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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 1909)
IT 13 150 years since Col. George Washington, a brilliant young offi eer in the colonial army, led to the altar Martha Castis, a ycang ma tron whose fame for beauty and charm and wit had made her the pride of Kent and all the coun try around about in his majesty's prosperous colony of Virginia. The events which led up to the marriage of the father of his coun try and the widow were not so full of that dignity and severity of action with which it has be come the custom of the American people to surround the first presi dent. In fact mere were leaiures in mem mat tended to show that Washington at 27 had much of the dash and dare and romance of the time in him. Positive proof there is that upon the very first occasion of his meeting with Mrs. Custis the young colonel was led trom the path of duty, as the invited guests, in eluding the governor, the members of the. legislature.gaudily uni formed officers of the British army and all ^ the distinguished peo- 4 pie of the colony, as- \ serabled at St. Peter's f church, near the home * of the bride, and were ushered in by Bishop, the big negro body guard, i:i a gorgeous scarlet uuiforry. Washington was clad i in all the fluerv that was affected by the a bearer of messages from the field of war to the capital, by the blandishments of the future mis tress of M<. Vernon. Washington at this particular time, and prob ably through the influence of, his fiancee, decided to retire from the army and settle down on his farm on the Potomac and incidentally enter poli tics. Upon the force of this declaration he was chosen a member of the colony's house of bur gesses while he was yet in the field, for he'was retained there until the end of 1758 and ihs wed ding was accordingly greatly delayed. There is little of the correspondence that passed between Martha Custis and George Wash ing’on in existence, for the very good reason that it was all burned by the lady after the death of her spouse, she holding that it was sacred be tween them and shonid never be made public. One letter is found, however, that may evince something of the spirit of Washington in writing to his future wife, it being somewhat of a model in its way, yet less loquacious than might have been expected. lie wrote her on July 2, after they had become engaged, as follows: ‘ We have begun our march for Ohio. A courier Is starting for Williamsburg and I embrace the opportunity to send a few words to one whose life is now inseparable from mine. Since that happy hour when we made our pledges to each other my thougnts have been constantly going to you as another self. That an all-powerful Provi dence may keep us both in safety is the prayer of your ever affectionate and faithful friend." Contrasting Quite forcefully with this letter is one written two months later from the field also, hut to Mrs. George William Fairfax, the wife of n family friend, hut despite this the object of probably the only infatuation that Washington ever had. He says in part: “'Tis true I profess myself a votary of love. I acknowledge that a lady is in the case and further I confess that this lady is known to you. Yes, madam, as well as she is to one who is too sensible of her charms to deny the power, whose Influence he feels and must ever submit, to. 1 feel the force of her amiable beauties in the recollection of a thousand tender "passages that I could be wise to obliterate, till I am bid to revive them. “You have drawn me, dear madam, or rather I have drawn myself, into an honest confession of n simple fact. Misconstrue not my meaning, doubt it not or expose it. The world has no busi ness to know the object of my love, declared in this manner to you. when I want you to conceal K ... But adieu to this till happier times, If I ever shall sec them. The hours at present are melancholy and dull. I dare to believe you are as happy as you say. I wish I was happy also." This letter was found in the effects of Mrs. Fairfax, who died in England at the ripe old age of 82 It is taken to reveal a sadness in the life of the first president and an unrequited love—or by some it is taken as an evidence that he was something of a gay Lothario, who might say many tilings to a fair lady and not mean tliem. There was nothing of sadness about Col. Wash ington when, at the holiday session of 1758, he returned to Williamsport and preparations were made for the wedding so long delayed. On Janu ary G. 1759. the day was clear and cold, when MTfiftMCrW / i Iri' 1,1 "'■■.■■"" '' 1 ff££r/NG /mm oms young bloods of the 1 -— —.