Show I GoodWill r Washington's ashington's Trip Through New I England Throughout New England October of this ear ear will III bring historic remind era for in that month in 1789 George Washington seven sc months after being s sworn orn in as First President dent of the United States began the first Presidential swing around the circle TIn That t is on October PresIdent Washington set out from the national capital then New York CIty for a good goodwill will Ill tour of the New England states President Washington's purpose United States we e are told by the George Washington Bicentennial com com- commISSIon commission commission mission in this visit was to give the people a sense of the fact that they now had a national government and he thought it a good thing for him himm hImself himself self to note the condition of the coon coun country country try and its people As usual Washington himself IS the best authority for what happened to him on this journey Methodical In all his actions he jotted down in his diary every fact and figure that struck him as worth worthy of note what he did record it is clear that either he was as not interested in the feeble stirrings of politics or else chose not to set down his observatIons observations observations His Ills concern was as rather for forthe forthe forthe the material thin th the thc political progress progress ress of the country and not a detail escaped him as to the condition of New England's farms industries shipping fisheries and h President Washington set out from New York at 9 in the morning of October and proceeded along what t h w as s then and n still is kno know known n as the rose rost load covering 51 of miles the first day through lower ConnectIcut over a highway ay that he helotes helotes rotes lotes as rough and ston stony he found the countI country y thrifty and well ell tIlled but in some places still bearing beal Ing the marks mal ks of British destruction Stam Stamford Stamford Stamford ford had a mill dam which interested hIm and Norwalk K 01 walk then was as a busy shipping port enough we e learn from President Washington the sIze of Y Yale lle college in 1789 Pausing at New Haven he took the trouble to learn rn that it numbered 12 students From Flom there thele he lie struck northward through Wallingford to on hIs way to Springfield and Massa chus etts where here he immediately noted not noted noted ed a fact that struck him Tint That was as the prevailing 1 equality of fortune among the people In Massachusetts there were wel e neither the very vel y rich nor northe northe northe the very pool poor At Brookfield ras l Massachusetts a few miles belond SPI Springfield Ingfield PresIdent Washington was as met by couriers from GO Governor Hancock inviting the President President dent to be his official guest in Boston The president had no intention of per permitting permitting the Governor of any state to assume c even etien en as a host a position su to that of the chief executIve of the United States To carry cany out the intention he insisted on stoPPing at public quarters quartel 3 the first official call to be paid by Go Governor upon the PresIdent Let George Washington himself tell what happened In his Ius diary he re Ie records cords the arches which he passed on arriving at Bos Boston Boston Boston ton with inscriptions such as To the theMan theMan Man who unites all hearts To Co umbra's Columbia's fa oute son and Boston relIeved March 17 1776 The streets the doors windows and tops of the houses were crowded wIth well tell dressed ladies ladles and gentlemen gentle gentlemen gentlemen men he goes on The The procession being over ovel Iwas I was as conducted to my lodgings at a window Ingersoll's which is a very ery decent and good goodhouse house by the and coun council accompanied cil-accompanied accompanied by the Ice vice dent John Adams where they took leave of me Having engaged yester yesterday day to take an informal with Ith the Govi today but under a full per per- pcr upon that he would have waited alted up on me so soon I as should have ar I rived I excused myself upon his not doing it and informing m me through hIs secretary that he was too much toI indisposed to do it being resolved to I the visit 2 That was ae on Saturday Oct I I atI On Sunday President Washington at attended tended t two 0 churches in Boston and andI I beh between the t two 0 visits received the belated visit ISIt t from Goy GO Governor Hancock I The Governor appeared swathed s m in bandages and alleging a serious senous at attack tack of gout Probably he fooled no noone noone noone one but himself and gout or no gout out President Washington had tom com compelled gelled him to pay the first calland call and andI thus thu render homage to the higher I tation sta t taI ta tion of the President of the United I States |