The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-02-22
REAL WASHINGTON
-. INTENSELY HUMAN
~ NO MEANS THE DEMIGoD HE
49, HAS BEEN DEPICTED.

Admittedly Of Violent Temper, but
With Strong Powers Of seif.con-
| trol-Naturaily Melancholy. J. I 4.
I The Father Of His Country would
hardly have fancied himself in; the role
Of q demigod-as folks nowadays are
disposed to regard him. He was very
human. .F'a4t.y:'"}. H. rt.,ll?.4aA 7,tf
@ When young man. his hair was de-
cidedly red. At the age Of tiftys he
was quite gray, and on occasions OF
ceremony his locks (done up in a
queue) were freely powdered, as was
the custom Of the day. j -: H..
His teeth from early manhood gave
him a great deal Of trouble. They were,
in fact, badly decayed--dentistry at
that period being an undeveloped art
and this circumstance rather married
his good looks when he smiled or
laughed. -
He was also considerably peck
marked, having suffered an attack of
smallpox at nineteen years Of age,
while in Barbados with his invalid
brother. Those were days when most
people had smallpox sooner or later
vaccination being as yet unthought Of.
| At fifty-seven (when inausurated as
President in New York;, he had lost
nearly all Of his teeth. He then wore
false set Of hippopotamus ivory,
which made him very uncomfortable.
In sitting for his most famous por-
trait. painted by Gilbert Stuart, his
lips were padded out with wad Of
| cotton.
He seems to have had little sense
of humor, and unquestionably was of
Il most melancholy temperament. The
dinners he gave In New York were
described by his guests as dull affairs.
As rule, he sat silent, rather sad Of
visage, and taking little part in the
conversation. While others talked, he
would keep tap-tapping on the table
edge with fork or spoon-a curious
habit he had.
He had pronounced weakness for
| gambling-though always held in
| check by reluctance to commit him
| self imprudently. a born SPECTATOR,
he was constantly engaged in land
deals. lie subscribed to every lottery
and rattle that came along, and would
| spend many hours at a stretch with Il
pack of cards, though usually a loser.
! 10 attend and bet on a horse race, he
often went to Annapolis, or even as
far as Philadelphia. 49,, .:
! Spelling was by no means his forte.
To the end Of his life. he wrote win
der" for window, ."latten" for Latin,
etc. Nor is this surprising inasmuch
as his education was finished in Il vii
lase school. The style Of his penman-
ship, SO neat and clear, followed the
lstereotyped copies OF the young
Mans Companion" which was the
! guide Of his boyhood.
|; At Mount Vernon he had a very de-
cent collection Of books, but his read
ing seems to have been restricted
mainly to works on farming and mill
| ;tAry science. How he managed to
evolve the classic literary style that
marks his public and private writings
lis puzzle not easy to solve.
The discussion here attempted, how
ever, Is not Of WashingtOn's many per-
fections, but Of his human weaknesses
to show that, like, the rest Of us.
he was far from godlike. This most
admirable of men had certainly a ter
rifle temper. He could swear on oc-
| :casions with alarming emphasis. A
story, well authenticated, is that he
pitilessly beat an Alexandria butcher
with a horsewhip because the meat
merchant had exposed for sale deer
that was recognized by the master OF
Mount Vernon as killed on his own
| plantation.
| In 1853, Il few months after his mar
rage, he wrote: II am now, l believe,
fixed ut this seat, with an agreeable
partner for life; and 1 hope to nnc
more happiness In retirement than l
have ever experienced amidst the wide
| and bustling world
! Note, If you please, that Washington
was then only twenty-seven years Old.
Yet his attitude of mind was elderly,
with a. touch of sadness. ..
, On his return to Mount Vernon,
after, the war, he wrote to Lafayette:
IT called to mind that was now de-
descending the hill I had been fifty-two
years in climbing, and that, though
blessed with good constitution. l
was of short-lved family, and might
soon expect to be entombed in the man
sion of my fathers. But ] win not re-
pine. have had my day.,
J. Think Of writing in such terms ut
ffty-two years of age Ia time, Of life
at which men nowadays consider that
they have barely reached their hey
day. Washington, as matter Of fact.
had still fifteen years to live, eight Of
which were to be spent in administer
! ing the affairs of the nation AS Its
President. siaE 10 = %i%fses,s. " IL. ~.
But he was always a melancholy man.
For many years before his death the
prospect Of his departure from this
world seems to have been constantly
III his mind Whence, presumably, the
| great Interest lie took in the removal
| az the old family burial vault at Mount