davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20
NTRGUES OF THE MOST POWERFUL WOMAN IN AFRICA

united with that of the south and many
powerful families In addition were
brought into relationship with the en-
perof and empress. though the compro
mise undoubtedly would carry more
weight if the parties to the marriage
were OF an age when they could be re-
lied upon to protect their own interests
As already has been stated. Prince Lydj
EyaSSu is in his fourteenth year, while
his wife is chit of seven.
1t is Impossible to predict the outcome
of the impending struggle. At present
the first success has fallen to the party
an important general whom she had APP
pointed to be governor general of the
north inflicted severe losses upon
northern prince who had taken the field
against him. With n little more time
to get ready. there is no doubt that the
heir apparent would rally an important
section Of the country to his side. He
is an kltelligent lad. and shows in
high degree that precocity for which
the Asiatic youth is remarkable. He
has been educated i'm a Coptic monastery,
and already speaks. with more or less
familiarity. French. German and Eng
lish- Like most of the Abyssinian
princes. he takes an interest in the
military development of the state, and
all descriptions. a new rifle wins the
little fellow $ heart as rapidly and surely
as box of sweets overcomes the shy
ness of an ordinary child.
X
An amusing incident occurred when
the Austrian mission which the EN-
peror Francis Joseph sent to Menelik
reached the Abyssnian capital. 1t was
accompanied by two pieces of artillery,
which were promptly inspected by the
little prince, to whom the mechanism
and capacity were explained. A few
miles from Adds Abeba, on the crest
OF the hills, is u group OF trees. which
marks the village of an important chief,
who at the time had incurred the dis
pleasure of the imperial court. The
Austrian officers. OF course, had no
knowledge of the existence of the vii
lage when they pointed out the trees
to the little prince and told him to
watch the effect of shell upon them.
Immensely pleased at the possibilities of
the demonstration, he urged the officers
to be as quick as possible, as otherwise
his tutor would arrive. and he feared
that the Austrian officers would be in
formed of their mistake. The guns
We're unlimbered. loaded and trained
the trees when a group of Abyssinian
officials came upon the scene. and by
a few inquiries prevented the village
Of the recalcitrant prince from being
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

and mallards along the Potomac marshes
and at other times he went "a dragging
for sturgeon" or angling for other of
the finny tribes. He also attended cock
fights when the chance offered.
Washington's real relations with his
mother were quite in contrast to those
painted in our children's books. The
more recent biOgraphers paint her as
iliterate untidy and complaining, while
the tradition was that She smoked a pipe,
and she has been blamed for not having
been Spartan mother. for because OF
fear for his safety, she prevented his en-
tering the navy and later objected 10 his
becoming soldier. Although her son
George seems to have taken little trouble
to 'be with her after he fell heir to Mount
Vernon, he yet did more for her than her
other children-let her keep a part of his
share of the fathers estate and pur-
chased for her "a commodious house,
garden and lofts tof her own choosing)
in Fredericksburg, that she might be
near my sister, Lewis. her only daugh-
ter" He also answered all her calls for
money, but yet the old lady had such a
poor mouth that movement was once
started during the revolution to have the
Virginia legislature pension her. This
amazed and incensed the general who
soon put a stop to it. Later he addressed
her: "Hon'd Madam: In consequence of
your communication TO George Wash
ington of your want of money! etc, and
advised her to break up housekeeping
places Mount Vernon at her disposal, but
adds that since the war his house is like
public tavern. always full of strangers,
among whom she would have to do one
of three things: 1st, to be always dress
ing to appear in company; End, to come
into Uheir presence) in dishabille, or,
Sd, to be as it We're a prisoner in your
own chamber And he adds that the
first she would not like, the second he
would not like. while the third would
not he pleasing TO either of them,
Take care of the pennies was evident
~ one oh the generals notices He
weighed the toll money given to his
latter was made the loser Yet once
weighed three half pence over Wash
ington wrapped up that amount in paper
for delivery to Stone on his return. And
returning from the army the landlord of
Mount Vernon. on carefully measuring
his absence had overcharged II shllings.
Some time afterward this plasterer died
and his widow. upon remarrying, adver-
tised that she would receive and pay all
due to or by her former husband. Wash
ington upon reading the notice made
demand for his ID shillings and received
them
A new contribution 10 knowledge of
Washington's human side has just been
made by w. X. Bixby of St Louis, who
purchased and had printed for the first
zSots
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

