Newspaper Page Text
WAR ST
. : _n Episode in the C
[Blockade
W. Ii. Hey ward in Xe
Wheo I asked Capt. lorrett to'
.,[>et)d the day with ino at a farm I j
owned in one of thc suburbs of New ?
i'ork. I h'id DO presentiment that 1
Waa to become acquainted with an
episode that marted what might be
c&llc-d thc turatug point in his life.
Tho disclosure came about because of ,
ruy lesire to drive him from tin- rai 1 -
roa i station to my house. When bo
left tho train aiid ?aw my hor.se and
?urrgy he shook Iii- head doubtfully
?rid said
"You'll excuse inc, .-ir, but I'd
sooner walk, i don't have nothing io
do A iib horses.
''This ia a very gentle ono,"' i ex
.. .. thinking that he might bo
: T J']", "ami I in a careful driver."
"(Jentlc or skittish, I don't have
f.iothing to do with 'em," ho replied.
"It's a dusty milo and a quarter t"
? t'io house," said I, in tones designed
. to persuade, "ami tho sun is hot."
".l d prefer to walk all thc same,"
' ?vas his dogged rejoinder.
As a rule, sailors like nothing bet
? ter than to drive a horse and I knew,
thcrei'ore, that Capt. Barrett, being
. xn exception, must have some good
reason for his idiosyncrasy. So with
<3ttt ?another word I walked my animal
slowly while tho Hkipper rolled and
hobbled along beside thc buggy.
I ?ny that he rolled and hobbled
.?se he had a gait peculiarly his
own, and this was due to a pair of
painfully bow legs that Upheld with
.difficulty a broad, thickset body. I
knew that Capt. Barrett was sensitive
about his ?ogs, for at tho Bailor's mis
sion enc day 1 had seen him strike an
iictpudent young seaman because the
.latter jocularly remarked that the
skipper's legs wero built like a pair
. of sister hooks, which meant that thoy
?rere nearly doubled beneath him. If
.'this description was unseemly, no ono
- could deny that Capt. Barrett was too
-neavy. ?
After wo had traveled half the dis
vlance, he was obliged to call a bait,
??*<} recover his breath he explained,
? though I knew his means of locomo
tion had given out. I tied the horse
?toa nearby tree and sat on a bank at
? tho roadside with the skipper. He
vtook a nip from my whiskey flask, and
-shook his bead when I suggested that
be trust the horse for the rest of the
journey.
"No," he said decidedly, "I'll
.walk. I'd be a different man today if
ist hadn't been for a hosB. I ain't
.afraid of 'em but-" He paused, and I
.(knew by his intonation that I had
.unwittingly uprooted an old mem
vary.
<fYou may not believe it," was the
v^ay he openod, "but I was onoe a
(handsome feller like yourself. Look
sat me now!"
'Perhaps tho unexpected compli
\ment disconcerted me, but it was
tfally-30 seconds before I realized that
i? hod been gazing straight into Capt.
/Barrett's faee. And what did I see?
Aa ancient mariner with rather sharp
"features, a grisly white beard, aud
bright ?yes set so deep beneath busy
throws that they were nearly hidden by
Ce brim of his rusty, black slouch
that. His loosely-hung clothes were
UQZ pilot blue, and tho ooatsleeves
vfrcro turned half way back to the el
MWS-a habit not uncommon among
-v.ailormen. Ho wasn't a bad looking
?old man, if you forgot his legs, and
Uic might very well have been a olean
?lit, powerful young chap, I was
jthiuking, when he brought mc to my
.".proper senses by mopping his face
with a gorgeous bandanna 'kerchief.
I fancy FL /must have colored at my un
intentional /rudeness, and Capt. Bar
ire it vdid not -add to my comfort when
}ie remarked:
"Yes, you can sec I ain't much to
\ook -at -now, and it's all because of a
-blamed boss."
Vt waB at the point of assuring him
fherc was nothing odd about his
-appearance, hut the opportunity was
.Tost before' I could 'frame the words.
