The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-06-01
" Eminent Americans"

! Eminent Americans.
A serial work protesting to give the
biographies and portraits of Eminent
Americans" is now being published in
/ New York. We find by communica-
tion in the Barnwell Is. CO. Sentinel, that
the "eminent" postmaster at that place,
Mr.. Tobin, has been solicited to fll a
niche in the temple Of fame. His reply
to tho publisher aforesaid, is as fol-
J lows -
| Dear Sir,-Your communication reach
ed me last week, and in replication, l
beg leave to state, that if l have ever
done anything worthy of the immortali-
| ty of your paper, [ am not conscious of
it. However, as true merit is always
modest, it may be to that virtue that |
owe my ignorance; at all events, (and |
am now anxious the world at large should
know it,) I have not sought fame, but
fame has sought me, as Alexander Smith,
the poet, would say -
/ Fame Fame next granJest word to Cod"
In taking the retrospect Of my early
days, [ can discover nothing worthy Of
record, unless it be the stealing Of a few
water-melons at school, for which [ was
beaten with many stripes, or the riding
of few quarter races, for which re-
ceivcd an occasional and solitary ginger
cake or adventures OF similar import.
At II, [ ran away from my venerable
! old guardian, the Rev. Hansford Dadc
Duncan, Oong life to him, and vamoosed
! to the great far west, where | fourished
for short time only, and upon returning
lost all my money upon a game vulgar
/ ly called "poker," (of which, Of course,
you know nothing upon one Of the boats
/ of the Alabama River. This was about
the time the Ben Franklin bursted, and
killed so many; and had mot been stand
ing near the stern Of the vessel, you would
never have had the opportunity Of hand
ing my name, fac Sjnsjle, character and
adventures, down to an eager posterity
in the colums Of your justly celebrated
magazine.
returned to my own, my native land,
fundless, and perhaps somewhat seedy in
appearance, and run for Ist Lieut.. in a
distinguished military company, but was
unfortunately beaten by one vote, by my
worthy competitor.
In the year of our Lord, 1919 my IL
lustrious friend. Thomas D. Condy, gave
me the Office Of Assistant Deputy I, S.
Marshal for the District Of Barnwcn, and
while taking the Ceusus l killed one
horse and another ran away and broke
+ my buggy; upon which occasion rode
my horse bare back II miles in 40 min
utes, Of which fact Col. 3. Il. Brown, is
living witness.
After I had concluded this Lcrculcan
undertaking, man, calling himself &C.
! f. 2. - wrote me from Washing
ton that if [ would forward certain a.
mount Of money to him, he would prose
cute my claims for an increase of pay
sufficient to cover these immense disas-
ters, but [ grieve to say that from the
time sent the money, l have not heard
word from the aforesaid and neVer-to-
be-forgotten G. +. P. he probably
having gone to parts unknown. How
ever, [ still entertain strong hopes of
seeing his distinguished name and fac
simile in your widely circulated magazine.
Last year [ ran for Tax Collector in
this important township, and was beaten
SO badly by base combination, Of which
| was wholly unconscious until few
minutes before the closing Of the polls,
that | have not since entirely recovered
my equanimity. As a salvo, however,
to this disaster, and just at this criSis,my
distinguished but benighted friend, the
Hon. james Campbell, Postmaster Gen
cral, gave me the Post Office at this
place, the duties of which | may without
vanity say, I have discharged to the cont
IpScte 0Hd entire satisfaction Of the arho'c
community.
| My friends anxious to secure ME for the
distinguished honor you have so politely
rendered, and as Il reward for my various
and arduous services, are now busily en-
gagged in raising subscription for the
purpose of defraying the expenses atten-
dant upon this momentous affair. l al
/ lude to the engraving Of my Portrait
They have already appointed a commit
tee to secure the services of a competent
artist for the all-absorbing occasion, and
as soon as the picture is completed l will
forward it to your address.
Permit me TO express the hope that you
will delay the publication of the next num-
Der of your magazine until it makes It's
advent.
l avail myself of this opportunity to
assure you of the distinguished consider
alton with which
| remain, dear sir,
Your grateful and obdt servant,
c. T. TOBIN, p. NJ.
At Barnwell c. H., S. c.
Jno Livingston, ESQ, I57 Broadway,N. Y.