The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-10-21
Frederick Haskin' S LetterI
An Historic l;rsiis;a City

.rredsricksbprg. Va, Oct. MI
Z city can have ( hobby. TIE hobby
OF Fredeficksburg II certainly it,
historic past. It has been claimed
th1t Fredericksburg has more an
Client, reminiscent, and historical
holdings than any other town OF its
size in the country, and the claim.
We are told. has stood unrefuted.
Ffedericksburg's patriotic and
Antiquarian societies have delved
into records and. they have rever-
emily preserved what they could
Of the ancient buildings about
which traditions cling. The result
il that IN historic atmosphere over
sprsads the town down to the very
edge 1T the business district. where
automobiles. drygoods, and grocer
les are being sold in lively. goth
century fashion. Outside Of these
busting streets Fredericksburg is
. beautiful, quiet old place with at
tfactive homes set. in old fashioned
gardens, and with the Rappahan-
mock flowing by at one side.
The river has it's share OF his
toric association, especially at this
point. This is the place where
Washington threw stCns-or az
some biographers say, u Spanish
dollAr--across, and then swan
over after. it. The course Of the
RappahaAhock has changed con-
siderably, so that the teat can no
longer be estimated, though it
stands ON record a. . most diMcult
achievement.
This is the river, too, up which
Captain John Smith sailed In 1908
and it was near here that hs~ was
attacked by the fierce Rappahan-
mock Indian tribe.
A little more than . century
later, in 1873, George Washington
was born, and the same year Fred
ericksbufg became an Incorporated
city. A few more years and George
was attending Pars0n AArye'6
school in Freder3cksbufg.
George Washington made his
tory in more than one house IN this
Virginia town. lafayette stopped
at several houses on his INSISTS
here. Patrick Henry, James Min
roe, Charles Dickens. and Washing
ton Irving, are among the other
noted visitors. But the most pic
turesque Of ali the famous folk
about whom Fredericksburg cit
liens repeat oh anecdotes ID Mary
Ball Washington. mother Of the
father Of his country.
The Mary Ball house is one Of
the main sights Of the place. 1t is
a modest, creann-colored frame
residence, a story and a half in
height, with dofmer windows pro-
tecting from the abruptly sloping
roof.
Gabled Roofs Explained
Why 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 q tax was levied on all
two story houses and builders
evaded the tax by constructing
steep gabled roots over an attic
story.
Most historians say that Mary
Washington moved into this colon
ial residence when her son George
was 43 years old. 1t is certain that
she spent the last years OF her life
here. Her sons rise to fame made
no difference in her style of living.
She knew no excuse for idleness,
and SO long as her strength per-
mitted she continued to weave.
bake, and direct her small retinue
Of servants.
She drove daily in a gig across
the Rappahannock to the farm on
which her children had spent their
childhood. A spot on Main street
IL still pointed out az the place
where Mrs. Washington always
stopped her carriage in order to
drink teddy. After taking this
stimulant she Mould direcs her
driver to proceed to the
farm, where she went about
Inspecting the farm work and per-
haps cutting slips for her home
garden. A jug Of water from the
spring out of which her husband
and children had once been accus-
TONED to drink wss also carried
back to town regularly by Mrs
Washington.
/ When Lafayette came to pay his
respects to the mother Of his great
friend, Mrs. Washington, then al
old woman, was found busily burn.
ing weeds ip her garden. She was
! dressed in plain homespun and