Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1934-02-14

VUKkW through the ages. Without going into
all the technical details of the cal
endar's early history, suffice 1t to
say that In 1882 the Julian calendar year (estab-
lished by Julius Caesar and modified somewhat
by Augustus Caesar) was ten days ahead of the
true solar year. SO Pope Gregory XVIII ordered
that October 8 be regarded as October Is, thus
dropping out 10 days, and also made some
changes In computing leap years.
But 1t was not until 1852 that the Gregorian
year was adopted by Great Britain and her colo
MES. Then IL days were dropped between Sep
TENDER 3 and September IA. Twenty years before
this a boy, to whom had been given the name of
George Washington, was born in England's col
ony of Virginia in North America. That event
had actually taken place on February II under
the old calendar system but when the Gregorian
calendar was applied and the calendar pushed up
i'll days 1t made his birthday February %. So
that Is why we celebrate on that date.
Where was George Washington born? Just as
he had two birthdays so did he have two
birthplaces"-that is, II we listen to the asser-
lions Of different "authorities"-and Just as q
matter Of II days of time separates bis "two
birthdays" so does a matter of approximately a
mile Of distance separate his two birthplaces."
Back in 1923 there was organized In Wash
ington, ID. O., by Mrs. Josephine Wheelwright
Rust, a descendant of John Washington. the orig
inal Washington emigrant to this country. and
by other interested persons an association known
as the Wakefield National Memorial association.
which was Incorporated under the laws of Vir-
ginia for the purpose of restoring Wakefield, the
house In which Washington was supposed to
have been born.
Through the generosity of John d. Rockefeller,
Jr, and other donors a large part of the planta-
&Fan 10 Cant Au0,otfpa uyochfuufop uroc nur.
chased and improvements made on 1t. In 1880
the federal government appropriated $4,000 for
the removal of the granite shaft, erected In 1896
to mark the site of Washington's birthplace, and
for the construction of a replica OF Wakefield
and the Improvement of the grounds. All of this
was established as the George Washington Birth
place National Monument and placed under the
jurisdiction of the national park service.
But during this time there was advanced the
disturbing theory by several specialists In Wash
ington that the association had improved the
wrong site as the birthplace of the Father Of
His Country He was not born at Wakefield on
the northwest bank of Popes creek, so they said,
but more than a mile away near the southeast
bank of Bridges creek, where the Washington
family graveyard Is located. The association was
positive enough that 1t was right to go ahead
with its work and the federal government seemed
satisfied. But at the same time that disturbing
theory would not die.
1t has remained for DR.. Charles o. Paullin of
the division of historical research In the Car
negie Institution Of Washington to make a search
In contemporaneous documents and to uncover
evidence which seems to settle the question con-
clusively and to prove that the Wakefield site
actually was the birthplace of Washington.
The story of the Investigation which Doctor
Paullin made, the evidence which he found and
the conclusions which he reached from them are
contained In a recent press release from the
Carnegie Institution, upon which the remainder
of this article is based. He says, in part:
The first land owned by the Washingtons on
the Popes Greek Bridges Greek peninsula was
purchased Of David Anderson In 1854 by John
Washington ~, the emigrant and great-grand-
father of George. On this tract, which contained
$50 acres and which lay on the southeast side
of Bridges creek, John established his home and
When he died In 1877, John QI), one
of his sons, Inherited the Anderson tract or
home plantation. Twenty years later it passed to
the wife of John (ID at his death, and at her
death to their son John Gid.
On the death of John ~ another son, Law
renee, grandfather of George, inherited lands
Bridges creek. In 1895 Lawrence purchased of
the heirs of David Liston 400 acres on the north
west side of Bridges creek adjoining the lands
of his brother John CID. On Lawrence's death
In 1903 the Liston tract and other nearby lands
fell to Capt. Augustine Washington, father of
George.
Augustine was married In IT'S and his first child
born In the following year. In 1717-171S he