QUEEN Taitu Is Fighting
Y Over Emperor Menelik's
Body Against a Clever Four
teen-Year-Old Boy Whom
She Wishes to Keep From
the Throne, and Whom She
Has Lately Married to a
Seven Year Old Girl-She
Has Stirred Up the Old Feud
Between the North and the
South The Little Heir to
the Throne Is a Precocious
Youth Who Speaks English,
French and German, and Has
Ideas of His Own.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

augmented by $4,000 upon the death OF
Patsy Custis, fourteen years later.
The father of his country was ever a
ladies man.. Indeed, one of his biog
raphers goes so far as to say that lie
was very much more at ease with women
than with men. He was not ashamed to
be caught 'romping with tn girls al
school, and when sixteen he became fas-
cinated with Mary Cary, at Lord Fair
fax's but in letters praiSing her. COM
plains that being in company with her
revives my former passion for your low
land beauty" The identity of this low
land beauty who had warmed the heart
of the countrys father when he is only
a lad. remains still mystery. He cou-
pied loyeIorn verse with mysterious I'M
tials in his journal
Then he was in love with Betsy Faun-
tleroy, who passed "a cruel sentence"
upon him when he was nineteen. And
from the time he returned from the wars
a young hero, in his early twenties,
women commenced to court him. But
when he was twenty-four Mary Philipse
had the honor of refusing the slender
young man who-had she but known it
was to be the first gentleman of America.
Two years later he was counting Martha
cambridge Custis. the rich widow. whom
one biographer sums up as petite, over
fond, hot-tempered, obstinate and a poor
speller." He was almost twenty-seven
when he married her and she was nine
months his senior. He seems to have
been always true to her. the only tangible
evidences of his infidelities having been
proved to be tory forgeries circulated
in England during the revolution. Yet
to other women whom he admired he was
always openly the graceful courtier, the
gallant cavalier. Writing, when forty
seven, to Lafayette, he presents his COM
piments to the latters wife and sends
her the message that I have a heart
susceptible of the tenderest passion and
that it is already SO strongly impressed
with the most favorable ideas of her that
she must he cautious of putting loves
torch TO it,
When he was sixty-three he wrote to
Nellie GUSTS:
In the composition of the human
frame there is a good deal of infammable
matter. however dormant 1t may lie for
a time
Washington's sight failed during the
revolution and he first put on glasses
at forty-five. BY fifty he was quite gray.
by fifty-five quite deaf, and by. sixty
three had lost his last tooth. His last
illness was contracted at sixty-seven
while riding about Mount Vernon in a
winter storm. from which he contracted
diphtheria. First an overseer came and
bled him of a half pint of blood. Then
the doctors came and bled him to death;
and his last words, addressed to them,
were: You had better not take any
more trouble about me, but let me go
off quietly
JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

