Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 May 1906 — Forever Distingnished. [ARTICLE]

Forever Distingnished.

When Washington made his tour of New England in 1789 he was the guest of his friend, Oliver Ellsworth, at Windsor, Conn. Ellsworth’s biographer, William Garrott Brown, mentions that visit as “the greatest hour In the history of Windsor and of the Ellsworth family,” Washington wrote Ln his diary on Oct. 21, 1789: “By promise was to have breakfasted at Mr. Ellsworth’s at Windsor on the way to Springfield; but, the morning proving very wet and the rain not ceasing until 10 o’clock, I did not set out till half after that hour. I called, however, on Mr. E. and stayed there near an hour.” Tradition has generously lengthened out and embellished with Incidents of an old fashioned patriotic flavor the single hour of Washington at Elmwood. There Is the story of the errand of one of Ellsworth’s young sons to the Wadsworth mansion at Hartford to present the invitation, of his trepidation at the thought of facing the greatest man in the world and of his surprise, relief and disappointment to find only a quiet old gentleman dressed very much like his father. There is also the story of Washington’s taking on his knees the youngest twain of the Ellsworth children and singing them the ballad of the Derby ram. The homes Washington then visited were thenceforth forever distinguished, and many a New England house was richer by the priceless association so valued by the owners of Elmwood.— Youth's Companion.