Arizona republican., 1901-02-23
TRUTH BETTER THAN FICTION
As Is Shown in the Career of George
 Washington.

"When George Washington was five
 years old" etc. It was. therefore. l6i l years ago yesterday when Mir. August / inc Washington making the round of
 his garden came up-n mutilatel and 1 bleeding cherry tree under whose shade | the old gentleman lad hoped to lol in future years and whose fruit he hoped
 would be the delight of future presi- | dents and cOngreSSmcn. No doubt the i old man saw in his mi .ig.'s eye the acid
 uoUs Pettgrew and the brief Towne standing under that tree munchng cherries, throwing away the pits and remarking that the labor of holding | the country back from imperialism was not without other compensation than , the daily pay ard mileage.
 When the youth George was led by the ear to the fcene of his vandalism and confrOnrtl with the evidence. he did not lose his noai as most -r;her
 boys of his age would have done, and tell an insane lie; h. took up the only
 reasonable weapon at hand. the truth. | which though it might not avert pun ishmcnt. would almost certainly miu- gate it. Thus are We taught that there may dIlsP CUthIISldlltt S III NIlltH lIt
 truth is better than He. Truth is n always, as many people suppose. sent- mental and ornamental. but actually
 servicedble While on the other hand,
 a lie may be far from profitable. A palpable lie Is almost always worse than none at all. So at an early age Georeo Washington. destined tO become
 a person If some prominence, was pgc-
 cociously discriminating. Here was
 the Ina rlked cherry tree. here also In hls
 hand was the new hatchet with the
 barX stains sill fresh on it, and thcrc was Augustine Washington, imprcG
 mated with feeling, inquisitive and evidently expecting to detect his son in a fals hood. He did not know how up to snuff lis g m was. If George in that crucial moment had said. Father, don't know who done it." or Father, I never cone it." or Father, jist seen Jim unc nigger youth ha kin it, he would hava lacked the foundation for that sagacity which he exercised as the commanler-ln-ch of the American armies and as the first pres ident f the United States. \ boy who would have lied at that inausplcious moment would never have grown into a man whc would have been strategic enough to fool the British by crossing ana recrossing the Delaware. A man evolved from such an. unreasonable five-year- liar could never have thought of things with which to jolly the soldiers at Valley F-rge along all winter.
 George cast one look at the tree, an other at the hatchet and d third al his impatient parent. Then in reply to the inquistOrial. Who did thls?" George replied. That's easy. T'row mo anothern over the rlate in the same place. l done it with my hatchct."
 The old man clasped George in his arms. He knew his sem was not an idiot. I'm glad you told me so," he exclaimed, "l was afraid you wouldn't. I thought maybe you'd deny It or try to hedge. Now I see you'll amount to something, You may get to be presi- dent of the E. X O. or the Western Union. The presidency of the United States Is within your reach. I would rathe" loose the whole orchard than for y0u t1 mss any Cf these snaps. God bless you, my son.
 This episode Is recalled by the fol- lowing telegram received at this office last night:
 Topeka, Kan. Feb. 22.-Thls morn- ing about 10 o'clock a saloon on Shaw nee avenue was raidcd and demolished. A crowd quickly gathered and great excitement prevailed An elderly and excited woman with spectaCles and gleaminG hatchet was found in the vi- cinity by the chief of police. She gave the name of Carrie Nation. Filled with suspicion. the c;ief conducted her to the wrecked sa'oOn, where he gazcI with horror upon the hacked bar the smashed show cases and the wreck of mirror and glassware. The late pro- prie;Or, with a half dczen scalp wounds wns standing !n dejection and a pool of mingled beer and whisky. He cast a look of recognition upon the spcctaclcd woman. to wh m the chief turned and asked sternly: Who did ! this?' Oh. sir she replied, I cannot ! tell q lie. I did it with my little hatchet. Mrs Nation has made many friends in Topeka by this frank ad- mission and the cause Of violent tenn peranCe Is furthered."