EORGE WASHINGTON, the first president of the United States, called the "Father of his Country" was one of the most celebrated characters in history. He was born Feb-❘ ruary 22, 1732, in Washington Parish, Westmoreland county, Virginia. His father, Augustine Washington, first married Jane Butler, who bore him four children, and March 6, 1730, he married Mary Ball. Of six children by his second marriage, George was the eldest.

Little is known of the early years of Washington, beyond the fact that the house in which he was born was burned during his early childhood, and that his father thereupon moved to another farm, inherited from his paternal ancestors, situated in Stafford county, on the north bank of the Rappahannock, and died there in 1743. From earliest childhood George developed a noble character. His education was somewhat defective being confined to the elementary branches taught him by his mother and at a neighboring school. On leaving school he resided some time at Mount Vernon with his half

Copyright 1897, by Geo. A. Ogle & Co.

brother, Lawrence, who acted as his guardian. George's inclinations were for a seafaring career, and a midshipman's warrant was procured for him; but through the opposition of his mother the project was abandoned, and at the age of sixteen he was appointed surveyor to the immense estates of the eccentric Lord Fairfax. Three years were passed by Washington in a rough frontier life, gaining experience which afterwards proved very essential to him. In 1751, when the Virginia militia were put under training with a view to active service against France, Washington, though only nineteen years of age, was appointed adjutant with the rank of major. In 1752 Lawrence Washington died, leaving his large property to an infant daughter. In his will George was named one of the executors and as an eventual heir to Mount Vernon, and by the death of the infant niece, soon succeeded to that estate. In 1753, George was commissioned adjutant-general of the Virginia militia and performed important work at the outbreak of the French and Indian war, was rapidly promoted and at the close of that war we find him commander-in-chief of

January 17, 1759, Washington married Mrs. Martha (Dandridge) Curtis, a young and beautiful widow of great wealth, and devoted himself for the ensuing fifteen years to the quiet pursuits of agriculture, interrupted only by the annual attendance in winter upon the colonial legislature at Williamsburg, until summoned by his country to enter upon that other arena in which his fame was to become world-wide. The war for independence called Washington into service again, and he was made commander-in-chief of the colonial forces, and was the most gallant and conspicuous figure in that bloody struggle, serving until England acknowledged the independence of each of the thirteen States, and negotiated with them jointly, as separate sovereignties. December 4, 1783, the great commander took leave of his officers in most affectionate and patriotic terms, and went to Annapolis, Maryland, where the congress of the States was in session, and to that body, when peace and order prevailed everywhere, resigned his commission and retired to Mount Vernon.

It was in 1789 that Washington was called to the chief magistracy of the nation.

The inauguration took place April 30, in the presence of an immense multitude which had assembled to witness the new and imposing ceremony. In the manifold details of his civil administration Washington proved himself fully equal to the requirements of his position. In 1792, at the second presi

to retire; but he yielded to the general wish of the country, and was again chosen president. At the third election, in 1796, he was again most urgently entreated to consent to remain in the executive chair. This he positively refused, and after March 4, 1797, he again retired to Mount Vernon for peace, quiet, and repose.

Of the call again made on this illustrious. chief to quit his repose at Mount Vernon and take command of all the United States forces, with rank of lieutenant-general, when war was threatened with France in 1798, nothing need here be stated, except to note the fact as an unmistakable testimonial of the high regard in which he was still held by his countrymen of all shades of political opinion. He patriotically accepted this trust, but a treaty of peace put a stop to all action under it. He again retired to Mount Vernon, where he died December 14, 1799, in the sixty-eighth year of his age. His remains were deposited in a family vault on the banks of the Potomac, at Mount Vernon, where they still lie entombed.

BENJAMIN

ENJAMIN FRANKLIN, an eminent American statesman and scientist, was born of poor parentage, January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was apprenticed to his brother James to learn the printer's trade to prevent his running away and going to sea, and also because of the numerous family his parents had to support (there being seventeen children, Benjamin being the fifteenth). He was a great reader, and soon developed a taste for writing, and prepared a number of articles and had them published in the paper without his brother's knowledge, and when the authorship became known it resulted in difficulty for the