Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1909 — CEORGE WASHINGTON [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CEORGE WASHINGTON

Yesterday, Feb. 22d, was the 177t2f anniversary of the birth of The Father of Our Country, the man whose soul was filled with sympathy too his fellowmep and with love of freedom and dauntless courage in hla op* position to oppression—our beloved Washington whose leadership gave us the greatest, happiest country lq the world, whose bountiful riches and boundless liberties we today are enjoying. (j George Washington was born In Westermoreland county, Virginia. Feb. 22, 1732, and died of acute laryngitis, Dec. 14, 1799, about eight years before the birth of the Savior of Our. country, whose centenary we have just celebrated. ; Washington was a picturesque man. He stood six feet and two inches In height, bad broad shoulders, brown hair, blue eyes, a large head, and powerful* arms, and was very careful about his appearance and dignity. He was gentle, calm and firm. His achievements have been told hundreds of times; We can hardly hope to portray this great man in a more glorious manner. It is rather for us to try to live worthy of our country, the heritage which be left! us as a result of practically a lifetime of struggle, sacrifice and danger, which he lived in behalf of his country. Washington is dead; but his spirit abides with us. The only way we can honor a man like Washington is to live as nearly as possible a life as pure and animated with as lofty a • spirit as that of him to whom wa pay homage. • > i . Our country is at present at peace and the rough dangers of our earlier existence have been overcome, but there remains as much opportunity for patriotism today as there was when George Washington was leading the humble American forces which were to win our freedom and give our nation its birth on July 4th, 1776. Peace has her victories as well as war. It a person’s heart is imbued with a spirit of love and a desire to improve the conditions of his fellowmen, he has as good, if not better opportunities, than the great men who faced shot and shelL Those who proceeded us in generations past were compelled to fight on the field of battle to establish an orderly government for us. We who J enjoy that orderly government are in duty bound to improve our civil conditions and to do as much as In our power lies to improve the conditions of every man, woman and child. The same spirit, “One for all; all for one," which won our freedom, is the same spirit which will carry us on forever as the foremost nation in the world if we will maintain our American instincts sufficiently to have our hearts imbued with the sprit which made Washington “first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of bis countrymen.” J. W. Marion, formerly a well known resident of Gillam township and who has been living at Covington, Oblr for the past two years, is one cf the most prompt subscribers on the Republican list. His time expired Feb. 21, and the same day a renewal came for the ensuing year. In his letter Mr. Marlon said: “Pleare send me the Republican to Feb. 21, 1910. We could not keep house without it, and I keep in touch with my old neighbors through the Republican. I have a warm spot in my breast for old Jasper and its capital city, and hope you will succeed in locating factories there.” Many of our former residents express much pleasure at the enterprise exhibited by our people and those who have located in or near cities where there are factories realise the great benefit they are to a community, and naturally hope to see their old home city go to the front. Semi annual discount shoe sale now In program at Bowles A Parker*.