Show 4 h S H k vi I a I q I I l t a pr 9 t ti L f J w d. d 4 d 1 Jd Q y 1 ti aS c a cO S q O o 1 E au Jj aiT d a 4 T i 4 r 0 5 By DEWITT J. J MASON r JI EORGE WASHINGTON a In his boyhood days was a surveyor He HeI 1 I had much experience In that tine line and he was highly successful A neglected scene of ot his youthful labors now Is demanding public attention at at- f Ill r the the little stone t h which he worked for Lord LordIs fa ii Is to become a show place placeit it county Virginia os i is dred and aDd seventy eight years J TURF TUR forge Washington might h have ve 1 there any day figuring cd tad poring over o outstretched sat sand land and maps In the neighbor neighbor- e. e er He made his first acquaintance I with a country he was I to to know as a soldier Here he lie liea S a accustomed to hardships and andas i such as were to be his lot loti lots i s f t i tt Revolutionary war T The lItI lIt lIt- I 4 f to Is only some Bome sixty miles or j fir fa Washington D D. D C C. When hot C sn surveyor worked there It Ita Od 4 Ia a i wild mid frontier UJ sd y Lord rd Fairfax was once visit visit- ii is la Iy b relative William Fairfax 5 r George rge Washington was P presence pres- pres res- res i Urence ence r Washington had mart mar- mar t Fairfax's daughter The fir rf 1 tan Oa took a fancy to the boy E. E Put IUt ila hia seventeenth I birthday t In him Wm him abilities and attain attain- I. I J be ond his years he en engaged ieh to H- H ma J hey his vast ai tracts or of land iana e Wi rich 1 Talley valley o of f the Jl d tt non set out In March 1718 1748 ira with th George William Fair Fair- nc tte u m through Ashleys Ashley's Ga Gap n In inell ell Ivd e ed mountains d the west- west ller ler of Inhabited Virginia in m L e 11 Into toto the valley in the ther lEss tf r ta la the Shenandoah valin val val- Jat Datt I Ito t mIleS fr front from m the Ule P Pe Pester PreS PreS' res ot oA I ot of ester they stopped e to h where Lord Fairfax's laud land lla r dwelt wIth as many y u as s were ere n necessary to farm the l eared ed land S arduous expedition lasted IJ w with h results of such sa satis- satis Us Jo hod l i ed that he him across cross the Blue rl Witte Ridge Ward ard 0 tt ti lh the the- taking g u up P his quart lOdge t He laid out a t the he 7 araT tt place lace which he called court m after atter his ancestral d but the m l house bouse was vas wass s I The master him himself self slept att 1 ture about 12 0 n feet the lawn Iown rJ nearby he built w office where his his deeds dra th etc re and d his quit rents coly col col- I t art the boy y Washington did k flaming for three thre nice years years' ce o at famous 1 of Log Lord d Fairfax Many Manya a d plats pInts of his sur sur- a t d rOOt were ma made de unI un I ton s 8 a as life Ufe as a surveyor y or d his p li h 3 When gro ho he was straight 9 o S Y as an Indian measuring six feet two Inches in his stockings and weighing weighIng weighing weigh weigh- ing pounds This stood him well during the Revolution Long hours Inthe in inthe inthe the saddle could not tire him He slept once under a tree with its roots for a pillow The privations of ot Valley Valley Valley Val Val- ley Forge could not daunt him He Herode Herode Herode rode a horse to death to get to the front at Monmouth and stop the retreat retreat retreat re re- re- re treat and had breath left to curse Lee for his cowardice Washington s s life as a surveyor made him per cent efficient in the ways of the wilderness where efficiency efficiency effi effi- clency means life or death He learned to a hairs hair's breadth what a man could do with rifle horse and boat how how- to run like a coward and come comeback comeback comeback back like lle a brave man how to use Morgans Morgan's riflemen I who came in response response response re re- to his up hurry-up call how to get the lay of ot the land and pick his battlefield The old office has been left to the ravages of time and the elements In recent years It is almost hidden from view by a stretching long-stretching arm of a giant locust tree One window is concealed behind a screen of ot bushes and over its r roof o a clinging creeper climbs drooping like a stray shay lock over the front Its corners are chipped Its windows broken and Its shingled roof Is leaky in spots But repairs and restoration are now v at I hand band A committee has been formed of ot whIch Graham F F. F Blandy of New York Is chairman to collect funds fonds for re- re shingling the roof relaying the floor enclosing the Inside and repainting the outside walls B By spring it Is thought all will be in readiness for visitors IJ That Washington as s was the custom custom cus ICUS tom among the landed proprietors of of- Virginia Virglnia and states was wasa a slave holder Is well known His views on slavery are not so generally understood and while It ma may not be a surprise to man many t that that on his death he freed his own slaves the provisions of his will In this respect are of much interest After providing that his wife Martha Washington shall have ha the use and profit and benefit of his whole estate restate real and personal during during dur dur- ing lug her life there follows this clause ITEM Upon the decease of wife It Is my will and desire that all the slaves which I hold in my own right shall receive their freed freedom m. m To emancipate them during her life would though earnestly wished for by me be attended with such Insuperable difficulties on account of their Intermixture Intermixture intermixture Inter Inter- dower as asto asto mixture with tho the I Ito to excite the most painful sensations S Cura LU s t 4 fD 7 X sr a if not disagreeable consequences from the latter while while both both descriptions are in the occupancy of ot the same proprietor proprietor proprio etor it not being in my power under the tenure by which the dower negroes are held to manumit them And whereas where where- as among those who will receive freedom freedom freedom free free- dom according to this demise thera them may be some who from rom old age or or bodily infirmities and others who on account of their Infancy that will bo be unable to support themselves it is my will and desire that all who come under under under un un- der the first and Second description shall be comfortably clothed and fed by my heirs hells while they live and that such of ot the later description as have no parents living or if living are unable unable unable un un- able or unwilling to provide for them shall be bound by th the court until they shall arrive at tho the age of ot twenty-five twenty years and in cases where no record can can be produced whereby their ages can be ascertained the judgment of ot the court upon its own view of the subject shall be adequate an and final The liThe negroes thus bound are by their masters or mistresses to be taught to read and write and to be brought up to some us useful ful occupation tion agreeably to the laws laws of the commonwealth of ot Virginia providing for the support of ot orphans and other poor children children and and I I Ido do hereby expressly expressly ex ex- ex pressly forbid the sale or transportation tion out of the said commonwealth of any slave I may die possessed of under any pretence w and andI I do moreover most positively and most solemnly enjoin in It upon my executors executors executors exe exe- hereafter named or the sur sur- survivors survIvors of ot them to see that this clause respecting slaves and every part thereof be religiously fulfilled at the tho epoch at which It is directed to take place without evasion neglect or delay delay de de- lay after the crops which may then be on the ground are harvested particularly particularly par par- as it respects the aged and Infirm seeing that a regular and permanent fund be established for fr their support so long as there are subjects requiring It not trusting to the uncertain provis provisions ons to be made by Individuals There follows a clause providing lIng for his personal mulatto man giving him his Independence at once if heso heso he lie lieso so desires The actual rending of the above clause throws an Intimate light on thoughtfulness Washington's extreme showing as It does the consummate care exercised that h his s wishes might In no manner be misconstrued The rhe provisions regarding the aged and infirm Infirm infirm in in- firm the children can only serve more firmly to endear this gr great at man who leaving no children of his own called the father of ot an aD is 18 so proudly entire nation 1 |