Vin,the Civil war days," he said,
hastily, ul used to run the blockade
<3?et?v'ccn Nassau and Wilmington, and
FI ?tn t too proud to say that there
.wasn't a smarter quartermaster in the
Easiness than yours truly. I had
.?money in the bank, a pretty gal
' ?shore and everything was lovely
rsotit I joined the Plover. Sho was
?ai hard luok vessel from the time
-she came out from Liverpool, and
v-whUo che never got captured, there
.viras tl ways something happening to
fier."
.Capt. Barrett paused to cut some
*i?bacco and light bis pipe. He ai
rways smoked a short olay nose warm
"Sr, black and most wonderfully strong
? ?od. jbe had the supreme faoulty of
-'?eiog able to talk without removing
. ?Itfro? his lips. .
"I fti'i't agoing to tell you about all
.the ace id en ts that ship bad," he said,
;<Vrb-i!o the smoke curled around bis
?RIBS.
'aroer o? a Southern
Runner.
w York Evening I'ost.
head; "I'm only going to toll you the
facts of one voyage. We loft Nassau
loaded so deep you could touch thc
waler hy leaning over the rail, and
what wc didn't have aboard ain't
worth mentioning. It was a likely
cargo, said the skipper, and I
would have agreed with him if it
hadn't bin for a boss we had on
deck. I had been feeling that lie
would make trouble and 1 told the
skipper KO before they hoisted thc
animal aboard.
1 doti't want to carry him,' says
ti.'1 skipper, 'hut he's a present from
my owners for the commandorin
chief, (?en. li?e, and I've got to obey
orders. 'Johnny,' he say-;, 'you feed
and lake care of him and I'll see that
you gel a bonus for the job.'
'All right!' 1 replied, not wanting
to let any opportunity go by, "but
ain't agoing to bc responsible if he
kicks up.'
"They said that the boss was an
Arab charger, and worth twice his
weight in cotton, so I treated him as
kind as I knew, though I wasn't cut
out for a stable boy. We had h-iui in
a padded stall abaft thc fo'c'sle, and
there was plenty of straw for him to
stand on. Ho got hay and oats threo
times a day, and li3 wasn't seasick a
bit, though at first he didn't know
how to climb up on the deck when the
roll came. If any liosa got good care,
that one did, but-"
Herc Capt. Barrett broke to ask if
horses wero grateful animals, and I
told him that I thought some of them
were much more grateful than a good
many human beings. If I read his
expression correctly, he did not accept
my view, but he continued without
ofloring any oom mont.
"Well," he said, "tho Plover got to
within 75 miles of Wilmington, about
3 o'olook one afternoon and the skip
per said he'd wait until nightfall be
fore trying to run through the feder
als. I ain't likely to forget that
evening. It was about 6 when we got
under way, and by 8 we had logged a
good 25 miles. We couldn't have
struck a better night for the run in.
It waa dark as a tar bucket overhead,
and there was just enough slap to the
sea to mufUo the sound of the paddle
wheels.
"You couldn't have aeon the Plo
ver if you'd been within 20 feet of
her. We didn't having a light burn
ing-not even a oigar. The engine
room hatchways was covered with tar
paulins, the sidelights was doused
and we had a curtain around the bin
nacle."
It wis evident at the moment that
Capt. Barrett was living the run of
the Plover over again, for he instinc
tively drew the tiro from his pipe and
crouched low at the side of the bank.
Ile might have imagined himself
doubled up behind the bulwarks for
all I knew and I did not disturb his
reverie. After muttering to himself
awhile, he went on:
''We orept along nicely for another
hour, and then I hoard tho skipper
call for a cast of lead. The Plover
oome to a dead halt, while I crept in
to tho foreohains to sound. It was
protty dangerous work, stopping her.
for sho had a full head of steam, and
might have blown off; that would have
given the whole game away. But she
didn't do it, and thc skipper said we
was too far to the south after he look
ed at the sand that came up on the
lead. So he changed her courso two
points and ran along fast for 30 miu
utes or so. Then I cast again, and
this time the skipper says: 'We'll
head for shore.'
