El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-12-05
WOULD YOU GIVE
GE0RGEATRADE?
He Had No Bathtub, But
He Had a Good View
and Plenty to Eat.

nj Vernon. Va. Dec. 5.-One OF the
ancient countrymen who guard and
explain the sacred treasures Of NJ
Vernon was telling the spruce look
ing man from Detroit how spiendidly
and substantially George had lived
lie pointed out the roomy smoke
house and kitchen the servant quar-
tiers. the stable and coach house, the
walled iu flower and vegetable
gardens Here was everything. he
said. that a gentleman could wish
for Old George sure knew how 10
live.
But didn't see any bath room IN
the house" said the well groOmed
man from fliVver town. nor anything
thar looked ike bath tub
Washington didn't need any Of
them things. the old man explained.
He owned II miles Of the Potomac
river"
lie could take bath every
spring. then. couldn't he2" the Wis
ltor suggested.
He could. assented the native 'if
What He Did Have.
But this question of how Wash
lngton washed Is impairment Many
leading citizens can remember the
IamllT tub only on saturdays and
slept regularly in their undershirtss
but they were not stunted as q re-
suit, and neither was George
II is frequently pointed out that
there were fewer conFeniences OF
lie in Washington's time. but il is
not 50 often realized that there was
vastly more room. washington, for
example, owned 5000 acres He had
great roomy house. IN front OF il
spread one Of the most inspiring
views Of woodland and river TO be
found in virginia There was more
than enough Of everything right at
hand His fields and gardens pro-
Cuced all that rich soil and favorable
climate could produce Bis own mills
ground his grain The river was
1u4 or tlsn which his negroes Melted
in boat loads. Wild fowl came in
myriads every fan, and George him
self used TO 90 cut and kill g few
canvasbaclzs before breakfast, as his
diary shows The forests OF his own
estate we're fun Of deer and wild
turkeys Good beef and mutton
latted in his pastures.
WouId Fou Trndes
Who would trade the abundance
and dignity Of that life, the beauty
OF that environment, for a modern
fiat with its bath tub and its gas
stove, its sLinks and noises, its In
spring Vistas OF back alley and
basement door,
And George WASN'T a rich man.
either He was just substantial
citizen Most OF his neighbors were
equally wen fixed Everyone had
plenty Of room and plenty to eat
And II he didn't like IL where he
was, an entire un0ccupied continent
lay Immediately 70 the west
George maThap did not know the
luxury Of a fun length hot hath, but
he was never crowded, hurried. Wor-
ried. or suffocated, as we luxurious
and well washed mOderns are every
day
You can probably get no better idea
Of Colonial Virginia than by going
20 At Vernon. Not only has the
estate itself been kept as IL was in
the old days, even to the coach in
the coach house, but the country
rhereabouts has changed very little
There are only $40 acres attached 70
the estate now The rest Of the 5000
that Washington owned has been
divided among about 150 families. In
the Oh days most OF this was wood
land. and most Of IL IS stiu wood
land From the crest Of the ut
Vernon hilltop, yUI see nothing but
woods The view must be Just about
what Washington looked at