"As yonder magnificent tree, fellow-citizens," said the grandiloquent speaker, "uplifts itself above all the giants of the surrounding forest, so, friends and fellow-citizens, does the character of George Washington uplift itself above all others upon the page of history."
These words were received with great applause, and the tall pine was ever after known in the neighborhood as "George Washington."
The land upon which "George Washington" stood was owned by a crabbed old farmer named Hardaker. Mr. Hardaker had a contract for supplying the Fitchburg Railroad with wood, and, winter by winter, was gradually stripping his share of Bald Mountain of all its beautiful trees. This made good places to go blackberrying, but hurt the appearance of the hill-side very much. People wondered how Mr. Hardaker could be so "mean" as to cut everything down so, all at once. He did not need the money particularly, and his motive was just "clear greed"--or so the neighbors said.
At last he neared the vicinity of the tall pine; and as February advanced he announced, with a loud laugh at his own wit, that he was going to "celebrate Washington's Birthday by cutting down 'George Washington' himself with his little hatchet."
This created no little excitement throughout the town, and everybody protested.
"Oh, I wouldn't, Mr. Hardaker," said Mr. Prouty, the village minister; "it has been a landmark here for many years, and it is really, as things have come to be, an object lesson in history to all the children and youth around."
"Humph!" said the old farmer, crossly. "I ain't a-settin' up landmarks for folks, or a-givin' objec' lessons. I pay taxes for all that sort of thing to be did in the schools--awful big taxes, too. _I_ can't raise the money to pay 'em without cuttin' timber pretty stiddy. I calc'late there's--wa'al, a thousan' foot o' lumber in that ar pine, an' I can't afford to leave it stan' no longer."
The old farmer scowled and shook himself as he walked away. He was evidently more "sot" than ever on cutting down "George Washington."
There was a bright boy in town, the son of a Mr. Farnsworth, and named, like so many other bright American boys, after the father of his country. As might have been expected of a boy with such a name, Master George Washington Farnsworth had been brought up to think very highly of his namesake, and all of the Farnsworth family were justly indignant when the news of Farmer Hardaker's intention reached them.