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About Eugene register-guard. (Eugene, Or.) 1930-1983 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1937)
J i AV II wasnmg Father Of His Country, Present Standards, Was Ion Was Modi cm' Judged By Up-To-Date By lata May Smith WEEK-END traffic accidents real estate subdivisions iiiflutlnn- ail night card parties BdvcrtiHlnK- bl(! game hunting scientific funning shopping for a socoml-humi vehicle. Not only are these conditions to be met by the modern man of 1937, but they were conditions that were met by George Wash ington, born 205 years ago. For Goorgo Washington, Judged by all the standards of today, was a modern. Although ho lived when this country was very young, ho was not only abreast of his times, but was way ahead of Ihom. If ho were allvo today he would probably be driving one of tho better cars, (American made, of course.'), but one which was easy on the upkeep, backing real estate subdivisions, and attending Rotary luncheons. Lotteries wore popular and legal In Washington's day, many of them being for religious and educational purposes. Washington took his share of such chances and recorded the results in his ac count books, often with dry humor. In 1766 ho wrote that he "invested" In the York Lottery, though with no beneficial results. In 1775, though, two of the six' tickets he held in the land lottery In Ustor county, New York, were "fortunate." On another occasion he invested 1 pound 4 shillings In a raffle for an encyclopedia Bri tannlca, "which," he recorded re gretfully, "I did not win." N Washington was modern, too, in his attitude toward advertising. He appreciated the fact that It pays to advertise. When he had a parcel of land he wanted to sub divide he put a large advertise ment in the Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser, stating that he had obtained patentB for upwards of 20,000 acres of land on the Ohio and Great Kanhawa, and that he proposed to divide tho same Into any slzod tene ments that might be desired and lease them upon motlcrato terms. That doal also established his si at us as a modern realtor. Still further evidence of his faith In advertising Is contained in an advertisement in a New cowboys ot today Hunting was one of his favorite sports. How ever, not all his hunting experi ences were confined to foxes in the vicinity of his Virginia home. In the autumn of 1770 he went "big game hunting" in the Ohio region with his friend Dr. Cralk. HE would have been right at home looking for a good used car. When his own carriage had done its limit in mileage he wrote to a dealer saying: "Gentln; My old Chariot havg. run its race, and gone through as many stages as I could conven iently make it travel, is now ren dered incapable of any further Service: The intent of this Letter therefore is to desire you will be speak me a New one." Washing ton believed in enjoying both stylo and comfort as he "exer cised" for he went on to describe the kind of chariot to be purchased, saying it should have the newest type of spring, be of the best seasoned wood, in newest taste, handsome, genteel, green in color with light gilding around the panels, light and cool leather lin ing. He was particular about the luggage compartment and wrote: "Let the box that slips under the Scat be as large as it conven iently can bo made (for the bene fit of storage upon a journey)." "If such a Chariot as I have described cd. be got at 2d hand little or Aothg. the worse of wear, but at the same time a good deal under the first cost of a new one (and sometimes tho perhaps rarely it happens so), it wd. be very desirable; but if I am obliged to go near to the origl. cost I wd. even have one made." Washington's diary of April 7, 1701, described the usual week end traffic accident, but Instead of motor cars meeting head-on, it was a case of four chariot horses that were frightened while cross ing on a ferry. They went over board, chariot and all. Washington's mind was so modern, bo open, that ho would probably not have been at all sur prised by tho development of avi ation. In fact, in a letter written about 1784, ho said: "I have only newspaper accounts of air bal loons, to which I do not know what credence to give; as the tales relating to thorn are marvel- mm nmss The First Presidential Mansion, At Pearl and Cherry Streets. New York. York newspaper In 1780 In which he stilted that ho supplied Ills house servants with ensh for ope rating his homo (tho presidential mansion), and that he would not bo responsible for bills contracted by them. Washington, for presidential tours, set tho precedent which has been followed ever slnco and greatly enlarged upon. Depreciation and Inflation of currency proved Just as puzzling and troublesome to Washington as It does to us. In a communi cation to tho President of Con gress on April 23, 177P. Washlng trn said: "Is there anything doing, or that can bo done, to restore tho credit of our money T Tho depreciation of It has got to so alarming a point that a wagon load of money will scarcely pur chase a wagon-load of provi sions." He was quito disgruntled when tho price of pork advanced after ho had placed an order for sauio. We are fully able to under stand, since ll'20, the attitude of tho Katlu-r of tils Country toward speculation. "Speculation, pecula tion, engrossing, forestalling." ho wrote to n friend, "with all their onneoniiliints, afford too many melancholy proofs of the decay of public virtue, and too glaring In stances of its being the Interest and desire of too many, who would wish to tie thought friends, to continue the war." Despite the busy life he led In polities, fighting, slid farming, Washington had tho thing the modern man is demanding more and more leisure. He was a good horseman. According to his ex pense account his riding outfit for himself and horse would have been the envy of even tho niuvle PAGE EIGHT lous and lead us to expect tvitt our friends at Paris in a little timo will come flying through the air instead of ploughing the ocean to get to America." Another proof of Washington s interest and knowledge of modern devices was shown as early as 1776 when ho