Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-02-22
WashinqtOn's Hatcket Maker
Carl HOLIDAY IN New York Posi-.


enthusiastically create--a legende which an
entire nation so loves that the millions cling
to it long after its falsity is proved, There is
something Homeric about such deed. 1t gives
renewed hope to those of us who rebel against
the present tyranny of facts. Only thrice in
American history has the feat been accomplish
ed. John Smith fathered the Pocahontas ro-
nance and Irving created the Rip Van Wrinkle
tradition but it remained for a humble Mary
land-Virginia preacher to do the greatest deed
of all-the weaving of a beloved legend about
a character so conspicuous that the most minute
facts of his life are open to all That century
old tale of Washington and the hatchet-how
we hold to It'll Parson Mason-Weems preacher,
fiddler, writer, politician, book agent, publisher,
and lover of his fellow men-we owe him ma
tional debt of gratitude for the most charming
falsehood in American annals
Parson Weems was all that foreigners expect
in a Yankee. Equally ready for a stump, a
fair, or a pulpit" he possessed all the energy,
presumption, shrewdness, eXorbtant common
sense, and plain brass" that have made our
countrymen admired, ridiculed and feared
throughout the commercial and social world.
Gifted with true American inventveness, he
was not always certain about his facts; but God
had given him an imagination and what is the
use of such faculty if not for just such emer-
gences? So many little incidents related by
him are so charming that we are really very
sorry they did not happen.
Born in October, 1859, at his familys old home,
Marshes Seat" Anne Arundel county, Mary
land, he traced his pedigree to the earls of
Wemyss, descended from Macduff of Shake
speare fame, and, in order that such good blood
might not perish from the earth, the parents of
young Weems did their full duty toward man
kind by having 10 childrenl Often those
who write so much and so charmingly about
others write but little about themselves the
childhood of the parson, is lost in obscurity.
Tradition says however, that even as boy he
had the welfare of others upon his heart, and,
as an instance of this, we have the story that
his parents, suspicious of his frequent absence
at night, discovered him teaching the poor chill
dren of the neighborhood in a forest shanty.
In l742 he went to England to seek admit
lance to the priesthood of the Episcopal church.
Immediately trouble began. Holy orders could
not be granted unless the applicant swore to
the oath of allegiance to the crown. An effort
was made to create bishop for America so
that the laying on of hands might be done
without the embarrassing oath; but this was
met with loud protests from the British clergy.
In his perpexity Weems appealed to Franklin;
but as the free-thinkng Ben had a poor opin-
ion Of apostolic succession, he advised the young
maB to preach without bishops blessing, and
asked what American Episcopalians would do if
the British Isles should suddenly sink and all
the bishops go down in the catastrophe. Luckily,
in 1884 the Enabling act was passed, and on
September Weems was ordained and soon at
terward became rector of All Hallows parish,
near his boyhood home.
1t was in 1900 that he wrote his masterpiece,
with its prize American legend. Washington
died in December, 1899, and Weems was ped
ding the Life" on February o. 1900. At first
the book was merely thin pamphlet; but year
by year, as Weems gathered fresh data and
stories the volume gradually grew to $50 pages.
&c rhto T1a ha had 70 fhaf
Washington was, first of all, man. In one of
the last editions he declared his desire to hui
MAMIE being whom the public was looking
upon as a sort of demigod. I'm most of the
elegant orations pronounced in his praise, you
see nothing of Washington below the clouds
nothing OF Washington the dutful son-the af-
fectionate brother-the cheerful schoolboy-
the diligent surveyor-the neat draftsman-the
laborous farmer-the widows husband-the
orphans father-the poor mans friend. No!
this is not the Washington you see; It's only
Washington the hero and the demigod-Wash-
ington the sunbeam in council or the storm in
war"
There is no doubt that Weems succeeded in
his purpose. Read again the story of the
Ratchet; it absolutely proves that George Wash
ington was once boy, even if an abnormally
truthful one:
'When George was about six years old he
was made the wealthy master of Ratchet, of
which, like most little boys, he was immoderate-
ly fond, and was constantly going about chop
ping everything that came in his way One day
in the garden, where he often amused himself
hacking his mothers pea-sticks, he unluckily
tried the edge Of his Ratchet on the body of a
beautiful young English cherry tree, which he
barked so terribly that don't believe the tree
ever got the better of it. The next morning the
old gentleman, finding what had befallen his
tree, which, by the by, was great favorte
came into the house, and with much warmth
/ Il IL. II,T "a
the same time that he would not have taken
five guineas for his tree. Nobody could tell
him anything about it, Presently George and
! his Ratchet made their appearance.
George said his father, do you know who
killed that beautiful little cherry tree yonder in
the gardenP
staggered under it moment but quickly re-
covered himself, and looking at his father with
the sweet face of youth frightened with the in
expressible charm of all-conquering truth he
bravely cried out: 4 can't tell lie, Pa; you
know can't tell lie. l did cut it with my
Ratchet
q" Run to my arms, you dearest boy cried
his father in transports; run to my arms; glad
am l, George, that you killed my tree; for you
have paid me for it thousand-fold. Such an
act of heroism in my son is more worth than a
thousand trees, though blossomed with silver
and their fruits of purest gold "
Weems may have done his work extrava-
! gantly; in some of his Homeric moods the
metaphors and SMILES may lombard the ear
the moral may be spread on rather lavishly;
but the work touched the soul of the nation
No less than 20 editions appeared in less than So
! years.
TO-DAY
The Day We Celebrate.