The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-02-19

m Is so common to celebrate the
birthdays of great men, and so
rare to hold ceremonies in COM
memoration of their deaths, that
the memorial exercises which took
place under Masonic auspices in vari-
.ous parts of the country on Deem
Der IA, 1899, the centenary of the
death of George Washington, attract
ed wide attention. Curiously enough,
the original suggestion of the observ-
ance came from the Grand Lodge of
Frcemasons for the State of Colo
RADIO, a part of this continent whose
existence was known to Washington
only vaguely as piece of the great
unexplored Spanish Southwest. 1t Is
quite as odd that, after leading Free
masons in the United States had
taken the plan in hand and invited
the craft in other lands to cooperate,
the first acceptance should have
come, with every manifestation of
enthusiasm, from New Zealand,
which in Washington's day was
savage dominion lately discovered
and seized by Captain Cook in the
name of King George of England.
Nothing could mark the worlds
progress in the intervening century
more clearly than these circum-
stances.
Many accounts of Washington's
death, differing in detail, have been
published by the standard histor-
ians, and many theories have been
advanced as to the cause of it. That
he caught a severe cold, and that
this ran into the disease of the
throat which was then known as
quinsy, are among the settled facts;
but whether his life might not have
been prolonged but for the copious
bleeding to which he was subjected
is still open to debate. The only
official record we have, perhaps, is
that kept by his secretary, Tobias
Lear. In letter to John Adams,
he refers to the fatal ending to the
disease and not to the treatment.
This letter runs as follows:
Mount Vernon, December Is, 1899.
1t is with inexpressible grief that l have
to announce to you the death of the great
and good General Washington. He died
last evening between 10 and IL o'clock.
after short illness of about twenty-four
hours. His disorder was an infammatory
sore throat, which proceeded from a cold,
of which he made but little complaint on
Friday. On Saturday morning about 8
O'Clock he, became i'll. DR.. Dick attended
him in the morning, and DR.. Craik, of Al
exandria, and DIR. Brown, of Port Tobacco,
was soon after called in. Every medical
assistance was offered, without the desired
effect. His last scene correspondent with
the whole tenor of his life. Not a groan
or complaint escaped him in extreme dis
tress. With perfect resignation and in
full possession of his senses he closed his
well-spent life.
Another contemporary letter tells
us that Washington informed DR..
Dick ''that he had no fear of death,
that his affairs were in good order,
that he had made his will, and that
his public business was but two days
behindhand." He was buried at
Mount Vernon on Wednesday, De-
cember IS. On the coffin plate was
inscribed, General George Washing
ton, Departed this life on the 14th
of December, 1899, Act. g." Above
the plate were the words, Surge
ad Judicium," and below it, Gloria
Deo." From local newspaper ac-
count OF the day we learn that a
vessel was anchored in the Potomac
River, firing minute guns while the
funeral procession formed at the
nanor-house and moved in this or
der to the family tomb at the bot
tom of the lawn:
GGa nsrd'y with arms reversed.
Infantry
Music.
Clergy
The Generals horse, with his saddle. hols-
tiers and pistols.
Colonels Colonies
:: :: =: :: =: :: ::
Mourners.
Masonic Brethren.
Citizens.
The cavalry hating, the infantry