Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-19
Mem and Things

owen Wister had an article in Every.
bodys Magazine in which he endeavors
TO prove that Washington did sweyr
ana that he was by no means tbs
wooden statue he is claimed to haves
oeen' "a figure to prize, to be proud oS
az an American, figure to revere. l,,tN
not a character to love, to be drawn
TO, to feel any kinship with. In two
words immortal yet not living.p Ouy
American school books, says Mr.. Wis.
ter have frozen George Washington
TO death. They have preserved his
form, but killed him. They have taught
rs that when he was a little bow ba
said he could not tell a lie. but who
ever taught us that when he grew into
bigger boy he wrote love verses?
MI. Wister shows that Washington
was very much alive, appreciative OF
the sentimental as well as the humor
Gus side of life, laughing so heartily on
at least one occasion as to roll on the
ground. He also possessed a violent
temper and was not wholly averse to
adapting his language to fit the case
as he did at the Battle of Monmouth,
IN spite of Gen. Darlington to the con.
trary Thomas Jefferson describes
washington on an occasion as gettins
INTO one of those passions when he
cannot command himself" SPEAKING
or a certain politician, he said: "A
damneder scoundrel God Almighty
never permitted to disgrace humanity"
When his soldiers were being bayoneted
near New York, and he was powerless
to prevent, Washington wept like o
child. A carpenters apprentice, who
lnsulted one of his servants, was con-
fronted by the exclamation, what In
- are you doing?" and kicked down
stairs. When w. w. Belknap was Sec
retary of war he discovered some let
ters written by Washington, and which
are probably now on file in the war de-
partment. They confirm Mr.. Wister's
view of Washington. presenting the
Father of his Country in very diff
ferent light from that shed upon him
by such biographers as Sparks and
what Mr.. Wister calls the 'non-con-
formists."
S. T. Jocelyn of Wichita was court
stenographer for Judge Pancoast of
Oklahoma for several years. One time
case was being tried before Judge
Pancoast and they were endeavoring
to find out through a witness whether
there had been any liquor sold.
What is your business?" asked the
lawyer "My business?" repeated the
witness laconically. "oh. I have lots
of business" Answer the question"
ness?" Must 1 tell all my business?"
insisted the witness again. Answer
the question" interposed the judge Sc
Verely.
WELL" responded he, cheerfully, I'm
deputy sheriff and city marshal for
Guiner 1anitor of the Methodist church
and bartender Of the Ell Paso saloon"
DR.. David Starr Jordan told a story
on his last Brooklyn visit of John Muir
leading cultured Bostonian UP the
mountains that overlook the Yosemite
valley. Muir said that he led the Bos-
ton1an> alone devious ways, so that the
great, splendid valley would burst all
of a sudden upon his astonished eyes.
Finally, at a turn of the road the
vast, multi-colored panorama was
spread out before them. The Boston
ian's ejaculation was as sudden as Muir
could desire, but it was this:
''WelI, now, how can we get across
that damn gap?"
Booker T. Washington is a wonder
full man." said a southerner at the Tus-
kegee meeting in Carnegie hall last
month. "There is no orator in America
to equal him.
He's full of fun, too. once, when
Tuskegee's future looked very dismal,
he declared to me that the great school
was bounG to pull through, that you
never could tell from appearances what
the future held In store.
"'Why,' he said, mentioning fam
Gus colored poet, in his boyhood that
chap was universally despised. even by
his own mother. Even his own mother
used to say of his that "she guessed hit
was down in the books he gwine ter be
hanged, an she nebber could bear dat
brat, anyways. 'kase he shows dirt so
easy.""