I was on tho bridge straining my
eyes and it wasn't long before I seen
a glimmer of light on the starboard
bow. 'That's ono of 'em' I said.
Over wont the wheel, and tho Plover's
head pointed away, but she'd no
Booner turned when the first officer
Been a long black steamer lying abeam
on the port side, and he passed thc
word to the skipper. We knew right
then that we was in the middle of the
federal fleet, but the skipper was &
oool hand. He didn't get worried.
" 'Hard a port/ he whispered:
'steady,' and ateady it waa. The
Plover swung as handsome 88 a yooht,
and we waa just thinking that we
wouldn't be seen, when a pleasant puff
of wind oome along. It seemed a cool
harmless little breeze as it etruok our
faces, full of green leaves and grass
a regular zephyr, the skipper ?aid,
taking it into his lunga. 'We're get
ting in pretty dose,' says I while that
breeze naturally drifted along the
deok. I was thinking how they'd like
to have a little of it in the hot engine
room, when suddenly that hoes snort
ed. I'd clean forgotten all about him,
and I didn't know what was the mat
ter, but thc skipper, who waa used to
horses, jolted mo in the ribs and says:
'He's smelling the land; stop him, and
je quick about it.'
' 'Stop bim- li-.? ?> I a.-ks, ali fud- '
'lcd ifi thc head.
''Tilt; .skipper jrive mc another dig.
. Vou bally fool, he hollers as loud aa
he darer, he's smelling the land: don't
you know ivliat thal mean.-'.' II.-"-,
going to neigh. Throw a tarpaulin over
hit) head, smother him. do anything
to him, but don't let him make a
racket. We'll have the whole fleet
firing at UH.' "
My animal was calmly switching
his tail while he munched the gras.-; at
his feet, and Capt. Barrett watched
him with reflective eyes.
"1 nearly fell to the deck: 1 come
down that ladder .so quick," he said
presently: "but 1 was too late, .lust
as I reached the stall another little
breeze come along and before I could
get a tarpaulin that hos? laid back
his ears and opened his mouth. The
noise he made wa* like a steam calli
ope, and it woke up every gunboat
within live miles of in. Overhead
the skipper was stamping arni cursing
me and the boas in three languages.
" del into thc'stall,' he yells, and
when he seen mc hesitate he picks up
a musket. ''.Jit in;' he yella again;
and I was so excited that instead of
climbing over the stall at the boss'
head, I opens the door at his heels.
You'd have thought after all I did for
that boss he might have been a little
bit gr;, eful; but uo. he didn't even
let mc in the stall. Ile just lifted
his legs and I didn't stop going lill I .
hit a ttanchiou on thc other side of
tho deck."
I had not the heart to tell Capt.
Barrett that excess of joy and not of
ingratitude might have been tho real
cause of the animal's behavior, aod 1
liutcned to him to tell how thc guns
boomed and flashed aud shots whis
tled around the Plover; and how he
did uot lose consciousness until tho
batteries at Fort Fisher drove off the
federals and allowed the ship to run
j into safety.
"'When 1 woke up again,'' he said;
"I was in the hospital with both legs
broke in two places. The doctors
pully-hauled on 'em for weeks, but
they couldn't get 'em straight, and
that was the end of my career as a
lively sailor man. I'll say it for the
skipper that he treated me white,
even if he did nearly lose his ship,
and he fixed it with the company so
that I got enough money to keep me
to tho ond of my days.
"After a time I oame back to New
York to see my gal, and I thought
at first that she was going back os
me.
" 'Johnny,' she says. 'What ha'
you bin doing to yourself? What's
the matter with your legs? They're
nearly bent double?'
" 'I had 'em broken by a boss,'
says I.
" 'Why, I didn't know you worked
in a livery stable' she says, 'I thought
you was a sailor.'