Washington was born speculator. At
Mount Vernon he was constantly engaged
In land deals, and during the revolution
he tried to get share in a privateering
enterprise. He was also an enthusiastic
patron of the raffies and lotteries which
were fashionable in his day.
twenties until he was we'll advanced in
his sixties he made repeated entries on
his accounts of sums ranging upward to
600 invested in lottery tickets When
thirty-four he made Els on Sc thus in
vested. He put up Ct in a rattle for
necklace, 81 4 shillings for a chance on
the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and he en-
tered other raffies for glasses. a coach. a
pair of silver buckles. a watch. a gun.
etc. He was also fond of gaming and
one entry in his diary stated that he was
Eat home all day over cards" but his
diary records his largest gain E:;;.
However he once lost 50 IA shillings
and 9 pence. The record shows that he
was generally unlucky at cards. He was
fond of billiards. horse racing and fox
hunting. Indeed from boyhood he was
passionately fond of horses Jefferson
called him 'the best horseman of his
age" He subscribed generously to the
races and ran his horses at them. He
would go to Annapolis or even as far as
Philadelphia to attend the races. And
he rode to the hounds until sixty-two,
when he fell off and sprained his back.
He went "ducking' for teals, sprlg-tails
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

I the present mo-
ment no one out
side OF .Abyssinia
knows whether EN-
peror Menelik Is
living or not. His
death has been re-
ported thrice. and
thrice denied. Ii
would be quite pos
sible for the En-
press Taitu (pro-
nounced Tie-to), the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

IIILE knowledge of
George Washing
tons official side is
a necessity, ac-
quaintance with his
human side is only
a rare luxury of
our education. We
leave school or col
lege fairly intimate
W l t h Washington
the soldier and the
statesman. but ig-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

tfon-the 1ons-lost inventory of the Mount
Vernon estate as appraised by Washing
toms secretary Tobias Lear. and three
others in 1910. This, with the wills of
filed in the Fairfax courthouse, whose
records became scattered about the
grounds in Union raid in the civil war.
The captain of a UEion company on the
grounds at the time picked up several
papers, among which he later found Mrs.
Washington's will and the inventory.
These he retained until his death, when
they were sold, the will being bought BY
prominent New York collector. George
Washingtons will. however. was never
lost. An expert of the Congressional LII
brary's manuscript division is now down
at Fairfax Court House repairing it.
We now get our first knowledge from
this inventory of the original contents
of the rooms at Mount Vernon 1t
shows that the generals art taste ran
mostly to war scenes and portraits of
generals. He had upstairs some ''Nymphs
Bathing" an 'Adonis Carried Off by
Venus and pictures of that class, but
the greater part of the collection con-
sisted of reproductions of unknown paint
ers. largely landscapes.
The scale on which the general lited
at Mount Vernon is indicated by such
items as 80 barrels of shad'' and III
counted on the estate 800 head of cattle
:;3 horses, a mules. 1856 sheep and 22.7
hogs There were also 124 slaves on the
place, (which Mrs. Washington intended
lberating at the end of the year." and
which were not appraised for that rea-
son.
The mansion was filled with mahos-
any imported from England. and the
valuations placed upon it by the apprais-
erS will interest our modern collectors
of antiques. The mahogany Sideboard
in the dining room was marked at SO.
the knife cases So apiece. the mahogany
chairs at S. apiece, and the historic key
of the Bastile. with its representation
PRISON., were valued at s1O-with Lear
as one of the appraisers, The generals
gold watch, two seals and key" were
valued at s175; his diamond eagle at
s3S7, his shoe and knee buckles. paste
and gold.' at $3.50. One item, corrobo-
rative of the evidence that the general
was always having trouble with his
teeth, is lone case of dentists instru-
ments," found in his study.
The total OF personal property found on
the Mount Vernon estate was appraised
at $o7.296.O4. including S29, 466. 20 found ''in
the iron chest and exclusive of the
slaves. But. exclusive of this and of his
wife's estate, the general. when he died.
was worth S53O.OOO, which means that in
his day he ranked financially as a VAN
derbilt or Gould ranks today. And the
him, had a fortune of $4,000 which was
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

