The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-23
Rev. John NJ. Fulton Dis
cusses Some Of the Per-
sonal Traits of the Father
of His Countryside Had
Many Love Affairs Veter-
ans Listen to Address.

|
Fulton, pastor of the church. Rev.
Fulton took for his subject Washing
! ton, the Man." asserting that while
| much had been written and spoken
| about him as a soldier and statesman
! as a man he was almost unknown. He
| said in part:
Great hearts kindle aspirations in
| other great hearts. Americas greatest
| heritage consists in her really great
men and the principles for which they
! stood. Every nation does we'll to crown
| the memory of her great heroes. George
| Washington was the greatest of Amer
! lean citizens. He was born in an
ordinary farm house, consisting of
! three rooms and an attic, Feb. %, 1892.
Schools were of the most rudimentary
kind in those days, and he attended
| but two in all his life. He never at
| tended college and knew nothing about
the higher languages.
AT the age OF eleven years his faith
er died, and his school days were over.
AT nineteen he was appointed adjutant
| general of Virginia. AT twenty-one he
was sent by Gen. Dinwiddte on a long
and hazardous mission. At twenty-five
| he was appointed colonel of the Vir-
| ginia troops. AT twenty he was
married to the Widow Curtis, at forty
one elected to the Continental con-
| gresS, at fOrty-three made commander
| 1n-ch1ef of the Continental forces, at
| fifty seven chosen president, at sixty
| one reelected president and at sixty
seven died mourned by the nation he
had founded, as well as the one he
| had served.
Advantage of Country Birth.
| Washington had the advantage of
| being country born, a child of nature.
| Like all country children he grew up
where he had plenty of room. He was
not pampered or codd1ed. Not having
| editorials written for him each day
| he learned to form his own judgments
Our great heroes OF the past and pres
| ent have come out of solitude. He was
a mothers boy. When his father died
| his mother was left with five children
| to bring up and little money. She
| knew how to manage well, however.
Washington had a good mother and
| what is equally important, she had a
| good son. A position in the British
navy had been secured for him, and the
| ship was ready to sail when his moth
er induced him to give up sea life.
| HE was man of good physical
parts and was called the tallest and
handsomest man in the domain. He
was six feet three in his shoes; weight
220 pounds; his hands, Lafayette said,
were the largest he ever saw on
man; he wore a thirteen boot and an
eleven walking shoe; his forehead was
high; his Jaw firm; his mouth COM
| pressed and his complexion fair. Not
only did he have perfect physical
figure. but he was 1nanliness personi-
fed.
Had Many Love Affairs.
"It would be a very serious omission
if we failed to mention his love af-
fairs. His heart was like that Of any
other young man, and at fifteen he had
his first affair of the heart He I'M
dertGok to write poetry to his Low
IlT n ~ nd of,aI1a
failure 1T. Her name is not known;
but she Tilted him. k
When twenty four, while on his
way to Boston, he stopped at New
York and met Mary Phillips, a we'll
known beauty. He was much capti-
waited, and remained at New York for
two weeks, when duty called him to
Pittsburg, and short time after a
British major married Miss Phillips.
1T is said be had a dozen or more
love affairs, bait mention will be made
of but one. On his way with import
ant dispatches. he was persuaded to
remain at dinner and there met Mrs.
Martha Custfs, young and charming
widow. He remained after dinner and
talked to the young widow in the Ii
brary. His servant, who knew the
haste with which the dispatches should
be carried, had the horses brought to
the front doorafter dinner, but Wash
remain to supper and after the meal
talked to the young woman in the Ii
brary. He remained at the house all
night and talked with her, and not I'M
til early dawn did it occur to Wash
ingtOn that he had important dispatches
to deliver. Before he left, however, he
had her promise that when the French
and Indians had been conquered she
would become his bride.
Kept Track of His Money.
Washington was a man of inteIli-
gence and judgment He read only
the best books. His library at his
death contained 1853 volumes. He was
| faithful to every trust and opportunity.
He kept accurately his own accounts
and was particular as to his money.
| When the Virginia soldiers were given
| lands for their services in the French
and Indian wars he staked off his own
claims and knew just where the valu-
| able lands were When he married 1t
was for true love, but he made no OBJ
lection to the 100000 which his wife
brought him. Next to Girard, he was
| the richest man of his day
He was just as faithful to the af-
| fairs of his country as he was to his
| own. When he was appointed COM
| mander-in-c chief he refused the salary
| of $500 per month, but kept an ac--
curate account Of his own money he
advanced to the. country, and this
| amount was S74,480. To a friend he
wrote that he would not for $50, 900
| a year do the work he was doing, and
yet for his country he did it for moth
ing.
He was a patriot and statesman.
He was true t8 his king as long as
justice and HgAt would permit him.
Patriotism usually begins in eloquent
words; his began in eloquent deeds.
1t has been said that God made him
| childless, that he might be the father
| of his counting
"He was truly a great and good man,
and the greatest statesman this coun-
| try ever produced. We do not deify
him, we only make a national hero of
| him, and there is a deal of hero-wor-
ship in us all.
In all of his letters, even in the
| times of direst distress, he expresses
| confidence in the providence of God.
He was a member of the Episcopal
| church, a vestryman in the same
| church and lattended worship every
| Sunday when3 the weather permitted.
| He believed IN prayer and the power
| of prayer. Search his history and YOU
will fail to find the demagogue or self
seeker. He was a religious man and
| Christian.
Napoleon had his star of destiny.
but Washington believed in a God Of
| providence"
~