" 'So I am,' I replies, but before I
could explain she breaks in:
" 'Go on, you've been deceiving
me, you landlubber, and you'd better
git out of my sight at once.'
?'I didn't quite know whether she
was in earnest or not, but I thought I
saw a twinkle in her eyes, and so I
waited, and presently she come over
and put her arms around my neck.
" 'Johnny,' she says, 'tell me ?di
about it,' and when I told her she said
she'd marry me if I wouldn't have
nothing more to do with bosses.
" 'If you've got to be kicked about,'
was the way she put it, 'I'd sooner do
it myself,' and we made a bargain
right there."
Capt. Barrett rose and looked at his
watoh.
"It's pretty near time I was walk
ing," ho remarked. I wouldn't mind
taking a chanoc behind that boss of
your'n, but Minnie, that's my wife,
ain't seen fit to kick mc about yet.
and I ain't going back on my word till
she does."
A Confederate Veteran Vouches for the
Famous Apple Tree.
To tho Editor of The State:
In your issue of this date there ap
pears an editorial headed "The Swoid
of Lee" io whioh you make this state
ment: "But there is in reality no
ground for the populai description of
the surrender under the apple tree to
rest upon; it is even eontended that
the apple tree itself existed only in the
imagination of the ephemeral historian
conjured into being as the eastern
fakirs produce flowering plants."
I am an old ex-Confederate soldier
and was at Appomattox Court House
when Gen. Lee surrendered his army.
I was a private in the ranks through
out the war and have been a pr?vate
eitiien ever since, with no desire for
notoriety in the publio prints or other
wise; but I feel impelled to make
publio my knowledge of the facta aa I
saw them, in the interest of the truth
of history.
Last Sunday, the 9th of April,
brought vividly to mind the scenes of
that memorable day whioh was the
40th anniversary of the surrender of
Leo's army, and my mind having
d /volt upon these events more than
usual for the past few day?; I am en
abled to desoribe them with more ac
1 curacy.
After a most exhaustive march of
PHK AXUKRSON INTUI
< ric week from Kichinood, in which ?
our un n were gaunt from los-- of sleep !
and hunger, we encamped in the vi
cinity of Appomattox on Saturday
night the Sib of April. On Sunday
morning we uolieed that there was an
unusual quiet: no marching orders
wer* given and with the exception of
a fe guns fi ri og in tho distance, a
Sabw?th stillness prevailed, lt was
not long till these guns ceased fi ri cg
and then wc saw a Fquad of men
marching abreast up the broad turn
pike aud ordering thc road cleared as
the federal army was to march
through. Wc were then informed
that Gen. Lee had actually surrender
ed.
In the course of the day our battery
was ordered to move down thc road !
and wc weut into camp in an old dc- I
serted farm house, packing our guns j
in the yard. There were a few old j
apple trees in this yard surrounding I
the house and it was reported that ;
Gen. Leo was sitting on a fence rail !
undo- one of these trees when (jen. j
Grant's officer came over under fljg
cf truce and demanded Gen. Lee's I
surrender. This large apple tree was
somewhat isolated from the others and
I know from personal experience that
there was a rail lying across thc
ground at the roots of this tree. I>ur- .
ing thc afternoon a group of officers
were sitting on their horses in thc
road just in front of the house in
which our company were quartered.
Gen. Lee's headquarter?, were in a
small cabin thc distance of about 2U?)
yards nearer the village and on tho
banks of a deep gully or canal which
was crossed by a bridge. I remember
distinctly that a federal officer, dress
el io handsome uniform and riding a
magnificent sorrel horse, rode up to
this group of officers, and in a very
cordial and familiar manner greeted
one of them by name. I supposed
that they had bern old acquaintances,
perhaps West Point comrades. This
salutation was responded to in a very
j iodiffcrpnt manner, this Confederate
I officer only reaching out bis left hand
and allowing the Yankee to shake it.
After a few moments conversation the
federal officer, whom I have reason to
believe was Goo. Badeaw, Gen.
