Excerpts from the Journal of Sarah Howe, volume 1

and the Ever Memorable Washington
was placed at the head of the Nation without
a dissenting voice. After Congress had it in
agitation to pay the public debts our House was almost
Haunted for a while with speculators there was in the
House public securities and between 9 and 10 thousand
dollars of the Continental Money that died in his
hands they offered a few shillings on the pound

They soon after war promised to be paid up woul^d then
sell for more than 20 shillings after that he bought
some Land and had to pay a Debt on account of being
a Bondsman then sold them. My Father Died 14^thth
Feb^y 1802 in 89 year left an Estate worth 20 Thousand Dollars
I believe as honesty accumulated as ever one
was he never bought any thing scarcely in his Life
with a view of selling it for advance nor swaped
houses or any property Whatever he had to sell he
endeavoured to dispose of to good advantage and bought only
what was Necessary, he in the Latter part of
Life had money to Lett frequently had offers
of more than 6 per cent when they paid him
saying they had been benefited by having it he always
saw 6 pe^r cent was enough that the law was in [?]
just against heavy as Theft he would as soon
be guilty of breaking one or the other and never
took any more in his life [?] On Honest and Industrious
poor he frequently bestowed favour and certainly
was a kind benefactor but I have thought
that he was almost too censorious against those
he though were slothful or vicious
although he was a Remarkable sociable
Jovial Cheerful and complacent
tender Hearted man he was of