- ^ time. His suit was of bine cloth. The coat showed a rich lining of red silk and boasted many silver ornaments. A white satin waistcoat, gold knee buckles and powdered hair completed his costume. The bride wore a huge white satin petticoat quilted and pleated beyond belief. Her heavily corded white silk overdress was the richest that the colony had ever known. Diamonds blazed from her hands and braids of pearls hung front her patrician neck. Bridesmaids and groomsmen were corre spondingly arrayed in the height of the latest fashion that was brought over from the Eng lish court by fine gentlemen and ladies, who not infrequently were coming to America then, and by colonial gentlemen who often accom panied their precious cargoes of tobacco to the mother country and bought with the proceeds tie ncuesi iuiukui. After the Rev. John Moesum had performed the ceremony that united the pair the gay cavalcade formed that was to wind its way hack to the “white house,” where the feasting and merrymaking was to take place. The newly-made Mrs. Martha Washington and her three bridesmaids were placed by gallant hands in the finest chariot in Virginia, drawn by six white horses. These were driven by postilions in livery, each maD driving a span, one of which he rode. When with much clank ing and jingling of hells the procession start ed, the grcom and all hi§ assistants and the gay company sprang to saddle and formed the escort with outriders and followers and gal lants vieing with one another for position by the carriage door. The week of gayety that followed culminat ed with a visit to the house of burgesses, then in session in Williamsport, and a member of which Col. Washington had recently been chosen. The young officer was quite the hero of the hour, for he had returned from the wars laden with honors and his personal social conquests had been climaxed by his marriage with Mrs. Custis, whose popularity was wide spread. But on the visit to the house of bur gesses the young officer was entirely/ put to rout and overcome by his great modesty. With Col. Washington, his bride and the entire party occupying seats of honor in the legislative chamber, the speaker, Mr. Robinson, arose and presented a note framed by the house expressing the appreciation of that body of Col. Washington's services in the warmest of terms. The speaker grew grandiloquent in his praise of the young officer and bridegroom, and when he had closed his remarks Washington arose to respond. He was greeted by storms of applause and became so confused that when he was given an opportunity to express his appreciation he could but stammer unintel ligibly and find no words in which to express himself. The speaker tame to his relief and closed the incident by saying: “Sit down, Mr. Washington, your modesty equals your valor and that surpasses the pow er of any language I possess.” After the wedding Washington remained for three months at the "White House” on his wife’s estates, and thence accompanied liv her W Ass »-.-V set out by - “>r chariot on ’a^^aesto^ ft ■* the long -a£> (J journey to A^v. s' Mt. Vernon. The coach 'S-^S and six were again brought into service with postil ions and outriders and the jour ney was made by easy stages, with many stops by the wayside, dur hig which visits were made with va rious friends. In the due course of time the future home of the young people was reached and they settled down to the routine of country gentle people in the stately which he had long before outlined in some of the few veises he has ever been accredited with having written and which appear in an old copy hook in his own hand. They are here given: These are the things which once possessed Will make a life that's truly blessed, A good estate on healthy soil Npt got by vice nor yet by toil: Round a warm fire a pleasant joke. With chimney ever free from smoke; A strength entire, a sparkling bowl, A quiet wife, a quiet soul, A mind as well as a body whole. Prudent sympathy, constant friends, A diet which no art commends; A merry night without much drinking. A happy thought without much thinking. Each night by quiet sleep made short, A will to he but what thou art. Possessed of these all else defy. And neither wish nor fear to die. 7W C01WVMP CFAW C&&17& mansion by the Potomac, which has since be come historic. Washington was a man of wealth already in his own name, for he had acquired much land in his mapping and surveying of the country, and the estates on the Potomac were in themselves valuable and yielded annually handsome returns in tobacco. Col. Daniel Parke C’ustis, the first husband of .Mrs. Washington, had been a son of the king's counselor and a man of wealth. Upon his death he had left to his wife and two chil dren his lauded estates and £45,000 in cash. This latter was in itself a stupendous fortune at that time, when money had a purchasing power many times as great as at present. Two-thirds of this was held in trust for the children, but sufficient of it went direct to Washington to make him one of the wealthiest men in America at that time. The even tenor of the life of quiet which filled the next 17 years at Mount Vernon is shown in the frequent passages in the diary that Washington kept, beginning with the new year following his marriage. In all that grace and hospitality of those days Martha excelled and they said in Virginia there was no place like Washington’s as a social center. There were almost always to be found as guests the Fairfaxes, the Lees, the Custlses, the Fitz hughs and others whose names live, not only in the records of those days, but also to-day as typical of the old aristocracy of the colony. Washington in his diary on the first anniver sary of his wedding fails to recall any par ticular significance of the day, as he says: “The chariot not returning in time from Col. Fairfax’s we were prevented from church. Mrs. Washington