The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-05-20
Tobacco : Potent Factor.

No doubt the addition Of Mrs. Gus
it's handsome property to his own
broad and fertile acres at Mount Yer
non made Colonel Washington one OF
the wealthiest men in Virginia. But
virginian wealth was not to be count
ed till crops were harvested and got
to market The current price Of to-
bacco might leave you with or with.
out a balance to your credit In Lon
don, your only clearinghouse. as II
/ CHANGED. Your principal purchases.
too, must be made over sea and
/ through factors. Both what you sold
and what you bought must take the
hazards of the sea voyage. the whims
of sea captains, the chances Of for
eign market.
To be farmer and merchant at once,
manage your own negroes and your
own overseers, and conduct an inter
national correspendence; to keep the
run Of prices current, duties, port dues,
and commission, and know the fiuct-
uating rates Of exchange; to under
stand and meet all changes. whether
in merchants or in markets, three
thousand miles away, required an
amount Of information, an alertness,
steady attention to detail, saga
city In farming and shrewdness in
trade, such as made great property
q burden to idle or inefficient men.
Successful Business Man.
But Washington took pains to sue
coed. He had a great zest for bust.
ness. The practical genius which had
shown in him almost prematurely as
boy now grew heartily in him as a
man of fortune. Messrs. Robert Cary
& Co.. his factors in London, must
soon have learned to recognize his
letters, in the mere handling, by their
bulk. No detail escaped him when
once he had gotten into the swing of
the work. They must be as punctil
lious as he was, they found, in seeing
to every part of the trade and ac-
counting with which he intrusted
them, or else look to lose his lucra-
tive patronage.
He was not many years in learning
how to make the best tobacco in Vir-
ginia, and to get 1t recognized as such
in England. Barrels of flour marked
George Washington, Mount Vernon"
were ere long suffered to pass the in
spectors at the ports Of the British
West Indies without scrutiny. It was
worth while to serve so efficient
man to his satisfaction; worth while
or not, he would not be served other
WISE
Washington had emerged, as it
were, after tense and troubled youth,
upon peaceful tract of time, where
his powers could stretch and form
themselves without strain or hurry.
He had robust health, to which he
gave leave in unstinted work, athletic
strength, and an an Unsuitable relish
for being much afoot and in the open,
which he satisfied with early rounds
of superintendent in the fields where
the men were at their tasks, with
many tireless ride after the hounds,
or steadfast wait at the haunts Of the
deer; planning will that craved
some practical achievement every day,
which he INDUCED by finding tasks of
betterment about the estate and keep
Ing his men at them with unflagging
discipline; huge capacity for being
useful and for understanding how to
be SO, which he suffered his neigh.
bors, his parish, his county, the col.
ony itself, to employ when there was
need
Competent AIl-Round Man.
To a young man, bred these ten
years in the forests and in the strug.
gle Of warfare upon a far frontier. it
had been intolerable to live tamely,
without executive tasks big and vari.
GUS enough to keep his energy from
rust. The clerical side of business he
had learned very thoroughly in camp.
as well as the exceeding stir and
strain of individual effort-the inces.
SAINT letter writing necessary to keen
promised performance afoot, the reck-
oning Of men and of stores, the nice
calculations of time and ways and
means; the scrutiny of individual
men, too, which is so critical a part
of management, and the slow organi-
zation of effort He had been in a
fine school for these things all his
youth, and would have thought shame
to himself not to have learned tenn
perance, sagacity, thrift, and patience
wherewith to use his energy.
A Model Family Man.
His happy marriage did him the
service to keep him from restlessness |
His love took his allegiance, and held |
him to his home as to post of honor |
and reward. He had never before |
had leave to be tender with children, |
or show with what a devotion he |
could preside over household all his |
own. His home got strong hold upon
him. His estates gave him scope of |
command and life of action.
Twas no wonder he kept his fac
tors busy. and shipped goods authenti-
Gated by the brand.
The soldierly young planter gave
those who knew him best. as we'll as
those who met him but to pass, the
impression of a singular restraint and