. EVEALED by Vast Col
IN lection of Letters to and
From Him, Now Being In
stalled in Library of Con-
gress-His Physical and In
tellectual Defects-How He
Appeared as Neighbor and
Friend, Husband and Lover.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

dominions. Abysslnian affairs have been
dominated by the Empress Taitu, the
masterful better half of the ailing SOW
ereign.
In her way her majesty is as remark
able as was the late Dowager Empress
of China. and she has been for many
years the emperors most trusted adj
wiser. 1t is not surprising. then, il the
prospect of resigning her high position
to the keeping of youth who is of no
blood relationship TO herself should have
given rise in her mind to desire to rule
on her own account.
That is what the existing situation in
Abyssinia means. and if there is to be
war of succession the two parties to the
strife will be the supporters of the heir
apparent and the adherents of the EN-
press Taitu. There is. however. some
thing more than successional rivalry in
the prevailing state of affairs at Adds
-Abeba. and that is the existence of a
feud between the provinces of the north
and the provinces OF the south, the bit
ternesS between the two divisions of the
country practically preventing a satisfac-
tory compromise between the empress and
the heir apparent from being achieved.
For many generations the northern
states have been the predominant part
ner in the Abyssinian federation. With
the succession of Menelik. who was hered
1tar.' ru er OF the leading southern state,
the south became supreme, and. as the
Empress Taitu is a southerner, the south
at the present time is looking to her
to continue its supremacy over the north.
1t happens, however. that Prince Lydj
Eyassu Is the son of one of Menelik S
daughters by a wife other than the En-
press Taitu. who was married by Meme
Xix to very powerful northern prince
the Ras Michae'. Obviously. therefore, the
heir apparent Is a northerner. and his
father. so far as he has been .able, has
reused the north 10 support his sons in
terests. In this way the succession is
complicated by tribal quarrel which it
is almost impossible TO settle save by
force of arms. The empress thoroughly
understands the situation. but she is at
the disadvantage of being supported by
tribes who do not make such good sol
diers nor are SO fond of fighting as those
of the north.
The difference between the two peoples
is considerable. and influences the dy-
nastic position much that the En-
press Taitu lately arranged a marriage
between the heir apparent and the Prin-
cess Romanie, who is her niece. and a
granddaughter of the famous northern
ruler. the Emperor John. BY this mar
riaSe the dynasty Of the north was
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

cuses, puppet shows, wax works and con-
certs.
Although reserved and always dignified
among strangers, among his inmost circle
of friends mo man seemed more to enjoy
gay conversation, though as Madison
wrote. he took little part in it himself
Yet he was ready with his reply. when
occasion offered. Once, while he was
commander-in-chief,C Clinton sent him a
letter addressed simply. 'Mr. George
Washington" CHANGING at the address,
he said to the messenger: This letter is
directed to a planter in the state of Eir-
ginia. I shall have 1t delivered to him at
the end of the war Till that time it
shall not be opened" And shortly there
came, under the flag of truce, another
dispatch, addressed to Ellis EXcellency,
Gen. Washington Yet he suffered from
stage fright when called upon to make a
speech. and when Adams started to pro-
pose him to Congress for general of the
continental army. he from his usual
modesty." darted out of the chamber.
He had high temper. but kept it under
close control. IF, however, it broke its
bounds, he was tremendous in his wrath.
wrote jefferson. Gilbert Stuart said that
''all his features were indicative of the
strongest and most ungovernable passions,
and had he been born in the forests. he
would have been the fercest man among
the savage tribes
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

He was fond of dancing, afternoon teas
and picnics. His diaries refer over and
over again to his attendance at balls
Even during the revolution he INDUCED
this fondness for the terpsichorean art at
the quarters of his generals, and 1T Is
recorded that once during this time His
excellency and Mrs. Green danced upward
of three hours without once sitting
down. And Gen. Knox wrote that at
one of these routs I'VE danced all night"
The night that he resigned his commits
sion in Annapolis the general danced In
every Set" and when siXty-four he was
still gayly tripping the light fantastic. His
diaries are also full of references to his
drinking. here and there, afternoon tea
which at Mount Vernon was regularly
served upon the wide portico facing the
river, and which during the war was as
punctually served at the generals head
quarters. AT Mount Vernon he ceremon-
iously- powdered his hair for dinner, at
which were served the luXurieS of the
day. including wine-often champagne
with WHICH he toasted "All our friends
He was very fond of the theater and
when President frequently entertained at
box parties and when in his twenties had
an ambition for amateur acting In his
younger days he was also fond of cir
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

