Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-12-22
From :he Philadelphia Press.
RIGLER AND HIS BOSWELL.

The immortal bard was not wide of the
truth, when he said that sssome men have
greatness forced upon them.' In fact, this
sort of fame is wont, upon some peculiarly
fortunate individuals, to fall in perfect show
er. The more unpretending and the more
diminutive the apparent virtues and merits
of the individuals in question, the more pre-
tentious and avalanchine the weight of glory
that oyerwhelms them. Tho Gray may I'll us,
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen
And waste its sweetness on the desert air
there are many others, even of sun-iower
delicacy and brilliance, who were never born
for this prosaic, nronantic destiny They
never content till they figure before the
worlds eye, and intoxicate the town with their
peculiar fragrance. They are gleeful at agri-
cultural fairs. and at the annual meetings of
horticultural societies; for they are ambitious
then and there, by ventilation of their sweets,
to win ssthat medal'' which is to stamp tfem
fairest of the fair and brightest of the
bright. If taken abroad exotics, their
cup of dew is full to Overfiowing and if
brought back again 10 their native and accus-
toned vale, they are apt to snub and look
down upon the poor little ssdaffy down n-dilies''
and modest primroSeS who used to be fellow
companions of the field in earlier days. If
they prove generous enough to still smile on
these early friends, despite the new accession
of renown from foreign wanderings at Court,
they are pronounced as condescendingly good
and great, and tip-top specimens altogether.
We were abruptly reminded of these trite
truisms in reading paragraph in late num-
Der of the ClcdrfeLd Republican. 1t was
source of delight for US to learn-a satisfac-
tion which would not prevent our readers
from sharing-that ssa distinguished of
Pennsylvania has been spending five or six
months in his old home" The phenomenon
is, perhaps, not altogether startling novelty,
and per Sc does not call for any peculiar force
of exuberant ecstacy, were it not accompanied
with facts of most significant suggestions.
The authority in question, like Virgil in his
account of 1Eneas' wanderings, embelishes
the simple fact with classically graphic ac-
count Of the attendant circumstances. "The
time" OF this distinguished son sshas been oc-
cupied in friendly and unreserved intercourse
with the friends and associates of the humber
days Of his early life.'' What marvellous and
refreshing condescenson for the noble and
ssdistinguished'' to thus find soace from the
cares of State in loving communion for five
calender months with the s.humble 20 And,
can it be credited, as the Boswelian biogra-
pher relates, that ssduring that time, no man
of his acquaintance, Teven the cOmmonest
farmer or most ordinary log-roller of the
Clearfield region,J be his condition in life
what it may, can say that the hand has been
withheld from him by or distinguished citi-
zenn' If this isn't a STOPPING of Jove-like
majesty to notice ssthe lower classes,' we
should like to know what else is. If this be
not unbending from ssthe frown which sits so
well on kings" we should like to learn. To
have given that hand with such generous
looseness, however "weak in the knees" may
have been the Administrative force that lent
il muscle, was, under the circumstances, a
degree of atfabiity rarely seen outside of the
court of his Imperial Majesty Faustin the
First. Neither Crichton nor Chesterfield ever
touched this sublimity of self-sacrifice, and
the only wonder is that the generous hand
survived the rash experiment.
But there is one consolation in knowing
that this angelic compacency is not thrown
away upon any constituency. However fear
fully the gigantic labor of shaking hands with
a whole county may tell upon the wrist Joints
of the ssdistinguished'' shaker, he can find
sweet balsam for his ssbruised arms hung up
for monuments" in the gentle voice of his
fellow-citizens, thus expressed by the Repubii-
can: ssThere can be no more gratifying sight
to the American citizen than to behold the
perfect freedom from ostentation and official
pretention witnessed in the bearing and habits
oil many Of our Senators, among whom, in this
respect, Senator Bigler stands pre-eminentIy
eohspieuons. We certainly think ssthe A
merlcan citlzen''-at least the Clearf;eId conn
ty specimen-must take the premium for hmm
bieness from Uriah Heep, if his heart cannot
conceive Of anything s'more gratifying than
condescending notice from sea distineui.b-
ed Senator"
The Senator does we'll, too, in not making