wroto Thomas Jef ferson a description of a powder charged submarlno torpedo, which, when striking an anchored ship, would destroy It. That same year Washington spent the night on tho dock at New York harbor and heard tho explosion of the first submarlno which was at tempting to destroy Admiral Howe's flagship, the "Kiiylo." Washington believed in "going West," though not in the movie sense. Nor did he wait for 1 lornce Greeley to point the finger In the direction of tho setting sun. As far back as 1748 he went West, going over tho Alleghaneys, and liked It so well that ho went W est several times. He believed that the West had valuable resources and would be a valuable addition to tho Atlantic Coast colonics. Ho even predicted that Detroit would ono day be an important trade center. Washington has been termed America's first "Scientific farm er." He did his o.wn experiment ing and from tho results built up his own theories lie tested the seeds In various soils and tried out a variety of fertilizers. He kept a weather record and experi mented as to the best tlmo for planting. He rotated his crops and kept records of his returns. He was successful in grafting llccausc tolvu-co tmixviri!,ivl th. soil, he turned his tobacco fields into grain, grazing, and orchards. He studied and practiced methods for conserving and Improving the soil. The best of tools and newest productions of machinery were demanded by Washington, and It some new idea did not prove sat isfactory, he quickly discarded it for a newer, more practical one He was not afraid of. departing from the old way of doing things. Washington was alarmed at the Ill-treatment' of farm lands and said that within a few years the increased sterility of lands would force the Inhabitants to stjek new locations. He would not have been surprised at the drouths and dust storms of recent years. He wanted to teach the people how to improve their land and in crease their crops. For that rea son he tried to establish a depart ment of agriculture to do for the farmer just the things it is doing today. A keen Interest in commerce and transportation facilities was taken by Washington and he had a vision of opening highways to tho West so that Western farmers might have a market for their crops. He was financially inter ested in several transportation projects. Washington shared tho modern idea that parents fall short of understanding their offspring. Af ter the Revolution, when he was a distinguished man and his ' house was constantly full of not able visitors, his mother, Mary Ball Washington, wrote that she would like to visit Mount Vernon and spend some time there with him and Martha. In reply Wash ington wrote that he did not want hor to come; that she would not understand the people who were with him, and that they would not understand her; that she would be miserable in such so ciety and that it would make him unhappy. Washington did a seemingly unmodern thing when he refused a salary as President. Although he had Just been forced to borrow money, he told Congress that he did not wish a salary, but that thev could pay his expenses if ItiMcmWavslH anO1 3 Anglo-Saxon Hu, ncss t i.;. un,.! broadest they desired. They did desire, anu appropriated $25,000 annually for this purpose. In refusing this sal ary he set the precedent which fortunately has been followed by some public sprited men of our times who have called themselves dollar a vear men. refused a crown, ruler of an dollar a year men. Washington ref and. like a recent fierce thev could pay his expenses if fort A. ..... ,""Jl itructiv. .... ""t i f ress He wa, JTJ Dast. H .... l then prevailing "W. Progress cause hp ... r13 th.7 r.::immii old rule. Ro,... . 1 ennnpra ...... .... 1 , . r " m W tie , into a union which , mutual bnusi. .... 0cas m p. Modern America tataS the font ti... ... .""I . nailer. wise and fnn ,.7a ington was one of uSj modpm nu, MBS. TRUE Dl.w" , PERFECTLY HP3 zz- VViW P-lMi C"" V "Isflour "The mort lmpW W hVi as if 'V' - ; '5 'J&m. loof eokel You I with . - 1 fSgfl U O, f 'S ' WfA 'UCkl Perfected' Hour- jOCTEQp Vte'V "Could I make' "Certainly - if you "Whyi.that?" V' ' -V X tA-' ' ii'l' f cake like this?" change from untested . V-V ''--r : ? ,X 7P- SlK" r- flour to Drifted Snow, s! -X . fS0A J I fine cokes are easy to . . Just think Spenyta a staff of 117 WttWi homemaktn tiil't Drifted SnowRowriak in thrown ho" kitchens." The some sack of Drifted Snow Flour which you buy comes from a batch tested and proved to give perfect results in West ern homes." l PtmmJ C.k. AJk. g.oo.iw,rt cat. " f. r"fv n anee UittWL "'bstaay," ij J 5 P E R R Y "Look for this flo9 bog, and you'lU"" beil bargain inflj sides-yougtiMr Martha Meode nwP" insi ide every sotk FREE IN EACH .SACK . Includes these 6 new Loaf Cake recipes Don't be content with making the j'our favorite dishes Marths ume old thincs the same old wav! Ever- sack of Drifted Snow "Home Perfected" Flour brings you lir new and different recipes for each of Meade recipes in all. Nut mc vou buy flour, lork for the Bag-on-the biS get Drifted Snow Flout and iartha Meade's free retip- ' " '''-MsssMissMM. . Jv laiirtwl Git rciMnm jit ot rsrr nvt-F in the hindiome, hith qutl.iT f"d'',I Mtwn. Sjve the viluihlc rti(icites (redetm.ble in molt lUteil which t:c ri, 'n.'!2! SrTT producti. includ.ni Drifted Snow "Home Perfected'' Flout, WHEAT HtAKU add SPERRV PANCAKE AND WAPFIE FLOUR. nniFTED SAW WFLOUR "Mgaee-rwrfxtsX- li leKstttei: TteU MM l Ox Bemrr Fie. Q t000ZmI Spcrry Flour Co., San Francitco. t Send me it n.t M.nhi M"' "cd' PIE NOVELTIES FOR WINTER! Amctbtr Vmj It Add Vmritty T Meali Mle out .ntet menus irirtle w.th uth di.hei AO!,., t h.rton P,e. Deep D.h Cheitv P,e. leernm P,e ,ih Cryolite Cni.t. Duke o Otinite Fit M.rthi Mride new cook twti, "60 Pru -ftn.na Pirtr.n. ' tells how 10 make tnnmer iitr itit nAitid mloe at .out tihle. Otder this tv.it. Without dcliy rt I full of pi.try ideal M paiel. imictivtl; ptirtsul. with tovet in lout .-rnii m. '- - , .l Kru . tO ( F.nlue r diMfrent liom - ,1, ', Drilled Soo. Home Ptrfe.ted ... nfltf .v.llilesil,oanotnil""m:" ' Stmt . ....... 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