Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-11-08
LITTLE STORIES OF
THE STREET
By
The Man About Town

How many people know that george
Washington was Marshal OF France
Don't all answer at once. We didn't
know it either until we ran across
the COPY of a letter written by George
W P. Gusts to the Frederick En-
aminer dated Arlington House, Aug
ust Is. 1857. in which that gentle
man says: :,
"The history of the title, Marshal
of France, attached to General wash
inqton in 1881, is simply this
when, in that year, Col. Laurens went
to France as special ambassador, a
difficulty arose between him and the
French Minister as TO the command
of the combined armies in America.
Our heroic Laurens said Our Chief
must command; it is our cause ana
the battle is on our SOIL
It is impossible exclaimed the
Frenchman, by the etiquette of the
French service, the Count De Rocham-
beau, being an old Lieutenant-Genera
can only be commanded by the King
in person. or a Marshal of France
Then! exclaimed Laurens, make
our Washington Marshal of France,
and the difficulty is az an end 1t was
done. A friend of mine heard Wash
ington spoken of as Monsieur lie Mar
eschal, at the siege of Yorktown. Our
beloved Washington never coveted or
desired rank or title; but it is beyond
a doubt that from the force Of cir
cumstances just related, the rank and
title Of Marshal of France was con-
ferred upon the General-in-Chief Of
the combined armies Of France and
America"
The letter quoted above merely adds
another item to the generally I'M
known facts concerning the Father
of His Country" The title in itself
stands for nothing in America. The
fact that the French bestowed that
title upon an American shows the
confidence and trust reposed in Wash
ington by our allies abroad. So far as
we have been able to ascertain the
title had never before been so award
ed, nor was it~ever afterwards con-
ferred upon any save soldier OF
France, wearing the uniform of his
own country.
An Alexandrian has perfected a
contrivance designed to count the
number of eggs which certain hen
may lay in certain length of time.
1t is built along the lines of speedo-
meter and attaches to Biddy's leg by
aluminium clasps. 1t will when put
upon the market cost about twenty
dollars and the patentee alleges that
it will be much cheaper to install his
contrivance upon your barnyard pets
than it will be to hire q boy to keep
tabs on your henhouse output with
an adding machine. So much for mod
ern scientific achievements.
what do you think of our present
Jury system ?" inquired the Man About
Town Of a certain well known attorney
while discussing the possibilities of
the State securing conviction in a
certain muchly discussed murder case.
Really it is getting So that if a
man should plead guilty to murder
an~try to get hung the jury would in
some way manage to discover a way
to acouit him." said the attorney,
"and if there happened to be a wo-
man in the case-well you know what
chance we have to convict a pretty
woman on any sort of charge from
shoolifting to high treason. It simply
isn't being done"
Ten million people throughout the
United States have been made fami-
liar with the proper preventative mea-
sures to adopt in fighting the spread
Of cancer through the activities of
the American Society for the Control
of Cancer during Cancer Week.
Letters are coming from all over
the country" writes. the society's rep
resentative at 25 West Forty-ffth
Street. New York City, asking for
specific data and advice in individual
cases. Every letter will be answered
as soon as We have on opportunity to
get to it."
We hone that there isn't a case in
this section of the country. But where
doubt exists the best policy to pur-
sue is the safety first method.