The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-03-07

the illusions Of fattering songs and stories, but
Is on intimate terms of acquaintance with its
idolized first president through the most trust
worthy agency, that Of his own hand writer let
rers and documents. Through the strides of mod
ern progress and the discovery Of remarkable
paper surgery, $4,000 or more private and
official letters, addresses, documents, reports
and accounts have been collected, repaired
and bound into volumes, 400 Of them, and are ac
cessible to those who wish to peruse them in the
big library of congress in the interest of research.
But the most important Of all the papers penned
by Washington, and the one which, throughout its
entire length, Is the most perfect reflection Of
him as Il man of affairs and Of business, is his
last will and testament, almost the last document
penned by his hand, written about five months
before his death. After many and varied vicissi-
tudes this marvellous paper has been repaired
and saved to posterity by being safely deposited
In a steel vaul in Fairfax courthouse, where it
was presented for probate in 1900.
Washington loved life and crowded into his six
ty-seven years many and varied interests. Through
a perusal Of only a few of the hundreds of letters
written to him and by him, it is seen that ne en-
ioyed all outdoor sports and games, was proficient
in most of them, gambled on horses, cards, cocks
and lotteries, speculated In lands and stocks,
danced almost until the year Of his death, loved
theaters, teas, receptions and all social amuse-
ments. Though he made constant use Of wines
OH Ills tuDle, HOueTdllOH anu IHelnOu were III
precept and principle Of his life, and these traits
are ~forcefully illustrated in the "a pages of his
will. which he prepared without legal aid, though
contrary to his usual fOrethOught in leaving this
duty until SO late in life. Every line of 1t bears
mute testimony to his efficiency in business and
his sense Of responsibility, and it shows that he
spent considerable time in it's preparation, for in
disposing of his various properties in requests to
relatives he went into great detail.
uI,o I'LL x,., r;rnoI ,Iu n TOO o~l rr~.
filed for probate Mt the county seat Of the county
in Virginia in which Washington had lived and
died January 20, 1900, being presented In open
court by George SteptOe Washington, Samuel
Washington and Lawrence Lewis, three of the
eI;ecutors. .
FOR a long time it reposed in the office of the
cl,sk at Fairfax Court House, but with the con-
fusion Of the Civil war it was removed to Rich
mond with other valuable papers and there lost
for o time, 1t being rumored that it had been
picked up by 2 federal soldier and sold abroad.
However. it eventually turned up at Fairfax Court
House again much the worse for it's travels and
experiences.
Then, for a number Of years, it was freely
handled by visitors and historians, until the
edges became frayed, great holes appeared, and
almost every sheet split i'm the creases, and the
ink, though good, faded from the light and eX-
posure.
When 1t became apparent that steps should be
taken to hold the torn sheets together, some one
in authority in Fairfax turned the will over to a
woman resident to be mended, which she did most
literally and most disastrously with a coarse
needle and equally coarse thread. Consequently
the needle holes and heavy thread soon worked
still greater havoc through the carefully wor!ed
pages.
Then g group Of men interested in the collec-
ton and preservation Of historic documents,
headed by Lawrence Washington, sought to have
the paper turned over to the government, SO that
the experts of the state department might have
q chance to repair and deposit 1t for safe-keep-
tng, along with other important papers OF the
government. But the Virginia authorities refused
to permit the manuscript to leave Fairfax Court
House. and consequently the aid Of the state de-