Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-11-17
THE LATEST DOPE ON
GEORGE.
II FREDERIC ]. HASKM.

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O6ONA1E.
DT FREDERIC ]. HASKN.
fa...,., f,crro.ro.den4 ~ The Arsrsl.
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1t Vernon, Va. NoY lb:-0ne q the ancien.
couutTymeu Who g19fd and explain the sacred
treasures q II. Vefn0n, WAS teliine the spruce
lookfng gentleman from Detr0at nov spienoaaiy
and substantially George had lived. He pointed
out the roomy smokehouss and kltcnen. tne1
servant quarters, the Stable ana coach mousse,
de Walled-fn flower and vegetable gardens.
Here was everything. he said, that gentle
nan could wish for Old George sure knew
how to live
But u didn't see any bath room IN the
house." said the we'll groomed man from nv
yer town. "aor anything that looked IKE
bath tub.
tWashingtOn didn't need any o. tnem
things" the old man explained. He owned
IL miles Of the Potomac river"
He could take q hath every spring. then
couldn't, her. the Visitor suggested.
HE could" assented the native. III he
needed it."
But this question Of how Washington
washed Is impertinent Many Of our leading
citizens can remember the time when they had
recourse to the family Tub only ON Saturdays
and slept regularly IN their undershlfts~ Dut
they were not stunte0 - . RESULT and neither
was George.
It is frequently pointed out that there wero
fewer conveniences Of life In Washinstons
time. but 1t is not 80 often realized that there
was vastly more room. warrington, Tor ex-
ample, owned 5000 acres He had great,
rbomy house In front Of it 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 produced all that rich soil ana
favorable climate could produce HIS own mills
- v{vyop vy0o fy11l
which his negroes netted in silver boat loads.
Wild fowl came in myriads every fall, and
George himself used to go out and kill a few
canvasbackS before breakfast, as his diary
shows. The forests olDhis own estate we're full
e deer and wild turkey. Good beef and mutton
1lfted IN his pastures.
Who would trade the abundance and dignity
| Of that life, the beauty Of that environment
for modern fiat with its bath tub and its gas
stove its stinks and noises. its inspiring vistas
| Of back alley and basement door!
And George wasn't rich man, either. He
, was Just substantial citizen. Most Of his
peighbors we're equally we'll fixed. Everyone
had plenty OF room and plenty to eat And II
| he didn't IKE it where he was, ~ entire unoc-
George, mayhap, did not know the luxury Of
. fuillength hot bath. But neither did he
havA to worry about the cost OF living. And
| 10 Wnp never crowded, hurrfedA worried, or
URocated, ~ we luxurious and well-washed
modsfAs arg every day.
With that inspiring view before him, with
J the sense Of security and freedom and leisure
which his broad domain gave, with his energy
unwasted on non-sssentials, NO wonder that
George could dream OF new nation ON tho
| fsce Of the earth. II We produce no men Of
his siEs nowadays, maybe it's because we don't
give them enough room to grow..- You can't
raise . lion in rabbit hutch.
You can probably get no better idea Of
colonial Virginia than by going to Mt Vernon.
Not only has the estate itself been kept as it
was In the old days, even to the coach in the
| coach house, but the country whereabouts has
changed very little. There are only 240 acres
attached to the estate now. The rest of the
5000 that Washington owned has been divided
among about one hundred fifty families. In
the old days most of this was woodland, and
most Of it Is still woodland From the crest Of
| the Mt Vernon hilltop, you see nothing hut
woods. The view must be just about what
Washington looked at.
Until . few years ago, they had about a
dozen tame deer in park at Mt. Vernon. Then
= disease infected the herd, and the deep were
turned loose to shift for themselves. The wild
character Of the country is illustrated by the
sprtnr Now and then an astonisbed rahhit