Beschreibung:

WASHINGTON, GEORGE, 1732-1799, President . The Ledger of the Mount Vernon Distillery and Fishery, in the handwriting of Tobias Lear, Washington's private secretary, and James Anderson Distillery manager, WITH TWO AUTOGRAPH ENDORSEMENTS SIGNED BY WASHINGTON TOTALLING ABOUT 60 WORDS IN HIS HAND, [Mount Vernon], 1 January 1799 -- 20 December 1801. 50 pages, large folio, 473 x 295 mm. (18 1/16 x 11 9/16 in.), plus 2 additional pages on smaller paper inserted at end, written in a blank ledger book, in its original binding of half calf and marbled paper boards, rubbed, corners and edges worn, joints cracked, the sewing loose but holding, the first three gatherings loose, newspaper clippings describing the 1890 sale of Washington's effects (at which this was sold) pasted to flyleaf and first page, six leaves detached from binding, pp.35-36, with a clean four-inch tear, pages 36 and 37 browned, leaves 35-36 and 37-38 with fraying at edges. GEORGE WASHINGTON, WHISKEY DISTILLER: THE LEDGER OF THE MOUNT VERNON DISTILLERY, KEPT FOR GEORGE AND MARTHA WASHINGTON, 1799-1801 An extensive and very minute chronicle of a little-known but important business venture of Washington's last years: the commercial distillery and fishery he established at a specially built facility. (The distillery also operated a sidleine in herring, which were salted and barrelled for sale and shipment). The distillery, which Washington hoped might prove one of his most profitable business investments, was conceived as an independent establishment under professional management. Its accounts were carefully documented by receipts and vouchers, audited and vouched for by Washington as absentee proprietor each quarter (until his death in December 1799). Unfortunately, while the Mount Vernon Distillery demonstrably distilled, barrelled, and sold a great quantity of whiskey, and salted and sold thousands of herring, it did not prove as profitable as Washington had expected. He had to contend with an efficient but disgruntled manager, James Anderson a Scot with distillery experience, plus uncertain grain harvests which prevented the expensive stills from operating at their full capacity. This ledger, preserved in the hands of Washington's executor Lawrence Lewis until its sale in 1890 (see below), remains our only detailed record of Washington's activity as a distiller. The ledger is neatly laid out by Lear on large pages ruled into columns and carefully labeled with headings and dates. Part of the ledger records the individual accounts of various suppliers and purchasers. John Green for example, is recorded on page 22 as having purchased at total of 349 gallons of whiskey from April to September of 1799, for a total of $310.06. (Green is likely to have been a tavern owner or a distributor). A relation, Mrs. Elizabeth Washington, is recorded on p.29 as having purchased, from April to December, 21,000 herrings and 309 gallons whiskey, but part of this charge was offset in the neighboring column, which records that she supplied the Distilley with large quantities of Rye and Corn (for mash) and provided blacksmithing services (probably by a slave) which included "mending one tea kettle." The meticulousness of the accounts is striking: items as minute as "postage of letters" for twenty cents are noted (in account for Roger Farrell, p.29); while such distillery staples as corn and rye are frequently purchased in great quantity: 264 bushels of corn from Thompson Mason in November 1798 (p.28). Many familiar names crop up in the accounts, including Doctor David Stuart, Tobias Lear, George Gilpin, Burgess Ball, Bushrod Washington (who bought 29 pints of "fine rectified whiskie") and William Craik (Washington's physician), William Hartshorne, William Augustine Washington and others. On page 37 (Lear's numbering) Washington approves the account with a bold endorsement beneath the column, dated "Mount Vernon, April 5, 1799": "The above, and forgoing Cash ac[count] fairly stated, a