Grant's chief of staff, rode down to
Gen. Lee's headquarters and in a few
minutes I saw Gen. Lee come out and
mount "Old Traveler," his war horse,
and ride slowly up the hill to the
court house to Gen. Grant's head
! quarters. The road was lined on
both sides with union soldiers and as
Gen. Lee rede through their ranks
they presented arms in perfect si
lence, as -wo were told that Gen.
Grant had given strict orders that no
d?monstrations of victory would be
allowed over a brave but conquered
foe.
Io the oouroe of a hour Gen. Lee
[JiTGENCE?
catne hack and willi Iiis general officers
rode in renr of this farm house and
held a consultation. I was sitting j
under this historic apple tree on the
identical rail alluded to and was au
eye-witness to the solemn conclave
which was held about IOU yards from
this tree. It lasted hut a short timo
and I supposed that Gen. Lee was
statiug to these officers the terias that
Gen. Grant had offered. After these
officers had dispersed Gen. Lee sat
there alone for a few minutes appar
ently in deep thought. Many times
within the past 40 years I have wished
that I could poBSOBs a pioture of that
scene. The greatest general of the
grandest army that earth ever saw sit
ting on his horse alone in his humilia
tion. On Monday morning, the lOih
of April, permission was granted both
armies to miogle in free intercourse
with each other and during the day
groups of the gray and the blue could
bc seen mingled in crowds of hundreds
discussing the war in a friendly way,
from their different view points.
The Yankee soldiers got an inkling
about thc apple tree and they were
shown the tree and the rail lying un
der i? Thc fi rs?, equad that made an
attack upon it cut off all the limbs:
another pulled off all the bark, the
next gang cut down the tree and split
it up into small pieces for souvenirs
and the last dug up the stump roots
and all, eo that nota vestige of thc tree
was left. I broke off a twig and kept
it for many years. Of course it is a
well known fact Gen. Lee made the
actual surrender at Gen. Grant'c
headquarters, but I, as well as other
old soldiers, can testify to the exist
ence of this historic apple tree and
to its ultimate fate.
G. H. Reid,
Palmetto Battery. Capt. H. lt. Gar
den; Col. J. C. Haskell's Battalion.
Bishopville, S. C., April 12-h, 1905.
Blew In $35 OOO in Fiva Days.
Goldfield. Nev., April 14 -Edward
Chase, for twenty years a prospector
in this State, struck it rich a week
ago. He and his partner sold a newly
located chum for $70,000. It has
taken Chase just five days to run
through $35,000, his share of the Hale.
Chase startod in on Monday to spund
his monoy. He was broke to-day.
This noon he borrowed money enough
' to equip himself for another prospect
ing tour and started out again.
While he had the money Chase en
deavored, with fair success, to keep
every drinking man in Goldfield in
toxicated. The saloon keepers took
advantage of his condition and charg
ed him from $25 to $100 a round for
drinks. When he got tired of buying
drinks he threw gold away in tho
streets. HJ had a good time, he aays,
while the money lasted.
Modern Jerusalem.
Life in Jerusalem, according to Mies j
A. Goodrich Freer, the author of "In
ner Jerusalem," is one of anomalies
and anachronisms. The street arab
speaks three or four languages. Ap*rt
from tho tourists who are representa
tives of half of the naiions of the
world, there are Jews, Mohammedans
and Christians. The streets of Jeru
salem are unspeakable filthy. One
can buy anything he wanta in the city.
There are even French dress makers
who will follow out the latest Pari
sian fashion. Water is soarce and
mainly derived from cisterns. The
rainfall averages only thirty or forty
inches. There is a trade in good wa
ter, which comes from tho village of
Ain Karin, some three miles distant
from Jerusalem? There is a mo8t un
pleasant wiud?'the sirocco, whioh is
fatal to vegetation", "exhausting to the
nerves, irritating to the temper, parch
ing the skin and ruinous to tho bair
and complexion," The dews are j
heavy. Jerusalem has its special dis- !
ceases, but the cure is found in qui
nine.
