Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-10-05
GEORGE WASHINGTON,

George Washington was born in
West Virginia on February 20 1882. He
was one of the five children of Augustin
Washington by his second wife. Little
George was scarcely five years old
when his ia ther left Pope's Creek, and
moved to plantation OF his In Stafford
opposite Fredericksburg. The house in
which he then lived Is still to be seen.
The first place of education George
went to was little "Old Field School,
taught by a poor but honest man
called Hobby. Though George was sent
to school master when he was young
his father never neglected to look
after him. Little George was never sell
fish about anything. When George was
about six years old he was made the
wealthy master Of Ratchet, and like
most little boys he was always chop
ping every thing that came in his
way. One day while in the garden he
tried the edge Of his Ratchet on a
beautiful small English cherry tree He
hacked it terribly. The next morning
Mr.. Washington saw his tree and then
went straight to the house to ask who
knew how it had happened until pres
emily George came UP with his Ratchet
in his hand. Mr.. Washington asked him
if he knew who did it. George said II
can't tell a lie, I did it with my little
Ratchet. Mr.. Washington said that he
would rather lose all of his cherry trees
than to have George tell a lie.
One day just after, this Mr.. Washing
ton went to the garden and made a fine
bed Of dirt in which he planted
Georges name George did not know
this until he found it one morning and
he was so excited he did not know what
to do. He had to run in and take his
father to show him the great sight.
Georges best companion was his faith
er but he did not have his companion
very long as when he was ten years old
his father died. George was not at home
when his father took sick, but he would
not give his consent to send for
George, until at last he had them send
for him SO that he could give him his
until a few hours before his fathers
death. AS soon as he returned home he
| went to his fathers bedside, but Mr..
Washington could not speak. Rushing
with sobs and cries he fell upon his
fathers neck and kissed him again and
again, and bathed his face with hot
tears. Soon after his fathers death his
mother sent him to live at Westmore-
land to live with his half brother
Augustin, where he was sent to school
to Mr.. Williams, an excellent teacher
, in that neighborhood.
When the boys would get in dis
pute about anything they would al
ways 30 " CcOlSS anu 1ldNc I'LL SCIll0
it. Some people said that George was a
Latin scholar but he never learned
syllable of Latin. But he knew reading.
spelling, English grammar arithmetic,
surveying, bookkeeping and geography,
and was quite famous with this. Wash
| ington was born to be soldier, and
when in his eleventh year while going
to his kind old teacher Mr.. Hobby, he
used to divide his friends into two
parties One known as the French and
the other side as American. A large
boy named William Bustle commanded
| the French army and George the Amer
| lean. To the sorrow Of his schoolmates
George quit school when he was fifteen
years old. George could run faster than
any other person around there. Georges
half brother Lawrence wanted him to
20 and live with him, but George went
| to work in the back woods, to work
as Lord Fairfax's surveyor. When his
! brother Lawrence was taken with the
| consumption and had to go to Bur-
muda, George went with him. Lawrence
| never recovered but returned to Vir-
| GINA, where he died just after George
| had fought the hard battle after Fort
| Necessity against the French and Ind
ians. Lawrence died talking about his
favorite yonng brother George and said
| that "he always believed that George
| would make great man some time or
4 other, His brother had willed all his
rich land to George as he had no chill
4 dren of his own.
\ ITO be COntinued)