Evening star., 1928-02-19

! George Washington remodeled and
| improved the old grist mill at
Mount Vernon and developed a profit
able system OF marketing the wheat and
other bread grains which he raised and
made into -four or baked ship biscuits
A creek, tributary OF the Potomac,
| provided the power to turn the cum
bersome millwheel and also served as
| a waterway for navigation. Sailing
ships from the seven seas came I'D the
river and creek from the Atlantic and
moored at Washington's mill wharf.
| where they loaded cargoes OF -four and
barreled biscuits. When the prices OF
wheat and -four we're low Washington
! had his colored cooks bake stupcndous
| supplies OF ship biscuit, which were
! packed In barrels and sold to the
mariners as nutritious provisions.
| The Mout Vernon -four mill produced
a fine quality product. It's fame gained
such importance In the British isles
| that the English customs ofYlcers even
! tually passed all Of Washington's flour
on the basis OF its origin and label with
out opening and examining each ship
mcnt. Washington's diaries record that
at times he sold as many as 900 bar
rels of -four In one cargo
| II was five years before the first
gun OF the Revolutionary War when
| George Washington rebuilt the grist
mill at Mount Vernon. Five years later
/ a very satisfactory mill race was COM
pleted. For scores OF years the mill
was known throughout the country
side az Jacks Mil" 1t was designated
! thus In honor OF the miller who was
! In charge He served as a soldier In
Washington's legion during the war
which resulted In the independence
! 0! the American colonies Many years
| ago the wharf and mill collapsed In
+; ruins. while the creek and millracc
we're filed up. Unless you delve deep
! into Mount vernon's remarkable hts
! tory you would never believe that these
! -four grinding facilities and marketing
!, agencies existed.
! Schools OF herring and whitcfish ran
abundantly during the years when
| George Washington resided along the
popular Potomac. The general super
| yised the construction Of a small fish,
ing schooner, purchased many seines
and nets and annually fostered COM
merciai fishing. The herring. In par
| ticulat, were saited, barreled and
stored away for Winter use The sur
plus was marketed In the neighb0ring
cities. One note In Washing,on's diary
/ is 10 the effect that 300 large white
! flth were caught In a single haul
/ U)dhY.
The inconspicuo,is charities OF Wash
! ington were many and well directed
Fsr example. he maintained one OF
| his best fishing stations as a place
where the poor and needy could ilsh.
Washington furnished the unfortunates
with fishing tackle. seines and similar
paraphernalia. II they were too aged
or inflrm 10 handle the seines effectively
he frequently assigned some OF his
farm hands to assist these fishermen.
| George Washington also followed the
annual practice of filiing one large crib
with charity corn" His orders 10 his
manager were that this corn should
be given as needed 10 the deserving
poor. The manager was authorized To
investigate each Case In order 10 make
sure that the grain ~as distributed
only among those who really needed II,
| -
nv the colonial days, when Wash"
inFt0n farmed ~ Mount Vernon,
tobacco was the cherished cash crop
~ the countryside. Tobacco was ussd
as medium OF exchange. and hence