was a good deal hotter to day (she had the measles), but the oysterman, still continuing his disorderly behavior at my landing, I was obliged in the most peremptory manner to order him and his company away, which he did not incline to obey until the fol lowing morning.” A little later he writes, wrapped up in do mestic affairs: “Got a little butter from Mr. Dalton and wrote to Col. West for pork.” And again: “Visited at Belvour a day, carrying Dr. Craik with us, who spent the evening there." Later: “Killed 17 more hogs, which were bought by Mr. French." . . . “Visited my plantation, severely reprimanding young Stephen for .Ills indolence and his father for suffering it.” On the whole 'Squire Washington and his bride after their wedding dropped into that, form of life which most appealed to him and From this home on the Potomac and from his wife's side Washington was called to be come comniander-in-ehief of the American ar my in ihe revolution; to this home ho returned when the struggle was won; and from this home he was again called as the first president of the United States. Again he returned to this peaceful spot, forever apart from public life, to pass the few remaining years in hap piness with his wife, never to leave it until death beckoned him away. And from this home on the Potomac, where an obscure grave held the remains of the great est man of his time, from amid the scenes of her happiest days, of days of honeymooning and days of strife, the spirit of Martha Wash ington was called. Washington with the colonial army was campaigning in the far west fighting the In dians and the French, and in a lull in the fighting he made a dash for the capital at Williamsport. When within a few hours' ride of that town he met casually Maj. Wtlliam Chamlierl'ayne, an old time comrade at-arms and bosom friend. The major urged that the colonel turn aside, as dark was approaching, and spend the night with him. Maj. Chamberlayne insisted and as a final inducement said that the most charming wid ow In all Virginia was visiting at his planta tion and that her charms were well worth the delay. With some parley, It is recorded. Wash ington agreed to turn aside for a brief stop, saying that he would ride later at night. That night Dishop. Col. Washington's huge and faithful negro body servant, kept the horses saddled and ready for a continuation of the journey through the night and was only occasionally awakened from his nodding by the sounds of revelry from the mansion, for there was a large house party being enter tained and the spirit of the vital new country ran high. Certain It is that the sun was rising when Washington burst from the house, vaulted into his saddle and spurred on to the capital with out having closed his eyes in sleep that night. Certain is it also that no sooner had his business been accomplished than he responded to an Invitation sent him from the ‘‘White House'’ on the Pamunky river and that por tion of Virginia knew him almost constantly through the months that followed. Certain it is that when he returned to his command in May, 175S, he did so with the promise of the widow Custis that they should be married and that as promptly as he could he relieve^ from duty on the frontier. Of George Washington. That which makes it worth while | to commemorate the inauguration of George Washington is not merely that it is the consummation of the nation’s struggle towards organic life, not merely that by the initiation of its chief executive is set in operation the Constitution of which Mr. Gladstone has declared: “As far as I can see the*American Constitution is the mcst wonderful work ever struck off at one time by the brain and purpose of man;” but that It celebrates the be ginning of an administration whlc'nj by its lofty and stainless integrity, by its absolute superiority of selfish or sec ondary motives, by the rectitude of ;ts daily conduct in the face of whatso ever threats, blandishments or combi nations, rather than by the ostenra tious Pharisaism of its professions, has taught this nation and the world for ever what the Christian ruler of a Christian people ought to be.—Henry Codman Potter. Rare Washington Portrait. A rare and curious mezzotint portrait of George Washington in the library of the late Lafayette S. Richardson of Lowell, Mass., was auctioned off last year in Roston. It is entitled “George Washington, late president of the United States of America, etc.” and was published March 14, 1801, by J. Hinton L.indon. It is a small folio and is colored by hand. It looks as much like George III. as it does the Father of His Country. Baker, who wrote the “Engraved Portraits of Washington,"' says that only one im pression of this mezzotint has come under the notice of the writer. It was in neither the Clarkson nor the Car son sale of Washington portraits. Put New Blood into Your Business. The up-to-date professional adviser or business doctor, when called to. examine a shrinking, declining bus iness, often finds the patient barely alive; the circulation being so slug gish that he can hardly find the pulse. In a desperate case like this he says to the proprietor: “You must put new blood into this business. There is no life in it. There is no energy, no push, no enterprise here. When a patient gets as low as this one, there are only two things to do. let him die, or infuse new blood into his veins and try to resuscitate him.”