Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-21
A GOOD "AD." WRITER
GEORGE WASHINGTON AS A'REAL
ESTATE DEALER.
fhe Father of His Country Knew How
to Attractively Present the Land
He Had to Sell.

The Baltimore American in celebrating
the one hundred and thirtieth anniversary
of the birth of the Maryland Journal and
Baltimore Advertiser, which was the pre-
cursor of the American, publishes fac
smile of the first issue. 1t bore date Fri
day August 20, 1773. The Journal and Ad-
vertiser a small folio of three wide
columns to the page, and excellently print
ed
This paper was the first to be published
in Baltimore. and 1t contains much of In
terest to modern Washington readers. OF
course. there was then no city of Washing
ton. and even the name Washington had
not set reached the great fame to which it
afterward attained. Yet one Of the most
noteworthy things about this old-time
newspaper is that it's largest advertiser was
George Washington.
George Washington as an Advertiser.
The immortal soldier, soon to become the
father of his country. was then in his
forty first year. and was In the real estate
business on very extensive scale. His ad-
;vertisement was dated Mount Vernon. in
Virginia. July 10, 1T73,'' and announced
that the subscriber, having obtained pat
ents for upwards of twenty thousand acres
of hand on the Ohio and Great kanhawa
tten thousand of which are situated on the
the mouths of the two Kanhawas and the
remainder on the Great Kanhawa, or New
river. from the mouth. or near 1t, upwards,
in one continued survey proposes to divide
the same into any sized tenementS that
may be desired and lease them upon mod
crate terms. allowing a reasonable number
of years rent free. provided. within the
space of two years from next October three
acres for every fifty contained in each lot,
and proportionably for lesser quantity,
shall be cleared, fenced and TILED: and
that. by or before the time limited for the
commencement of the first rent five acres
for every hundred. and proportionably
above. shall be incloSed and laid down IN
good grass for meadow; and moreover. that
at least fifty good fruit trees for every like
quantity of land shall be planted on the
premises.
Would-be purchasers were told to apply
to Mr.. George Washington. near Alexan
dria.'' or in his absence to Mr.. Lund Wash
ington. The latter was Gen Washington's
favorite cousin and the great-grandfather
of the late Col. l.. @. Washington of this
city.
An Excellent Ad. Writer
General-then Washington was
an excellent lad" writer and his style
might be studied to advantage by some real
estate sellers of today. He suggestively in
timated that ANY person inclined to settle
these lands would do well in communicate
ing their intentions before he first of Oc-
tOber next IN ORDER that & SuTflclents num-
Der of lots may be laid off to answer the
demand" Then followed an ornate de-
scription of the good thing he had to offer,
which 1t would trouble any of the modernS
to beat by way of Inducements. He said:
AS these lands are among the first which
have been surveyed in the part of the
country they lie in, it is almost needless
to premise that none can exceed them in
luxuriance of soil, convenience of stu
alton. all of them lying upon the banks
either of the Ohio or Kanhawa. and abound
ing with fine fish and wild fowl of various
kinds also in most excellent meadows.
many of which (by the bountiful hand of
natUre) are In their present state. almost
fit for the scythe. From every part of
these lands water carriage is now had to
Fort Pitt, by easy communicat ton; and
from Fort Pitt up the Monongahela to
Redstone, vessels of convenient burden,
may and do pass continually; from whence.
by means of the Cheat river and other
navigable branches of the Mononga hela 1t
is thought the portage to Potomac may.
and will be reduced within the compass of
a few miles to the great ease and convent
ence of the settlers in transporting the pro-
duce of their lands to market. To which
may be added, that as patents have now
actually passed the seals for the several
tracts here offered to be leased. settlers
on them may cultivate and enjoy the lands
in peace and safety, Notwithstanding the
unsettled counsels respecting a colony
on the Ohio: and right money is to
he paid for these lands. and Quitrent of
two shillings sterling a hundred demand
able some years hence only, it is highly
presumable that they will always be held
upon a more desirable footing than where
both these are laid on with a very heavy
hand. And it may not be amss further to
observe. that If the scheme for establishing
new government on tie Ohio. in the man
talked of. should ever be affected, these
must be among the most valuable lands in
1t. not only on account of the goodness of
Soil. and the other advantages above enume-
rated but from their contiguity to the seat
ff fba,, r.
will be fixed at the mouth of the Great
kanhawa."