Evening star., 1925-11-01


4 \ stands out from the personal
papers, the Washington docu-
mentS. diaries and letters in the pos
session of the Library of Congress.
This is the impression of the assistant
chief of the manuscript division, John
G. FitZSpatrick, under whose especial
care these papers rest, and who has
just edited. at the behest OF the regents
of Mount Vernon, one of the most
interesting groups of these papers.
Washington's personal diaries.
Mr.. Fitzpatrick characterizations
are derived from over a score OF years
of familiarity with the manuscripts.
Since 1897 dates his service with the
Library of Congress. In those days
the national collection was still within
the walls of the Capitol itself. Mr..
Fitzpatrick as a Library employe help
ed to move the works of the Nation s
library to their new home in the
shadow of the dome. Not many years
later he rose to the position he now
occupies in one of the most important
and fascinating of the Library depart,
mentS.
During the years of his services his
interest has centered mainly about the
papers of the first great American.
Mr.. Fitzpatrick in his own words is
branded as washington enthu-
siast." He says it with Il sparkle of
complete satisfaction in such u state
of affairs. He adds in defense of
himself. with a complimentary in.
ference for the Father Of Our Country.
You can't use the Washington
papers without becoming a Washing
ton enthusiast. 1t is impossible for
man to disguise himself in the
papers he leaves. There his char
acter Is perfectly plain
Behind the austere statesman OF
the text books and popular fancy there
lived, and still does live in the papers,
a personality with endearing char
acteristics, a Washington with droll
albeit grave. sense of humor. with a
quiet. deep passion for farming, with
fine canny shrewdness, with Il vision
seeing farther than the next day.
"WAsHINGToN was austere. there
w is no doubt about that" says
Mr. Fitzpatrick. But with all his dig
nifty and coldness. he, had very little
egotism. He considered himself not
George Washington. but the President
Of the United States and the Comman-
der of the Army. Washington was
what his job was" Once. for instance,
he had to write a letter of reprimand
II.
OF Saratoga Springs. when Gates
thought he was the biggest thing in
the world. Gates had stopped the ship
ment of some arms to Valley Forge.
converting them to his own use. al
though he did not really need them
he only thought he did. Washington S
aide wrote, in Washingtons name,
stating that Gates action greatly en-
bsrrassed and injured me-" Washing
ton crossed out the phrase and said
instead. greatly embarrassed the
service
washingt6f,is life Mr.. Fitzpatrick di-
vides into periods something after
this fashion: From his boyhood
through the French and Indian War,
which is the period of his colonial
service and his marriage to Mrs.
Custis; from his marriage to the Revo-
luton when he was a gentleman
farmer and a member of the Virginia
House of Burgesses; the period Of the
Revolution, including the preparatory
period of the Continental Congresses
to which he was a delegate and by
which he was appointed commander
in-chief Of the American forces; the in
terim of five years after the close of
the revolution in which Washington
went back to the main business Of his
life, farming; and his eight years as
President. and lastly the three years
Of peaceful farming again, ending
with his death.
washington was always a farmer"
explained Mr.. Fitzpatrick; lit was the
thing he loved. Whenever he saw a
piece of good land he yearned toward
IT even though he could not acquire 1t.
Good land to him meant good farm
la nd. He owned and worked five large
units around Mount Vernon. He had
large establishment of slaves to do
the manual labor for him. But he
himself rode daily around every one
Of those farms to oversee the work. -
To one land purchase, Mr.. Fitz.
patrick thinks, there may have been a
little sentiment attached. Washington
bought the site of Fort Necessity, the
spot on which took place his first bat.
tie. But sentiment or no sentiment. II
was good farm land. and it was for
farm land that Washington used it.
The papers reveal Washington as
an indefatigable worker and as q
physical giant. Otherwise he never
could have stood the test to which he
put himself. Mr.. Fitzpatrick, making
experiments with the papers, believes
that while in command of the Army
Washington could hardly have had
more than five hours sleep in any "a
Even then they were not regular
hours, nor were they necessarily con
secutive. He was a persistent worker
but a sportsman also, finding time to
ride and to hunt. He made the rounds
| OF his farms daily, whether he could
gallop over on horseback, or whether
he had to go on foot because the snow
} was too deep for the animal to ploW