Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-02-09

Special to Indiana Daily Times
and Philadelphia Public Ledger.
NEW YORK, Feb. "a bullseye COLO
watch once worn by President George
Washington, along with other Washing,
ton relics and memorial ilia is to be sold
at auction In New York City on Wash
ington's birthday. The priceless time
piece was inherited in direct line OF
descent by its present owner, William
Lanier Washington of 105 East Nine
tenth street, the heredity representative
of President Washington in the Society
of the Cincinnati through Col. William
Augustine Washington also willed 1t to
his grandson, James Barrol Washing
ton, father Of the living Mr.. Washington.
President Washington was childless,
the people Of his day and ever since
rightly calling him the Father of his
country. But he left a flock of nephews
and nieces He willed swords to five OF
his nephews, the eldest, Col. William
Augustine Washington, having first
choice.
MY ancestor received the sword given
to President Washington by Frederick
The Great" said William Lanier Wash
ington. This sword is now the prop
erty of the State of New York, having
been acuired through the widow and sec
ond wife Of Col Lewis William Wash
ington, who was my grandfather. Another
gold watch than the one ! am offering
was given by President Washington to
another of his nephews. Justice Bushrod
Washington of the United States Supreme
Court also, in turn, willed 1t to his
friend, Robert Adams Of Philadelphia,
and 1t is still in the Adams family"
GIVING UP TREASURES
VERY ELUCTANTLY.
Mr. Washington is parting with his
family treasures with the keenest reluc
tance and he said to me that he was
most anxious for the relics to find good
homes. a quarter Of a century ago he
lived in Pittsburgh, and was chairman
of the board Of directors of the Pitts
burgh Sheet Steel Company and presi-
dent of the Elliott Washington Steel
Company.
I'VE sold our mills to what is now the
United States Steel Corporation and just
twenty-five years ago l came to New
York City to live" said Mr.. Washington.
For seven years I was out of business
Then l entered a brokerage house for a
few years, and since my retirement from
that firm l have engaged in no bust
ness"
Mr. Washington is tall. slender and
gray-haired. He bears a striking re-
semblance to some of the Gilbert Stuart
paintings OF PRESIDENT W aS0lnStOn. lie
like President Washington, Is childless,
the last Of his line after four generations
Of only-son ancestors. In a sense Mr..
Washington is doubly related to Presi-
dent Washington, for his ancestor, Col.
William Augustine Washington, married
his own first cousin, Jane Washington, q
sister of Justice Bushrod Washington and
q daughter of Col. John Augustine Wash
ington, who was a full brother of Presi-
dent Washington.
Col. William Augustine Washington
was a son of Col. Augustine Washing
ton, who was an elder half brother OF
George Washington.
MORE PRECIOUS
AS YEARS PASS.
AS the United States grows older the
more precious becomes momentoes and
relies which quicken into reality the
lives and characters of our early states
men. These bits Of human history. how
ever, are fewer and farther apart as the
years go by, so that sale Of authentic
| Washington relics is an event Of interest
not only to the collector, but to the
whole American public.
The bulk Of the treasures which vii
liam Lanier Washington finds himself
obliged to dispose Of came into his pos
session by direct inheritance. Their ex-
tent was augmented by the intermar-
riages Of his antecedents, purchases from