New-York tribune., 1906-08-11
reorcs Washington as Householder
and Farmer.

--os A
1lla llaSd domestic affairs. With diary of Washing
EMS last days; kept by Mr Lear Illustrated
SS SSS % 49, Doubleday Page & Co.
v..,,s Philippe. King OF France. used 70 tell
.-rs-acterisfic story OF Washington. OF whom
: .o~aeionally saw something while an exile in
" - country. one morning he met the great
sroSsed in the most irreproachable style of
=. English gentleman OF the period, with
80 stockings walking about in the rain
- breakfast. "You walk early, General"
80. "Yes." replied Washington, "I walk
- ,eeause I sleep well; and sleep well be-
- never write anything which can get me
-. tbe slightest trouble Remember that
-.rnq mani" The letters in this volume Justify
- o,eodote Perfectly frank as most OF them
- there is nothing in them which his Excel
'-.v the President OF the United States, might
ssste 10 see in print. They reveal a man thor
--rhlv practical and sincere. saying no more
-, he means, and. above all, as scrupulous for
-. as for himself. They are never emo
s,rnal. yet they are often kind. and sometimes.
!, dIgnihed fashion, sympathetic.
The first OF the many epistles TO his private
s,--stsry. Tobias Lear, Is dated September 5,
17aa the period when the first President was
.bout 10 establish himself in his official resi-
s,ace at Philadelphia Lear was attending TO
IA removal Of the household belongings from
vsg York and his employer sends him, In this
ons IN subseq aent letters careful directions re-
snecting servants. packing and transport Ref
srenoes 20 the washerwOmen Of the family and
N she not wholly satisfactory dinners provided
n New York by the Presidential steward and
hCusekeeper indicate the sharp eye which Wash
inston kept on his household. He gives Lear to
undsrstand that two OF the domestics Mrs
Lewis and her daughter" are not to be con-
rsyed 10 Philadelphia. because the principal
ertsrtaining rooms of the new ha bitation are at
he back looking upon the kitchen, and their
'dhy figures" VIII mot be a pleasant sight
Hs Is suspicious about the expeditions disap-
yssrance Of his Pipe Of Pintard wine and he
dssTes thai the new steward should realize that
such Injuries are not for the serving mans
tabe He is puzzled by a matter which has oc-
cupied the minds Of generations OF household
gs: 1T is inconceivable to me how other fami-
les on p hd. or 5000 dollars should be enabled
70 entertain more company at least more fire.
ruenty than I could do for twenty-five thou
sani dollars annually" A judicious, not a mig
saEdly economy moves him; he wants his house
10 be emnently handsome and respectable, but
he outlay must not be unreasonab BILE. He di-
reefs Lear TO consult a silversmith as TO the
making Of decanter holders for his table-and
might they not be made like frame open at
bottom, which would save silver? Lear is 10
consider the getting OF a new curtain for the
staircase. but whatever he does, there must
be an exact match in color. For the sake OF
gEpearances." adds the President. "one would
not il instances Of this sort regard a small ad-
duonal expense There is little to show that
NB Washington has anything 10 do with the
minute domestic instructions and queries with
which the busy Tobias is bombarded first from
Philadelphia and afterward from Mount Yer
Ton while the new habitation" is still in prep
ssion; but she may have been behind the
lI0ne with armory Of suggestions.
The question of rent for the Philadelphia
house (Which belongs TO Robert Norris troubles
Tashingtons mind He is afraid that the sum
Of rent and repairs may mount up unduly, and
hments that it is difficult TO extract anything
definite either from Morris or from the commit
ise who selected this official residence. And
here the Yirginians pride comes to the front:
70 occupy the premises at the expence Of any
Trblic body fciH not" The question OF a
mangle likewise stirs that pride, reinforced by
his eKoeIency's scrupUlosity: Mrs. Morris has
a mangle Il think they are called for Ironing
o. Clothes which. as IL is fixed in the place
where il IS commonly used. she proposed to
lsave and take mine To this I have no OBJ
!ecion, provided mine is equally good and con-
venient; but if I should obtain any advantage
besides that Of its being up and ready for use,
an not inclined TO receive it." o wonderful
tenant.
As landowner and farmer Washington had
troubles enough. especially while the duties of
once Kept him at a distance from Mount Yer
non Debtors delayed payment: overseers were
drunken. or lazy. or too much given to Com
Ieny,' horse racing. and idIing in adjacent
""hs' While occupied with affairs of state
Il Philadelphia the President still attempts TO
Keep rein over those at work upon his land
Abuses have crept into every part Of his farm
BUSINESS he declares at the beginning Of his
second term and he complains bitterly OF "the
-Auherable conduct" Of his various overseers
-F mas no Illusions as to the agricultural ca
--'iles o. me American farmers of his period
1Heif knowledge" he says, "-practice at least
cenlres IN the destruction Of the land and
~ Htle beyond IL" When he returned 10
p'Ea'e life and rural occupations he found
plentiful crop Of vexations from the Hessjan
n MS wheat TO unsatisfactory workmen.
:" 'Dls country, he writes TO DR. Gordon. .'where
.e@les as well as money must be used to
IAN 'heir work. and keep them TO their duty.
OalAe al calculation in the accomplish
U any plan, or repairs they are engaged
- 3Iu require more attention to and looking
-, H.ah can vel be conceived In various
n. he refers half wrathfully to that part of
1''Aestlcities which had TO do with his
.1.@ he writes to Lear in 1874 concerning
Vie proposed sales Of his lands:
u1ss ge - scrupe 10 disclose 10 you that my mo-
Ense ~ - Saies ere 10 reduce my income be IL
O lnr lrSs' - speciaities: that the remainder
tFss fro--- -a3s may thereby be tranquil and
ig preese1ii ies.Land that may be enabled O1now-
Elcl o,,ot what my dependence Isl to do as
sih0 r. WIN u as the resource will admit-for
F6od - ne estimation Of the world / possess
nat ar ~ .leaF estate. yet unproductive IS 1t.
eabno. t4ll242eS ashamed 70 refuse aids " hch
saFV1-' aIIord. unless I was to sell part of n 10
n0tsye ~ ~ purpose Besides these, have another
iknRs !, ,s'.ch makes me earnestly wish for these
Fsfens,rL.iis IS indeed powerful than eli tho
es1y VhioL4 70 hberatn certain species of prop
feelings. =. !. possess very repuguantiy to my own