Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-22
WASHINGTON THE BOY.
The Early Life of the Father of His
Country.


tcnlinn. was preceded by ~ equally
Imaginative author one NJ. l.. Wccnls.
whose book, published il 1905, is now
chccedingl, rare. Only u few copies OF
| il arc il "IiSt"licr. worth ntdHy tI'n"S
their weight in gold. for the volume
contains the original Of the CHERRY
uce" story. as well us a number Of "iil-
cr equally ingenious myths.
If the Rev MI Wecms were to b" be-
| lirvcd Washington as a boy must hay"
| been the Veriesi brig Imaginable lea
| Eondy- g,oly youth of the now happily
extinct "Sandford and Merton type.
| The tale of the cherry tire" and the lit
tie hatchct is harmless enough though
| Of the milk-and-Watcr variety, but
there ar" others much worse. Accord
ing I" Mr.. Wrrms George violently
dlsdrprovrH of lighting. Net "nI|
would he Tot fight himself. but he
would not allow his schnulf"ilDW$ t.
engage IN hsticuffs.
"If," says Mr.. Wc"ms. he cuald not
| diShrm lhc:r savage p',$Si"ns by arGu-
ncltS, Ee would instantly 90 to the
| muster and inform him Of their bar
! ;r"uS iIit"ntinns. Tile boys we're often
angry with GcnTg,. for this" Angry,
| WtlI. ono would rather think 80. iui
imlginr now ;aEcry- ii Wonii haN. md"
| Wa~hmStol. Whp N;,:l ccIt:iElE man.
l. youth if ever there VAS enc to learn
,if h" could have known ic ,Eat ~
would lie described in print rs Il tell
| ,..lr dld Il sneak.
! lie was. rs a nHrtttr of fact Il !atho"
| ! ot -trmpcrcd youn2Stcr-th" failing,
Was on" from WHlci: Ii" never entirely
| rccovcrc land. in"Smuch IS he was
! remarkably strong and muscular. it is
| highly probable that he fought ether
| | n%S more Than olcc and Whippr':
| theta. il is Il matter Of record that Ne
could walk further. run inSt"r ana
Jump Il greater distAlcr than anr Of
| lis; companions. When grow II to IArn-
hood lie was tie best jumper i'll HI Wiz
giniH. Also. h" WAS an excellent wrc.;t-
!"r. MS :hn":n@ll. long aims giving
| Am Il decided advantage i'll this ana in
ether sports.
Qualities such ~ ,h...." Inevitably
make Z boy Il lr;Ii"r among lis fellows.
and ii may De- taken for granted that
Young Washington WAS both respected
and popular. He WIS tan for lis .cn.
well built. inclined TO sit.ldert.e.+ of
fair complexion and so1nrWha; noriI
with Sray-blue eyes. lictt brown hair.
and "A square and heavy jaw beto!,cncu
decision Of charactrT--;iltogcth,r as
lire a specimen Of Nirginiun yuulh rs
could be found IL those DAYS. Witbal
lie mist have hern an Ron st l;.d au,.
If
ialrf1N ana his h.ilf-hrother L.. wrpncc
would n"i Fave esteemed h:'u - highly
rs the5 did
GEORGE Was born February II. old
style. but. as 'i,ne * rl,w r-rEnnod III,
dat" Was tho I'd. His hir;hi,l;,,.c v:,.
wakefield. W,*tmu:eland county. ana
NE cnl!d that Was destined Ia brccln
the '''thtl Of tIis Country fist SAW IN.
HSHt IN l. ). III 4 modest Nireini,, farm
iouSe. which Lad four rooms on ~.
ground floor. an attic story. with long
:loplr% ""of ard Il massive brick Chin
icy. 1t was perfectly plain both out
sidc and in. The clly approach to orna-
hient being {: Dutch. tiled chinlnoypir,,
III the best room" covered with r.,J.
pictures of Bible Sconcs.
Georges c,tner was Aurus,in
washington, whose SECOND wife Mary
bali, became t;Ic ninthr,. of six chill
dreh, George u ing The Oldest. Thro,.
y"ars after Georges hirtr tn. house
vas burned TO the ground ana tba
FAMILY moved to a plantation on the
HappH hammock. WHERE onnthrr DWELLING
'HS built much like TIC first one I.
stood OH Il SLIGHT cmlncncr ovcrlnolliu.-
"a Al.
bc seen the village o. Fredericksburg
nearly opposite. IN the Other side Of IN.
river. Here WashnCton's boyhood was
raSSHd and his carlJ education OBJ
tanned.
The first rudiincnts Of hi. cdu,ltinn |
We're acquired at a little school kent by |
ono of his fathers tcnarts-a man |
named Hobby who was also sexton of
the parish. Ii later year, according
to Wcems. Hobby wa, accustomed to |
beast. particularly when HI was drunk. |
that il was he who "ietwCcn his knees |
had laid the f"undltion Of George
NashinGton's greatness II is certain
however. that when Grol g, was in his |
10Th year lis father Gied and hi, |
mother finding herself in somrwha; |
Slrait"ned circumstances Il homo was |
found for him with Lawrence Washing |
ION. bis half-brother by his fathers |
earlier marriage.
During this period George became tn. |
IUDi! Of school teacher named Will |
Ean?s. under whom he remained TO-;
some years. But h" never acquired |
l1uch in the way Of education beyond |
reading. writing and arithmetic, sup |
rl"mcnt"d by = course in surveying. |
His carly writings Shr:r that he did no. |
always use good English. but he was |
remarkably n"a, AMI precise III the |
fccpirg Of accounts 4 trait which stuck |
I" him through l.fc-and possessed no |
rrran skill in drawing Hans.
There are now preserved at the De- |
lartmenf of safe in Washington GER |
tain rules IF civility." III his own |
handwriting. which were long supposed |
10 have been composed by George him |
self. But it is row known that such |
WAS not the rlr;. H. oo,:cd them out |
ri u book when fell into his hands |
chen he was about years Of age.
ono of tbpr1 ,o,fIv bof tn I.can oli,..,