Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17
BY WILLIAM W. Ellsworth.


Ratchet is perhaps the most
famous. 1t has been synonym for
truth the world around, told In many
languages, in the huts Of the Eskimos,
In the kraal Of the black man in
South Africa; doubtless 1t has been
the means Of showing many youths
that honesty is the best policy. and
so has justified Parson weems in
himself telling whopper that others
may refrain from following in his
Footsteps. Perhaps he did not tell a
/ whopper. perhaps the Incident really
happened-we may never know. ..
George Washington was nearly
thirty years old when Mason Locke
Weems was born in Virginia, so 1t is
apparent that Weems never had the
, opportunity personally TO acquaInt
himself with anything that happened
in Washlngton's youth. He was at
one time rector Of Pohick Church,
seven miles from Mount Vernon,
which Washington attended, and he
was doubtless known 60 the general,
but in the dedication of his life of
Washington "to Mrs. Martha Wash
ington. the illustrious. relict Of Gen
George Washington" he signs him
self, your sincere though unknown
friend" showing that he could not
have been very intimate with the
family.
IN 1890 weems gave up his parish
and became q book agent, and a
| man who could dispose Of 5000 high
priced Bibles in one year was no
| mean book agent. And in the inter-
walls of selling books he played the
fiddle at fairs and balls, and some
times he preached. And always he
| had a sense OF humor which made life
/ very agreeable for Mason L. Weems.
He wrote books. too. The Life Of
Washington" was his second book,
| and this he followed with Lives Of
! Franklin and William Penn and Gen.
| Marion"
He once wrote this letter to Wash
; Ington. undated:
Highly honord sir: Herewith I
send your copy Of the American Edi-
| ton Of Blair's Sermons. which you
,
which you paid. 1 have taken upon
, me to CT 'culate moral and religious
| books among the people. with which
II know that your excellency as the
Father OF the People Is not displeased.
Bishop Madison, Mr.. John Dickinson
and Or. Wharton have set me on a
good work. l. G.. to reprint. II possible,
| a large and cheap American edition
| Of the good old Bishop Wilson's
Works. / am not ignorant Of the
services which your excellency has
! had the happiness to render TO my
| country and hope you will not be an
cry with me for saying that I have
gratitude enough earnestly to wish to
make your excellency a present OF an
elegant copy of the above very valu
able work. Your eXceilency's name
will greatly help our undertaking and
so render a real blessing TO our coun-
try, as we'll as a lasting obligation
on your excellency's sincere we'll
wisher.
1T am not very superstitious. but
have this work 80 much at heart that
IL your excellency should frown on 1t
1t may make me unhappy at times. as
should be afraid that God Almighty
does not think me worthy Of such an
honor"
But Washington was rather par
ticuiar about his Endorsements and
he frowned on Mr.. weems' scheme.
Weems' life Of Washington appear
! ed In 1900, soon after the death OF the
general At first it was only PAM
phlet Of eighty-two pages. but. like
the little peach, sit grew and grew"
in each edition.
THE cherry-tree story appeared
first in tho fifth edition, printed
in Augusta, Ga, In 1905. Not long
ago I read in a contribution to His
story, because Gen. Washington had
story because Gen. Washington had
never denied IL in his lifetime. Per-
haps, that 1t was not heard Of until
six years after his death was one
reason, and another was that even If
The had been alive weems' work would
iron the men who would not allow
'any of his important deeds to be
talked Of in his presence and whose
walls no captured battle flags adorned.
weems did not put his name on the
title page as author until the second
edition. The pamphlet was written
lin an ordinary style, containing few
anecdotes. The opening paragraphs
are as follows:
This truly great man, the third son
iof Mr., Augustin Washington, was
lborn in Stafford county on the ED
day OF February, 1882. He was the
second son by second marriage,
circumstance which 1t is hoped will
leffectually stop the mouths of those
enemies to American population. who
are eternally bawling against second
marriages. And It Is likewise hoped
that it will comfort the nerves of
those chicken-hearted bachelors who
are afraid to wed-afraid to wander
in the Elysian fields Of matrimony,
lest they should encounter group of
their own angel-faced children.
Timid mortals, depopulators of your
Washington was the second son--and
the son Of second marriage!
Ills education was Of the private
and proper sort. Dead languages,
Ipride and pedantry had no charms for
him, who always preferred sense to
sound the kernel to the shell. A
grammatical knowledge of his mother
tongue, the mathematics, geography,
history. natural and moral philosophy
were the valuable objects of his
youthful studies, and in these he