—Success Magazine. A Boiling Down of the More Impor= j tant Events Here and There Congress. A bill relieving Frontier county, Ne braska, farmers has beer, favorably reported. President Roosevelt vetoed the sen ate bill authorizing the secretary of the navy to mitigate or remit the penaties of loss of citizenship imposed upon deserters from the army and navy. The objection is based upon the infringement of the executive's power of pardon. For nearly six hours the house of representatives discussed the bill materially changing the methods of administering the Panama canal zone and constructing the canal. Amend ments almost without number were aimed at the measure, but with one or two exceptions they failed of adop tion. Secretary Garfield sent to congress today at the direction of the presi dent the draft of a bill providing for the disposal of all unallotted land ic the Omaha Indian reservation in No nrasKa. The “insurgent” resolution amend ing the rules, presented in the house recently, was signed by twenty-nine republicans, including all lrom Ne braska, and Hubbard. Hepburn and Haughen of Iowa. Judge Norris of Nebraska, whose amendment was adopted by the insurgent conference in relation to curtailing the power of the speaker as to the appointment of committees, said that he d.i net look for anv action on the resolution at this session.. An attempt will be made at the next session of congress to change the interstate commerce law. President Roosevelt sent another veto message to the house. With it he returned without approval a bill which would advance in rank Lien tenant Commander Kenneth ilcAlpine of the navy. Representative Hall appeared be fore the public lands committee nf the house to advocate the passage of a bill for the establishment cf a new land district in South Dakota, with headquarters c.i Lebeau. The com mittee of the house has ordered a favorable repjort and this practically secures the passage of the hill by both houses of congress at this session. Sena’or Allison of Iowa was eulog ized by members of the senate at a special memorial session. The house passed a number of amendments to the national bank ruptcy law. Senator New'ands of Nevada urges national legislation to deal with the Japanese question. Wednesday the senvo and house met in joint session to declare the re sult of the presidential vote. Senator Burkett has m ived com plaints from attorneys in Nebraska against the delay of oh -ok in seme divisions of the federal court by reason of the law providing all issuer of a lawsuit must be trie:! in the division where they origuiate. The senate agreed to the confer ence on tiie urgent deficiency bill. It carries $150,000 to continue the fight on foot and mouth disease. General. The lower bouse of congress passed the agricultural appropriation bill. There is a belief in Washington that Senator Knox will tier line to be a member of the cabinet. Members of the rural guard of Cuba indulged n a brief mutiny The new government of Turkey is facing a crisis. No funds are available for the de natured alcuhol experiment station proposed for Lincoln. Chiefly for rest and recreation, but incidentally with the purpose of exam ining some of the Southern Pacific's new lines. E. H. Harriman left on an extended trip to the souta and to Mex'co. More than 500,000 children were present at the Lincoln memorial serv ices in New York. Alice Roosevelt-Longworth handled the trowel at a laying of cornerstone at Grand Rapids. Taft was received with much cere mony on his arrival at New Orleans. The Nebraska senate voted to ac cept Carnegie’s pension fund for uni versity professors. The senate passed the bill reduc ing the salary of the secretary of state to $8,000 a year. The NebYaska state senat" author ized the university regents to estab lish a school of citizenship when they deem it advisable. Speaker Cannon refuses to consil er a proposition to elect him United States senator from Illinois. An Oregon state senator said Japan was getting the idea that the United States was afraid of her. The body found burned in the Ger man legation at Santiago. Chile, was not that of the German minister. King Edw-ard was accorded the un usual honor of being made guest of the municipality of Berlin. The hemp divorce case at St. Louis Is attracting more than can get in the court room. The log cabin in which Lincoln was born was dedicated by a largo crowd and President Roosevelt laid the cor ner-stone for the Linfcoln memorial at Hodgenville. Ky. Representative Hepburn of Iowa de clares the reports that he will with draw from his contest against Senator 4 W. D. Jamieson are lies. He will fight to a finish. There is every prospect the postal avings bank bill will be put through congress this session. ^d President Roosevelt has written a ' ’<»t.ter to Speaker Stanton of the Cali fornia house, in which he says pro posed action of the California legis lature will thwart efforts of national government which is working to se cure results desired by people of Ihe Pacific coast. Distribution of American relief has jcgun at Palmi, Calabria. The necessity