New-York tribune., 1908-02-23
ASK CASH, NOT GLORY.
kinsmen Of George Washington
Want s505, 100 from Congress.

Renewed interest is being taken in the Father
o< His Country OF this I7sth anniversary Of his
birth by patriots who would make his home
national museum and kinsTnen who would in
5uce Congress 70 pay their claims 70 an inherit
a2ce Of Western lands The Spanish War Vet
e-ans Society wants TO take Mount Vernon
from the care OF wonnen's association. ignOr-
icC the danger Of starting another Alamo siege.
wherein a woman recently held al bay the judi
c1I and military forces Of the State OF Texas.
while several hundred persons remotely and in
directly related 70 the great George feel that
the tine Is ripe for them 10 receive slight but
substantial token Of the national gratitude 10
lhe amount Of s305.l00. 4 bill has been intro
5uced II Congress TO reimburse the estate Of
General George Washington for certain lands Of
his il the state Of Ohio lost by conflicting
grants and Colonel Robert E Lee, jr- is nor1i-
mated IS administrator.
That The nan who was first in so many i'm
-o--1nt particulars had a glimpse Of trouble TO
come { century or TWO after his demise IS indi-
Gated by his VII. which apportions the proceeds
e his estate into twenty-taree equal parts for
.se---y-ttlree relatives all that could be rounded
y q The time
The Ohio lands. situated il Z wilderness. ac-
c-rled 10 Washington as a sort Of common stock
bonus after the War Of independence; they were
lot much valued and somehow became lost in
the shuttle Of conflicting grants 70 various per-
sons from the federal government Washington
had 5000 acres Of good land in his Virginia
estate anyway
Today the several hundred persons who claim
% De II his blood cast longing look on the
former wilderness, where there are now oil fields
and cities Rather than do cruel injury by
evlc-5ng the Standard oil Company and other
people they viii accept reimbursement from
all 10 7-17- 7rr1f,
The total appropriation divided among all the
sons and daughters Of George Washington's
relatives would net them q paItry 800 so
apiece. This is admittedly Inadequate 70 pay
them for the trouble Of answering questions,
telling anecdotes and finding out the exact de-
gree Of their relationship They have stood
around patriotic meetings for a hundred years
s-5 heard eI1loges Of their great relative with
ou- complaining; they have kept Up the family
tradition by reciting the cherry tree tale 70 their
little ones: they have borne patiently the in
erable honor Of being connected with a man
who was greater than Hannibal CaRsar Ale1an-
d. and everybody else 'Tis tine, they argue. |
--a- the national alteration yielded them divi-
zz-.s nd that rhetorical encoriu-ns should be |
--a-s-llted into q little hard cash
Most of the claimants. who are especially
-,-ge-cus n the Potomac Valley. need the
money a large number dwelling IN Washington
C5-y and Alexandria have small government
-t= II token Of their iIustrOus blood. but there
a-e not enough jobs to accommodate all 10
some people II IS 2 painful thing TO meet an
a----+z- washington ba-efootei. q Washington
cae1h--g dogs, q Washington dwelling IL
sack 2 Washington washerwon1an- Some day
when there is more patriotism II the land 81
these Washing-Ons may be gathered togelher
a-z --- n a home Of museum. where the price /
- z--zssion would pay the cost Of subsistence; |
.sa- Is unless Congress passes the bill OF re-
8 .-.--s--lent and puts the whole washington |
<---v u It's feet bare OF shod.
-g-e YOU related TO George Washington
7---== q traveller in the Potomac Valley recently
- r--ef1oted old man who was chopping wood
<-- : zz-cher FIRE The man. il fact was Law
-e-5e Washington. descendant Of the immortal
Georges brother, Augustine
Pills say : an" was the reply, but don't
g-oE nothing about Il myself Lots Of strangers
ask ne the same question but ! don't know