Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-02-22
WASHINGTON DIARY
SHOWS THDAY
WAS FEBRUARY Il.
ERs DISCOVER LOST
DOCUMENT IN DEPARTMENT or
STATE LlRRARY-TELLS OF 1895
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION.

York, Pa, Feb % (By the 4. P)
Discovery of diary kept by George
Washington during the last year G.
his life was announced last night by
George X, Prowell, curator and libra
Iiau Of the Historical Society of YORK
County
While searching through unclasst
led documents in the library of Tie
department of state &C WASHINGTON" "
Mr. Prowell said. another gentleman
and myself found the lost diary of
Washington, written during the time
lie was President and until his death"
one of the first entries written lay
Washington on his birthday reveals
that in the last year of Washington
life the people Of Virginia observed
Feb II, instead OF Feb. -. as the an
niverSary of his birth.
Washington was born in 1892. which
was twenty years before the Gregorl4n
calendar was accepted in England and
the United States His BIRTHDAY
therefore, was recorded in the family
Bible as Feb. H. 1882, and Feb. IL con.
Lnued to be observed in Virginia
until 1910.
The entry Of Feb. II. 1893. reads
Feb. II. 1893, I went mp 10 Alex
andria to the celebration OF my birth !
day. Many maneuyers were perform.
ed by the uniform military companies I
and an elegant BAN and supuar AZ (
Light On the following day re- /
turned to my home
The diary contains several refer /
ences to the marriage Of Eleanor
Rarke Custis adopted daughter orl
General Washington. and to Lawrence
Lewis a favorite nephew. Mr. Prov.
al quotes a letter written Tuesday |
Feb. ~. TO Captain George Deneala.
clerk OF the Fairfax County Court
Ii said.
You viii please to grant q license
for the marriage Of Eleanor Parte
Gusts with Lawrence Lewis. and this
shall be your authority for so doing |
This was followed on Feb - by this
ertry:
The Rev. Mr. Davis and Mr. Ge0ra-
Calvert came to dinner. and Miss
Gusts was married about candle liehtI
10 Mr. Lawrence Lewis"
During the spring Washington h.
gan to turn his attention to the grow. .
ing crop on his plantations and to fish
cries which he owned along the banks
Ct the Potomac These duties, To-
gether with the harvesting of the
crops, occupied his attention through
fhe summer and autumn.
On July 4, 1923. he celebrated Tnda.
pendence day by attending a banquet
at kemps Tavern in Alexandria given
in his honor by the citizens Of the /
town. 4 few DAYS previous the chief
Justice Of the United States and dis
tineuished party Of friends dined with i
the Washington family at Mount Vs- Il
non.
The day Of July was spent in writ +
ing his last will. which consisted Of +
tWenty-nine pages of manuscript. an ,
Of which he wrote himself afixing =,
Ills signature at the bottom of each "
page.
In November, 1899. about six weeks
before his death, he noted in his diary =
he fact that he had spent two days "
making a re-survey Of one Of his plan
ations The last few entries refer i
mainly 10 the weather
On Dec 2, while riding. he caught .
The cold which resulted two days later v
IN his death. He was not i'll enough D
The following day, Dec Il, however. ta G.
prevent his writing in the diary. and eI
ne made the following record: fc
Morning showing and about three o
inches deep. Wind at northeast and sc
mercury at 30. Continued showing w
ntil / o'clock and about four il be- --
anne perfectly clear. wind in the same =
lace, but not hard" Al
This was the last entry of the diary y,
nd, Mr. Prowell said, was the last Eb
iece Of writing executed by him. lie MI
ecame seriously i'll between , and 3 ss
clock the next morning and his n
cath occurred that night. mi