Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-06
Another Washington
Monument
ny Frederic .. Hsssin

monument TO George Warrington thaD
the impressive marble splfe which serves
10 well ar lookout for tourists.
This other Washington monument
consists Of the remains II the locks aud
stone walled channels which were built
by the Potomoc Company, of which Wash
ington was president, ia an effort 70 make
the river Dayigable and 10 establish
trade route TO the West. A good many
Americans have seen the part OF the work
which is in the vicinity of Great Falls,
Virginia. A rock-walled channel with
crude locks waa here constructed 20 carry
the canal boats past the falls, and IL
still remains sufficiently intact 10 carry
water Modern engineers say that j, was
well-planned and constructed, and II ~
said the European engineers of that time
who saw it ia operation proclaimed = a
great engineering feat.
A little farther up the river there
is long channel, which was built APP
parently for the purpose OF getting around
a shallow rapid ia the stream. This chan
ncl may still be traced for the CREATOR
part Of its length, showing intact rock
walls eight or ten feet high along much
Of its length. II is hard To realize that once
this channel carried much of the com
rnerce Of the West down 10 the sea in
fat boats propelled with poles. Today
it runs through forest. This part Of Vir-
ginia in singularly wild and isolated.
Tobacco exhausted it's soil long sgo Com
merce has deserted the river for the rail
roads. Much Of the land IL run " timber.
Great sycanores throw their branches
across George Washington canal, and
solid forest shuts ID in on either hand.
5aplings nearly n foot thick have thrust
Al al y.
There is 70 sound but that made by the
hurrying water Occasionally = lone canoe
ist comes this way for the thrill Of run
ming the fast water. He sees no living
thing but a flock Of wood ducks, perhaps,
or a big red fox squirrel high in tree.
WASHINGTON A BUSINESS Man.
This forgotten work, which seems 70
puny beside the great engineering fea's
of today, represented Washington . effort
TO fulfill the purpose which occupied the
greater part Of his life. That purpose was
70 esta blisiI connection with the West
in order 0 bind the new nation together,
and also % enric h himself.
For Washington was q business man
and unoney-naker both before he was
the Father Of his Country and when he
had retired from its service. He hes been
Of sanity sacrifices that he remains
scarcely human As matter Of fact, he
was a very typical American, the fore
runner Of the hustling, pushing, money
Making, property-worshipping Apterica
of today. He was the richest man Of his
times, and he was always getting richer
reaching out for lands, renting them and
selling them.
When Washington was a young man
he was sent by Lord Fairfax 20 survey
the latter's western lands. Washington
saw clearly that these rich bottom lands
Just beyond the Ohio were sure 20 become
immensely valuable. He determined 70
get his share Of them while the getting
was good. He went ba ok 10 the West
himself and he hired agents there. He
took I'D all the lands the law allowed and
bought out the claims Of others for az
little as q penny an acre. He was soon the
owner Of rich bottom lands in the Ohio
and Kanawha valleys % the amount OF
10000 acres, and had surveyed some TO-
600 acres or with a view 70 acquiring them.
The getting of these lands the renting
and selling Of them. and the effort 70
reach them with some sort Of transDor-
tation, so that their full value might De
realized. were the concerns Of the greater
part of George Washington's life.
STRICT LANDLORD.
Thus In 1854 we find him ADVERT sing
for tenants. He states very explicitly ana
at great length ON just what terms he vii
rentithe lands. The rent on some OF them,
which cost him perhaps penny an acre or
nothing at all, IS fixed at a shilling an
acre 20 start II IS also provided that the
rent shall increase at & certain liked rate
every wear, and that the tenant must
clear FIVE acres for every hundred acres
rented and must build certain buildings.
Thus did George Washington put men 20
work for him, and make them pay gold
into his Golfers by merely having the
foresight to fiie certain patents. Truly,
he was the Father OF MS Country IN more
ways than one, and not al OF ms shrewd-
ness was expended IN foOllng the British
Army.
Where acts of Providence interfere TO
TO disable tenant. he wrote one Of his
agents. 4 would be lenlent II the exaction
OF rent, but when the cases are otherwise
! viii nor be put of. ...
George was a good landlord vel as
good general.
The idea Of building trade route 70 the
West was in Washlngton's mind before
WAL anu ~ ANNa-AAC -&AS AAA~AseA NSA-NGAl
again immediately after the war There
was discussion at that time Of the improve
inert of the Potomac River in order 70
make it nayigahle. II must be remembered
that at that time not only were there DO
railroads, but the construction and use Of
canals had not been perfected. r vers
were the chief means OF transportation
The tobacco crop Of Virgins moved 10
the sea by rivers and sire ans. many Of
them SO small that they would not be
considered worth improving today. The
streams Of this section today stiil show
here and there the rotting remains and
scattered foundation stones OF old wharves
and warehouses which served their pur-
pose long ago.
A ROUTE TO THE WEST.
George Washington set his face stern
" against any plan for the improvement
of the Patomac which did not include 3
complete route to the West. He made
many and brilliant arguments in favor Of
his plan He pointed out that the pioneer
settlements must be linked TO Virginia:
otherwise they would naturally turn to
the Spaniards at the South. Doubtless
he was right. And doubtless he did not
forget that he owned $4,000 acres Of land
in that West which would be greatly IN
creased in value if transportation should
reach it.
Potomac Company was organized with
Washingt on president,in 1854 with the pur-
pose of carving out his plan IN full The