Special Correspondence of The Star.
LONDON, February IL
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

of his library, printed this winter for the
first time, reveals, however, that he had
an extensive collection of books. Books
of fiction are, however, very few and
far between and you could almost count
them on your fingers-Ciil Bias, Peresrin
Pickle, CULVER, Humphrey Clinker, Don
Quixote and few others. There are
few volumes of miscellaneous verse
and the remainder of the hundreds of
volumes are essays or works of the in
formative class. He had the American
Encyclopaedia. Shambeaud's and john
sons dictionaries and there. are no end
of text books on gardening and farm
ing. In his diaries he never mentioned
reading.
Washngton's religion has long been a
subject of dispute. President Taft's fell
low-churchmen, the Unitarians. claim he
was a Deist, or virtually of their faith.
Although baptized in the Episcopal
Church, one time vestryman there. and
long pew holder at Christ Church.
Alexandria, he attended services during
middle life only once in three or four
Sundays, and on communion Sundays he
left before the sacrament, while he did
not kneel during the services. Jefferson
quotes Gouverneur Morris as stating, in
regard to orthodoxy, that Gen. Washing
ton believed no more in that system
than he did himself 1t was once COM
planned by some of the clergy that
Washington had never said word to
the public which showed a belief in
Christianity.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

Copyright. 1910. by John Elfreth Watkins,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20

new contribution 10 knowledge of
Washington's human side has just been
made by W. X. Bixby of st. Louis, who
purchased and had printed for the first
time-in a very limited presentation edi-
University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1910-12-18
THE REAL CHRISTMAS SPIRIT.

sep Toward Men chan angels they announced the birth OF
Christ the essential law caused
placed and The
made forget self thoughts newborn love-
unschsh
and perfect In o Son Of Man celebrate Christmas
The spirit h holiday present hdoes not
December the quits
and hohented
and children.
found when each and day filed with deeds OF Kindness WIN
thoughts larger Such found when truly celebrate
The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-04-07
Detectives Queer Error.

An incident which proved humiliat-
ing to Russian detective occurred
In one of the principal squares of Co.
penhagen. A distinguished looking for
eigner went up to a policeman, and
pointing to man who was crossing
the square, said: Kindly arrest that
man. am Russian detective, and I
have tracked him from st. Petersburg.
He is a murderer, and 1 have a war.
rant for his arrest insmy pocket" The
policeman took both men to the police
station, despite the protests of the sec
ond man. : -
There it wassascertained that he.
too. was Russian detective who was
in Copenhagen for. the purpose of
watching over the safety Of Empress
Marie Before catching his colleague
the first detective. who had been
thrown on the wrong track in an un.
explained fashion, had traced him
from Helsingsfors to Stockholm and
thence to Denmark.
The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-04-07

The old fashioned way of dos.
ing weak stomach, or stimu
la,ing the Heart or Kidneys is
all wrong. DR.. Shoop first
pointed out this error. This is
why his prescription-Dr.
Shops Restorative-is direct
ed entirely to the cause of these
ailments-the weak inside or
controlling nerves. It isn't so
difficult, says DR.. Shoop, to
strengthen q weak Stomach,
Heart, or Kidneys, if one goes
at it correctly. Each inside or
gan has it's controlling or inside
nerve. When these nerves fail,
the n those organs must surely
falter. These vital truths are
leading druggists everywhere
to dispense and recommend DR..
Shops Restorative. Test it a
Wv days, and see!. Improve.
ment will promptly and surely
follow. Sold by Henry Miller
& Co.