
curious old papers and many old books.
Her family came to western Pennsy,-
vania in I7S6 and had a patent for the
land, which had been made out while the
klnE OF England sun H4u the LlElL 10
grant lands. One of the family still has
the patent, made out in the name oS
George III. II is on sheepskin or p8rch-
ment, and formally grants him the land.
but specifically reserves TO the King Z
share of all gold, silver. lead. copper. etc,
found on the land. This taxing scheme
covered almost everything OF value that
could be found in land: but il did n1t
cover the only valuable thing that w>:s
there-coal, out Of which one of the
grantees descendants, to whom IT came.
made a fortune.
One Of the curiositics owned by Mrs
keenan, is a dress worn by her grand
mother when a young girl 1t is nearly
a hundred years old, having been wOrn
IN 1So5- 1t is Of very pretty. oId-fasnioned
design. and is made of what was once
called canton crepe, now crepe de chine.
1t is still in good condition.
Among the old books in Mrs. Keenan's
big, oid-fashiOned bookcase are a num-
ber of very interesting volumes. one OF
these IS called The British Merchant
an edition Of 1906. 1t IS a treatise giving
all sorts Of international. legal and ner-
camille Information. such as some prin-
ciples Of the law of treaties and the law
Of nations generally, ana carefully COM
pied statistics concerning imports and
exports, some of the figures beiLz N Gu
riOus contrast to those of tOday.-fItts-
burg Leader.