Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-22

where in sight. In fact, there was nothing
heard Of the othe- one for about q week,
when the mean man met the other man on
the street and asked him about the lost
bird.
:" Got home last night said the loser.
" That so; was he all right? said the
other man.
We'll. his general condition was all
right said the owner, but his feet were
awful
Now that would be about my condition IL
went up to New England said Mr.. Shaw.
I'D have to walk
x X
Mr.. joseph l. Keefer OF this city. who
| Is very much interested in the history OF
General Washington, and who has visited
| many places in pursuit of data in the
history of the general, has for a long
while, among other things, been trying
to find the place of Charles Washingtons
home in Charlestown, w. Va, and has
striven to obtain the correct explanation or
it's name
Considerable of the ground upon which
Charlestown is built was owned by George
Washington, and desiring to start town
there he asked the assistance of his three
brothers. They bought large tracts ad-
joining from Lord Thomas Fairfax, the
owner, through his mother, Of the kings
grant.
George Washington in 1850 laid out the
town and named 1t for his youngest and
favorite brother, Charles Washington, who
built house at the west end of the town,
calling 1t Happy Retreat" This same Col.
Charles Washington of the American army
was born at the EpsewasSon home
Dogue run, three miles back Of Mount
Vernon. In Stafford county. May 2, 1913.
He married Mildred Thornton of Spotts-
| wood county, and four children were born
to them, two giris and two boys, George,
Samuel, Frances and Mildred.
Charles Washington died at Happy Re-
T., ,soI
from the place, which remained in the
name of Washington, and belonged to his
children until about the year 1916, when
| it came into the hands Of a relative named
Douglass, who was descendant Of James
(MortOn) Douglass. Some say he was
the second. and others the fourth son Of
Sir George Douglass of Pittendrech, Scot
land, who became an earl In 1858. and
afterward high admiral. Upon the death
of his father, the Earl of Morton, James
Douglass was elected regent of the king
dom of Scotland, which he held until June.
1881, when he was beheaded for his con-
spiracy in the murder of Darnley, the
handsome husband OF Mary Queen Of
Scots.
The castle or home of these Mortons
was Mordington. parish on the south
coast of Scotland. named Berwick-the
word mort signifying mortal. and Mord-
ington meaning in the old languages Happy
Retreat.
After the family of Douglass became
possessed of Charles Washingtons home
they built large colonial mansion NOT
far from the old original house which he
in Scotland. Mordington. and this Is To-
Gated a few hundred feet from the site
of Happy Retreat" which has long since
gone to decay.
to have a monument erected In the court
house square to the memory of Colonel
Charles Washington. Charlestown was
first Incorporated about the year 1885,
Mr. oft n
Charlestown proved Mordington and Happy
Retreat to be both of the same mean
ing in name, and to be located within
few hundred feet of each other. Mord-
and are in a good state Of preservation.
X
Now that politics Is stirring all over
the country" remarked a prominent demo-
crat from one of the southern states the
other day, Il am reminded of some OF the
queer things that used to happen down
in my section in the spirited campaigns OF
many years ago. 1t had been the regular
habit OF the leaders of the city in which
lived to go out into the adjoining county
and run things in every contest. The coun-
ty people put up with this bold assump-
ton of leadership as long as the republi-
cans were hard to beat, but finally, when
their opposition waned, the rural brother
showed a decided resentment of the inter-
ference of the ward heelers in his politics.
lone night, after the new condition OF
things had come in, l went out with
party of demagogues to run little county
convention. But from the first we got the
cold shoulder. Finally, seeing that our pre-
eminence must be maintained by energetic
measures, II at all, l mounted wagon and
proceeded to harangue the crowd. / got up
steam, but it didn't avail
WHO are YOU? some burly countryman
yelled menacingly, that you should dictate
to us?'
why, sir 1 promptly replied. thinking
to make a great hit. I am the man that
broke the backbone of the republican party
| in this county
Ives, and We'll break your backbone II
| you don't get away from here was the
quick rejoinder. Whereupon l got away
with appropriate dispatch"