Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-03-03


and studied arithmetic and grammar.
and learned to write a clear roanc
hand. His Oldest brother. Lawrence.
was sent to England to be educated.
He came back in TAO. England and
Spain were at war, and the English
went on an expedition to the West
Indies 90 capture the Spanish towns.
virginia raised some troops, and Law
renee Washington went as CAPTAIN.
and had taste of fighting in an at.
tack by Admiral Vernon on Cartna-
sena. He was gone two years. His
father died in 1743, leaving a great
estate on the Potomac to Lawrence.
which he named Mount. Vernon, IN
honor of his commander, Admiral
Vernon. He built a fine mansion
overlooking the river, married Annie
Fairfax, and lived in fine style, hav-
ing stable full of horses.
George was II years old, and was
sent to Mr.. Williams school, where
he studied surveying. He wanted 10
be midshipman on one Of Admiral
Vernon's ships. A commission was
obtained. but his mother asked MIN
to give up the idea OF being a sailor.
and his affection for her was so ten
der that he did not accept the COM
mission. When he was fifteen years
Old he went to Mount Vernon to I'VE
with Lawrence, whose next neign-
Dor was Lord Fairfax-a tall, gaunr,
raW-Doned man, with sharp nose.
piercing eyes, so years old, who
owned immense estates on the Pc.
tomac, and beyond the Blue Ridge.
along the Shenandoah, which he had
inherited from his mother, daughter
OF Lord Culpepper, TO whom thew
mad been given by Charles II. LORD
FAIRFAX had many horses. He was
FOND OF hunting and riding at
preakneck speed, leaping fallen trees
ana high fences, in chasing deer ana
IoxeS with a pack of hounds and a
troop OF his neighbors. Of all the
rloers there was none bolde: than
George Washington. No untamed colr.
no matter how high he might kick,
could unseat the tall boy when he
was once on the animals back. Lord
falrfax wanted his land in the Shen-
andoah surveyed, and engaged the
I6-year-oid lad to do the work. George
rode on horseback up the valley OF
the Potomac and entered the valley
OF the daughter of the stars as tho
Indians called the beautiful .Shenan-
doah. He laid off the wild land into
farms, working hard all day with his
compass, sleeping at night on the
1oor OF log cabin, or wrapping
himself in his blanket beneath the
trees, and earning five or SIX dol.
lars day. He laid out manor for
Lord Fairfax, who built a great
house, with numerous outbuildings,
and who treated everybody with the
greatest hospitality. He called his
place Greenway court Squatters. ne
groes, Indians always could have q
meal at Greenway.
The governor of Virginia appointed
him public surveyor. The planters
paid him literally. They raised a
great deal OF tobacco, which thew
pressed into hogsheads, and which
was rolled to Belhaven, on the Po-
tomac, where they loaded it on YES.
sells and shipped it to England. Bel
haven was a hamlet of few houses1
but Colonel Fairfax, Lawrence Wash
ington and few of their neighbors.
thinking it might be made large |
town, purchased the land, and set
the young surveyor to laying it out. |
They named it Alexandria. What |
ever he undertook to do was well
done. He wrote the notes Of his |
survey in clear, round hand, easy |
to read as printed page. He was |
so much respected that the COVER |
nor appointed him a major in the
I'll l1tia when he was only eighteen.
He took fencing lessons of Jacob |
Van BRAIN, Dutchman who had |
been with his brother Lawrence In
the war against the Spaniards.
Governor Dinwiddie had tried In |
vain to find some one who would |
take letter to the French beyond
the mountains. Of all the brave and
able men in Virginia, no one cared
to- go. There we're terrible hardships
to be encountered, to say nothing of
the chance of man losing his scalp.
L will go, SIR" said the young
surveyor, 20 years old, and he was
SO self-reliant and capable that the
governor intrusted him with the mis-
sion.
The leaves were falling from the
elms and naples on the goth of Octo-
Der, 1852, when he started from VIII
liamsburg with Jacob Van BRAIN.
who was to go with him Eight men,
with tent and provisions accom-
panied them on horseback. Two were
Indians. They rode up the valley of
the Potomac to Cumberland, followed
up little stream called Wills creek,
climbed over the mountains. and
reached the Monongaheia. The pro-
visions were put in canoe and
sent down the stream; but the men
on horseback reached the Ohio be-
fore the boats. While waiting for
it, the young surveyor was making
map Of the country.
Here is a place for a fort, and
1t will be city some day" he said,
as he stood upon the point of land
at the junction of the Allegheny ana
Monongahela, where now the smoke
Of thousands of furnaces of Pitts