Insect pests are the mci-juitocs and
moBt particularly the sand flies. Ono
may keep out the mosquito, but thc
sand fly is at homeeverywhere. Cloth
ing affords no protection. Flies are
overbundant. Winter is moro pleas
ant than summer. Sometimes on a
winter evening a fire is necessary. Af
ter all, it is a land of perpetual sun
shine, tho mean annual temperature
being 63 degrees. With all its sacred
ness, Jerusalem is described as a "top
sy turvy land." In a holy place the
native takes off his shoes and wears
his hat. The men sport petticoats,
and the women expose their logs, while
hidiog their facen. Carpets are hung
on tho walls and pictures on the ceil
ing. There is no apparent gratitude,
for in Arabio there is no word tho
equivalent of "Thank you." .
Living is cheap. A good eook can
be had by the month for $6. Mutton
is worth from 8 to 10 cents a pound,
chickens about 25 cento a pair. Fruit
is plet t ful and reasoneble. Consider
ing thu economy of living, the author
expresses her surprise that so few Eng
lish live in Jerusalem, "their number
being insignificant when compared
with the American residents." The
population of the city is put dowa at
60,000 of whom 40,000 aro Jews.
- Some girls sing like night-*
ingales and others like gales in the
night.
- Any man ought to he saLiefied
with his lot if it is worth 85,000 a
front foot.
- Only a very brave youth v/.ould
attempt to steal a kiss from an unfair
maid.
When Papa Minded the Baby.
(Joe day papa said ihat ho would
mind the baby while mamma went
down stairs to entertain a visitor, and
mamma consented. "But," said oho,
"I am afraid that something will hap- m
pen to it. Men always do the wrong *
thing!? with babies."
Papa was very quiet and careful fer
a little while, never taking hia eyes
fi om the baby where it lay asleep in
its little lace-lined crib. But after
awhile he got up and tiptoed off to the
other room because he wanted to smoko
a cigar, and he left four-year-old Hel
en in the room with baby and told her
to be sure not to wake it up.
Papa got to lookiog iuto a book and
he quite forgot about the baby.
Theu he hurried to the room with a
guilty feeling. ,
Th? next minute mama was fright
ened almost out of her wits by papa's
.jry: "Hurry! Hurry! Something's
th<' matter with baby!"
Mamma ran upstairs as fast as her
trembliiig legs could carry her and
there lay baby, white as chalk and ita
face all drawn and so queer that it
looked awful.
'It's dead!" shrieked mamma, but
at the sound bab? woko up and cried
so heartily that it was easy to see that
it was alive.
Then mamma snatched it up and
they saw what had happened. Helen
had seen nurse using the nice white
baby powder on baby, so she had
poured the whole boxfull on its face.
"I will never, never, never leave
you alone with baby again," said
mama to papa. And pap was so
ashamed that Helen felt really sorry
for him.
K New-Fanglad Disease for Her.
A certain widow who lives in New
York State is very desirous of having
her congressman use his influerioe in
seouring a pension for her.
The member received a letter from
this constituent several days ago
again calling attention to the fact that.
she wants recognition. At the end of
the letter there was this indignant
paragraph:
"I want yon to know that my hus
band died of regular, old fashioned
consomption, contracted io the ser
vice. There is somebody writing to
the pension office trying to keep me
from getting the pension, who says
John died of tuberculosis."-Wash
ington Star.
I -Some women derive aa muon.
pleasure from weeping as men do from
j laughing.
- It gives a man a moral squint to
look more at condition than at ohm?
coter.
NEARLY
400,000,000
PACKAGES
of this most nutritious of all foods
have already been consumed but
CHEER
Good wheat is plentiful. FJour mills
are grinding steadily. >?T10N?L
BISCUIT COMPANY bakeries, the
cleanest, largest, most modern in the
> world, are working day in and day out
to supply you with your favorite .soda
cracker? So U&eada E?i?eu!? ar? still
in abundance-the price ia the same
