The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-02
Special TO The Tribune.

special 10 The tribune.
WASHINGTON. June From the
Niagara of books on George Washing
ton poured from the presses since the
birth of the republic even until last
Saturday night ii would seem that the
last word had been said concerning that
gentleman especially on the subject of
his veracity. The first thing admins
tered TO an infant after cutting lis milk
teeth is the cherry tree story, now pro
nounccd apochryphal. but none the less
hammered by patriotic parents. often
times with slipper into every young
American who swcrvcs from the path of
truth If George Washington ever hest
tated 10 tell lie il must have been
before he moved up 90 Mount Vernon,
in Fairfax county, Va Despite eNhaus-
tive historians. apochryphal and other
wise, the visitor to Fairfax Court
House, the age-old county seat where
Washington lawed and was lawed
against, will find some things III the
ancient records there that writers have
never dreamed of in their histories lie
will get a sidelight on Mr.. Washington,
gentleman, thai shows him quite IN ad-
vance of his age in many respects, some
commendable and some SavorIng. among
other things, of the tter-day longing
to bear as little as possible of the cX-
penscs of running the country.
f1du OoUtel OFeI Ddliy uSp"Sh'hNo
Washington lived sixteen muddy miles
east of the courthouse, the scat of local
government, but when NJ came to max
ing an honest tax return to the county
assessor he was Il great many miles
farther than that from any restraining
influences on mendacity. Witness the
evidence of these same records OF 1.-Two
years of the reign of good hIng
George being 1850, according to the
calendar Whatever of truth there may
he in the cherTy-trce story, IL is clear
when the squire of Mount Vernon
reached man s estate he had gotten well
over any early repugnance 10 casual
falsehood, if casual falsehood put money
in his purse. Nay, more, in that year
of grace he anticipated The present
thrifty custom of thrifty milionaires
in New York-aud elsewhere-and
handed in to the. county officials a
sworn statement of all hIs property sub
iect TO taxation that by no means cover
ed all the taxable assets of which he
was seized and possessed. y
But they did things better in Fairfax
county than than they do in New York
and elsewhere-today. The keen
witted officials waded through the six
teen miles of mud that the thrifty
George had no doubt looked upon as
protective tariff against discovery, and
appeared one noon at the gates of
Mount Vernon. Their arrival must have
created an unpleasant surprise at the
manor house of that hospitable planta-
ton. They ferreted ont many articles
of valne that the popular young aristo-
crat had forgotten to list for taxation,
and, not content with collecting the
revenue assessed. went the limit of the
law, and indicted the coming Father of
His Country for attempting TO defraud
what was TO be his only child, The
old minnie books of FaifaX county show
the report of the grand jury on May 2l,
l760. Among other indictments for
wrongs against the Crown-that is,
ing:
''We, the grand jurors of Fairfax
county, colony Of Virginia, present.