of wireless apparatus on steamers was urged in a special ^ message to congress. The minister from Panama pro tested against the speech of Repre sentative Rainey of Illinois. Robert T. Lincoln was an honored guest at Springfield, Abraham Lin coln’s old home, and William J. Bryan delivered the principal address on r riaay. Taft and Sherman were formally de dared elected president and vice president of the United States. President-elect Taft was the guest ef the citizens of New Orleans at an elaborate banquet. In the afternoon he addressed a mass meeting of ne groes. Representative Lovering charged in the house that the charges of corrup tion against President-elect Taft. Wil liam Nelson Cromwell and others are the result of a blackmailing plot by which It was hoped to extort a larg - sum from Mr. Cromwell. Alderman Joseph I*. Kchout of Chi cago. disappointed because his ward ciub refused to endorse him. commit ted suicide. Count Midsuno, Japanese con- i! general, in a speech at New York, said war talk does not represent tim real sentiment of the people of Ja pan or tho United States. The Indiana house passed the bill repealing the county option law. Secretary Garfield wants an addi tional $100,000 to prosecute land and timber thieves. Jerry Howard has a bill in the Ne braska legislature to segregate Jap anese -laborers in the packing houses. The Chinesa of San Francisco com plain that the president discriminates ^ in favor of the Japanese. * Senator Raynor complahied that tb senate had no power under the Roo- _ velt regime. — '"l— President Roosevelt in a message sent to congress gives a report uf the country life commission. France and Germany have enter d into an agreement concerning Mor occo. A special from J.ivingstnn. Mont . says that a theft, said to involve $•' 000. has been discovered in tha- <' and a large number of conductors, brakemen. engineers ar.d firem. u o the Northern Pacific are alleged to e involved. The American battleship flee* lef' Gibraltar for the last lap of the 4" 000 mile trip around the v%or!d Washington. With the approach of the Erse-. 1 session of ihe congress from the con sideration of a revised tariff activit s in regard to the investigation of wood nulp and print paper are being re newed. The select committee on pulp and paper investigation met. It is * inderstood the committee will recom mend a considerable reduction on th 4 iuty of cheap print paper. Representative Watson of Indiana, republican whin of the house, told the president that the bill admitting Ar xona and New Mexico to statehood will i ass the house. The bill to permit Omaha and Win nebago Indians to drain their land passed both houses. Senator Burkett, seeks to secure denatured alcohol . still for Nebraska university. 1 J Miss Marth'na Harrison, grand daughter of the late ex-Presldcnt Harrison and of the late Senator Alvin Saunders of Omaha, led the cotillion at the fashionable Chevy Chase club given by a party of danc ing bachelors and benedicts. The friends of Representative T. F. Boyd of the Third Nebraska dis trict will be pleased to learn that his wife, who was taken ill a week after the commencement of the pres ont congress, has now almost re covered her health. Miss O. L. Paciget of Laramie. Wyo., has been appointed clerk m tile forest service at Ogden. Utah. Moses G. McNaughton of Burling, ton. Ia.. has been appointed guard at the Leavenworth, Kan., United States penitentiary. Personal. •president' Roosevelt, Generals Wright and Wilson, Governor Wilson of Kentucky, former Governor Folk of Missouri and Bishop Galloway were sneakers at memorial exercises on Lincoln’s farm at Hodgenvillc. Ky. Dr. Nathaniel S. Thomas of Phila delphia has been elected Episcopal bishop of Wyoming. The makeup of Taft's cabinet is still in the dark and will so remain until March 4. Woman suffrage was killed in the Nebraska senate by a small vote. William H. Leavitt will come to America to fight the divorce preweed Ings df his wife, daughter of William J. Bryan An effort will be made to make Sen at or Knox eligible to the office of secretary of state. The name of Franklin MaeVeagh Is connected with the treasury portfolio in the Taft cabinet. Senator Burkett has accepted an in vitation of the Atlantic City Board of Trade to speak before that holy at a banauet on February 20. Sees Troubie Ahead. In a club composed of young people which was originally organized for bridge purposes the chafing dish has become the prime feature, and prizes are sought for by the creators of “new dishes, nicely prepared and moderate in cost.” One member, who would never have joined except for his fond ness for the game, said: “It’s all very interesting for the people who like those things, and I would enjoy the cooking bees myself if it were not for the fact that one must eat the ere aliens to be polite. I have been ti close observer since lire contest began. ^ and am sure that every woman thinks that the dishes suggested by the oth ers are horrid. And l agree with them and am sure ths.t a row will come in at the finish.” Enfl,a"d >" Telegraph Sending. While the British send on an aver age two telegrams a head each year according to government statistics the “V Americans send only one and ’one tenth and the Germans nine-tenths.