The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-02-21
FIRST PRESIDENT
CENTER OF GREAT
NUMBER OF MYTHS
Traditions and Anecdotes OIL
Country's Father Gathered
for Celebration
LED AN INTERESTING LIFE
CaIIantry with Women and
Ability to Drive Hard Bar
gain Are Emphasized

Washington. Feb. 21.-NEA)-No
man in American history Is the sub
iect of quite so many traditions,
MYTHS and anecdotes as Georg.
washington. And Washington's birth
day is a good day for reviewing some
Of the best Of the old stories.
The Bicentennial Commission,
which is preparing a nation = VIDE
celebration in honor of W~ashingtons
2OOth birthday anniversary II 1857
is collecting such stories wherever IL
can and has chosen DR.. Albert BUSH
nell Hart Of Harvard. n OF the
country's foremost historians. to pass
,,pon them. It Is asking all Amer
leans who have family traditions. let
tiers or other old-time documents
dealing with Washington to COM,
municate with it: and herewith are
presented some Washington stories.
Among the many anecdotes aoouc
Washington. there are few that nave
a humorous tinge. One OF tnesc
rarities, however. tells how the fatner
of his country, at an early age. went
swimming In a river and was ROBBED
Of all Of his clothing and oy TWO
girls. at that! 49,,
washington was 10 at the time. n
WAS ENJOYING a swim in the Kappa
hammock. The two girls appeared
from nowhere and decamped with his
clothing. Evidently 1t was not a
practical joke. IS they took his watcn
and money from his pockets. Later
they were caught, and when 1t de-
yeloped that they had vicious har
acters"-as the old chroniclers put It
they we're whipped and imprisoned.
Just how Washington got home.
whether in a barrel or otherwise, Is
not stated.
Visited In Barbados
In ISL George Washington and his
older brother. Lawrence. went to the
island of Barbados in the British
West Indies for a visit. Here, for the
first time In his life, Washington
went to a theater. witnessing a play
called "The Austere Tragedy OF
George Barnwell." It was we'll
named, apparently: its action follow
ed q gradual decline OF the principal
character. who started out as an ap'
prentice boy took 70 picking pockets.
became a robber and finally was
hanged for murder.
Washington was lavishiy enter
tanned in Barbados and when he went
home reported himself distressed by
the lavish habits OF the inhabitants.
One feature that especially ~displeased
him was the custom of making q din
ner, at 3 every afternoon, OF beefsteak.
tripe and rum. incidentally, 1t was
at Barbados that Washington caught
the smallpox, the marks Of which he
carried on his face for the rest OF
his life.
Various biographers have remarked
that Washington had a high temper.
which occasionally vented itself In an
imprisoned outburSt. Once. 1t Is re-
corded, during the Revolution. Wash
ington ordered an officer to cross the
Delaware river to get some informa-
ton about the position of the British
troops. It was mid-winter, and in a
short time the officer returned, re-
porting that it was very dark and
that the river was full of floating ice,
so that he had not been able to cross.
In a fury. Washington seized an
inkstand and flung 1t at the officers
head. go get me a mani" he cried
in anger. The officer, impressed.
went back, braved the floating ice
crossed the river and got the infor-
nation desired.
Burned the River
Shortly after the close Of the Rev.
olution, Washington invited two
friends-Thomas Paine. author OF
THE Rights Of Man" and a General
Lincoln-to go up the Potomac with
him and watch him burn the river"
The three got into a rowboat and
went upstream several miles. Dark
ness came, and they headed up 4
small inlet. The friends noticed that
Washington took pains to sink his
oars deeply into the water, stirring
up mud from the bottom. At last he
stopped the boat. struck a light and
ignited a piece OF paper, and dropped
the blazing paper on the water. Sure
enough, the surface Of the river took
fire, and for several minutes q merry
blaze danced on the water.
Paine and Lincoln were perplexed
and Washington explained. The mud
at the bottom Of the creek, he said,
held q gaseous substance. When the
mud was stirred up. the inflammable
gas came to the surface, where 1t
could be lit.
When washington was II his faith
er died. Shortly thereafter he got q
commission as midshipman In the
British navy. Everything was ready
for hts departure when he received q
letter from his mother, ~forbiddine
him to 60. Disappointed but obed!-
emit, he turned back and gave up hia
commission. AS q reward, his mother