The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-03-22
even the doughty Gist.

even the doughty Gist.
When the horses gave out, he had
left them to come by easter stages,
while he made his way afoot, with
only a single companion, across the
weary leagues that lay upon his home
ward way. Gist, his comrade in the
hazard, had been solicitously "unwil.
ling he should undertake such travel,
who had never been used to walking
before this time," but the imperative
young commander would not be
stayed, and the journey was made,
spite Of sore feet and frosts and ex.
hausting weariness. He at least knew
what the French were about, with
what strongholds and forces. and
could afford to wait orders what to
do next.
The Governor Had Been Busy.
Dinwiddie had not been idle while
Washington went his perilous errand.
He had gotten the burgesses together
by the first of November, before
Washington had left the back settle
ments to cross the wilderness, and
would have gotten a liberal grant of
money from them had they not fallen
In their debates upon the question of
the new fee charged, since his coming,
for every grant out of the public lands
OF the colony, and insisted that 1t
should be done away with. Sub.
jects," they said, very stubbornly,
cannot be deprived of the least part
of their property without their con.
SENT" and such fee, they thought,
was too like a tax to be endured.
They would withhold the grant, they
declared, unless the fee was abolished,
Notwithstanding they saw plainly
enough in how critical case things
stood in the west; and the testy gov
ernor very Indignantly sent them
home again. He ordered a draft of
200 men from the militia, neverthe-
less, with the purpose Of assigning
the command to Washington and see
Ing what might be done upon the Ohio
without vote OF the assembly.
Defies the Burgesses.
A hard-headed Scotchman past sixty
could not be expected to wait upon
body of wrangling and factious pro.
vlncials for leave to perform his duty
IN a crisis, and. inasmuch as the OBJ
ject was to save their own lands. and
perhaps their own persons, from the
French, could hardly be blamed for
proposing in his anger that they be-
taxed for the purpose by act of par.
lament. "A governor" he exclaimed,
rs really to be pitied In the dis.
charge Of Of his duty to his king and
country In having to do with such
obstinate, self-conceited peoplei"
Some money he advanced out Of his
own pocket.
When Washington came back from
his fruitless mission, Dinwiddie or.
dered his journal printed and copies
sent to all the colonial governors. AS
1t was thought advisable by his honor
the governor to have the following &C.
count of my proceedings to and from
the French on Ohio committed to
PRINT" said the modest young major,
Il think I can, do no less than apollo
gize, In some measure, for the number
less imperfections in it, But it was
q very manly recital of noteworthy
things, and touched the imagination
and fears of every thoughtful man
who read it quite as near the quick as
the urgent and repeated letters Of the
troubled Dinwiddie.
Virginia, it turned out, was after
all more forward than all her neigh
bors when it came to action. The
Pennsylvania assembly very coolly
declared they doubted his ma
jesty's claim to the lands on the
Ohio, and the assembly In New York
followed suit. 1T appears" they said,
In high judicial tone, that the French
have built fort at the place called
French Creek, at a considerable dis
lance from the river Ohio, which may.
but does not by any evidence or in
formation appear to US to be, an in
vasion OF any of his majesty's colo
Mes"
The governors Of the other colonies
whose safety was most directly men
aced by the movements of the French
In the west were thus even less able
to act than Dinwiddie. For the Vir-
glnia burgesses, though they would
not yield the point of the fee upon