The Topeka state journal., 1922-10-24
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Director,
Warrington, d. O
Az HISTORIC VIRGINIA. CITY.
Waahington, d. Q.

reminiscent and historical buildings
than any other town of its size in the
country, and the claim, we are told,
has stood unrefuted.
Fredericksburg patriotic and anti
quarian societies have delved into rec
ords and they have reverently pre-
served what they could of the ancient
buildings about which traditions cling.
The result is that an historic atmos-
phere overspreads the town down to
the very edge of the business district,
where automobiles, dry goods, and
| groceries are being sold in lively,
| twentieth century fashion. Outside OF
these bustling streets Fredericksburg
attractive homes set in old fashioned
gardens, and with the Rappahannock
flowing by at one side.
, The river has it's share of historic
association, especially at this point:
| This is the place where Washington
| threw a stone-or as some biographers
say, a Spanish dollar-across, and
! then swan over after it. The course
of the ~Rappahannock has changed
considerably, so that the feat can no
longer be estimated, tho it stands on
record as a most difficult achieve
ment.
This is the river, too. up which Capt.
John Smith sailed in 1908, and it was
near here that he was attacked by
the fierce Rappahannock Indian
tribe.
A little more than a century later,
| in 1892, George Washington was born,
and the same year Fredericksburg be-
came an incorporated city. A few
more years and George was attending
Parson Marye's school in Fredericks-
burg.
George Washington made history in
| more than one house in this Virginia
/ town. Lafayette stopped at several
houses on his visits here. Patrick
| Henry, James Monroe, Charles DICK
| ems, and Washington Irving are
among the other noted visitors. But
the most picturesque of all the famous
| folk about whom Fredericksburg cit
liens repeat old anecdotes is Mary
Ball Washington, mother of the Fa-
| ther of his Country.
The Mary Ball house is one of the
4 main sights of the place. It is mod
est, cream colored frame residence, a
story and a half in height, with dor
mer windows projecting from the
| abruptly sloping rooA.
Why a house should ever have been
built with a sloping second story like
| this it is hard for us to imagine. The
| explanation is that at one time a tax
was levied on all two story houses and
builders evaded the tax by construct
ing steep gabled roofs over an attic
| story.
Most historians say that Mary
Washington moved into this colonial
residence when her son George was
43 years old. It is certain that she
spent the last years of her life here.
Her sons rise to fame made no differ
ence in her style of living. She knew
no excuse for idleness, and so long as
her strength permitted she continued
to weave, bake, and direct her small
retinue of servants.
She drove daily in a gig across the
i Rappahannock to the farm on which
her children had spent their child
hood. A spot on Main street is still
| pointed out as the place where Mrs
Washington always stopped her car
riage in order to drink a toddy.. After
taking this stimulant she would direct
| her driver to proceed to the farm
where she went about inspecting the
farm work and perhaps cutting slips
for her home garden. A jug of wa
ter from the spring out of which her
husband and children had once been
accustomed to drink was also carried
back to town regularly by Mrs. Wash
ington.
1 When lafayette came to pay his re-
spects to the mother of his great
friend. Mrs. Washington, then an old
woman, was found busily burning
weeds in her garden. She was
dressed in plain homespun and wore
a white lawn cap ana a straw hat on
her head. She greeted the French
visitor cordially and took him into the
; house to have spiced gingerbread and
mint julep.
Most of the stories of Mary Wash
iington stress the stern, Roman matrou
! side of her character. SheSnever in
dulged in demonstrations of senti-
ment, yet she undoubtedly had {
tender spot in her heart for her son
George.
The honored and dignified Wash
Iington was always just her son George
to his mother. There is a tradition
that one day he rode up with severa.
officers to pay his mother a visit. She
tsaw them from the window, as the
, tstory goes. and called out a greeting
Pies for Two Only.
''I have just finished baking pies,
she added, "and there is enough fol
t So choose your man and come right
in"
Another characteristic story-is told
of Washington's visit not long after
+. the battle of Yorktown. He had mo-
seen his mother thruout the years Of
the war, tho couriers had kept her in.
formed of his achievements.
l Il am glad to see you, George. Yot
. have altered considerably was hel
. calm greeting.
Neither mother nor son had an,
r reference to make to victories or fame
George was a fine son in Mrs Wash
y ington's eyes, and she took it TO,
granted that he should do grea
e things.
e When a delegation came that da,
/ to invite her to attend the peace bali
j she accepted graciousiy. She appeared
= at the ball the same night, dresse
e neatly in black silk dress, and plai
T lawn cap fastened with tabs under he
chin. She stayed a while, respondin,
with dignity to the compliment
: shoWered upon her and then she Ief
o the brilliant company, saying, Come
GEORGE. ~ hn
: home
This peace ball, given in honor O
n Washington, is said by some his
itorians to have taken place at tn
g Rising Sun tavern, one of F,redericks
. burg's most historic buildings. Other
Il hold that the tavern had no room
n large enough to have been the seen
e OF so elaborate an affair. The dis
g pute has never been completely set
- tied, since both the old market hous
and the tavern have their supporter
it armed with arguments.
&c The Rising Sun tavern is not aItc