“Few people know the predicament we are in, on a thousand accounts; fewer still will believe”
-George Washington – In a letter to Joseph Reed, during the siege of Boston (January 14, 1776)
A Masonic smoking pipe was discovered within the fill of the main cellar of the Washington family house at George Washington’s Ferry Farm, his boyhood home.
Operation Pipe Dreams
In 1762 George Washington sent for a order to London, a common practice for supplies in the new world. What he was ordering was also common in the new world, the amount wasn’t.
George Washington was ordering 3,000 clay smoking pipes…
“The invoice documents that Washington was charged £1.9.2 for 20 gross (2,880) of “Hunters” pipes and 4 shillings for one gross (144) of long pipes”
One can only assume these were not all intended for Washington’s use himself, if at all. A prominent man such as Washington (who became a mason in 1752) would most likely smoke a more intricately decorated pipe (like the Masonic pipe discovered at his home).
A second order for the same quantities was ordered again by Washington in 1773…
We can only assume these were ordered to sell and use as trade in the new world…
A long stem clay pipe recovered at the Midden site at Mount Vernon belonging to George Washington. 2,877 pipe fragments were recovered from this site…
“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
― Voltaire
Something to ponder as a society…
In 2003 Tommy Chong was arrested for “conspiring to distribute drug paraphernalia”…
He sold a total of 3 bongs, 1 order to federal agents in Pittsburgh and 2 orders from Texas where 2 undercover agents purchased 2 water pipes and a t-shirt with chong smoking on it…
For this grievous offense, the American Government decided it would be a good idea to not only throw the book at Tommy, but to charge his family as well…
Tommy Chong arrested in 2003 for selling 3 water pipes
“Chong agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute drug paraphernalia in exchange for non-prosecution of his wife and his son.”
Chong was sentenced to nine months in prison, a fine of $20,000, and the forfeiture of about $120,000 in assets. He also had to give up his internet domain name of tommychong.com.
And lets not forget, having his family threatened too, all for something that George Washington did 241 years earlier right here on American soil…
One has to wonder what one of our greatest founding fathers would have done if his government came to his house and threatened Martha…
Antique postcard with George Washington and his father smoking a pipe