M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-01-26
A West Pointer Vino CWrmed Her
niI-Strun "Reminiscences.

miI-Sirange "reminiscences.
The present site Of the beautiful
and fourishing city Of Davenport.
Iowa. was, in 1922, called Stubs
Ferry after Captain Stubbs, OF the
Army, who had previously graduated
at West Point, aud WAS stationed at
Rock Island. where he remained four
years. Tie Captain was an eccen'
trio genius, ard, in 1889, built a cave
in the south side Of mound standing
at the mouth of neiglrboring valley.
Barou, in the History Of Scott
County, of which Dav export is the
metropolis, relates the following rem
iniscences of the Captains peculiari-
ties, habits, family connections, &c,
VIII ch will be new and novel, We
doubt not, to many readers hereabout.
The historian says OF him:
During my stay upon this beautiful
island, at this early day, away from
the crog ded city, he formed an attach.
ment for this wild and enchanted
country, that terminated only with
his life. lie was 5rotherin'
law to Judge Mclean, and III 1927
he returned east and served under him
in the Post Office Department, and
from there went to Cincinnati, where
he was clerk in the Post. Office fol
some years. But in 1888 he gratified
his long pent-up desire to return to the
West. On his return to Rock Island
however, there seemed to have come
over him great change. He seem
cd to have lost all that vivacity Of life
and spirit 80 natural to his character.
Deep melancholy at times brooded
over him. His bright and keen intel
lect seemed at once to give way. Va
Iious were the canses attributed to hi;
state of mind. Some surmised it was
a matter of love, but none knew
The secret vas ever buried in his owl
bosom. He sought relief, like th OH
sands, in the inebriat,ng bowl. Hit
talents were bright, his education lib
era, and his honesty beyond all ques
tion. He sought retirement from the
world, and selected the secluded spo
in East Davenport, and dug his cave
in "Stuo6s' Mound," where, from it
mouth, he could look out upon thu
beautiful Mississippi, as its ripple'
current moved on in it's endless our
ney to the sunny South. Here h
lived q hormit's life for nearly eigh
years. His only companions were
pet pig and cat, with sometimes
dog. This was his family, and many
a lecture did these mute listeners gel
from their eccentric master. AL
quarrels among these were settled by
the captain in "a jud cial manner, anC
the guilty one punished. In hi
morning or evening ralnbles along th
banks OF the Mississippi, hi. entir
family would be seen with him
marching behind him in IN litary file
with all proper decorum, and often il
his visits to the village, he was ac
companied by his pig and cat.
A. G. Fulton, Esq, tells this anec
dote of his first visit to the cave in tn,
summer VI 1912. He had wandered
up the banks of the river looking a
the country for the IirSt time. Whel
he reached the E Idly aud crossing thu
little creek below the present site o
Mr.. Dalam's store, he hastened tow
ard the top Of the mound, in order tt
obtain a more extensive view Of thC
little plateau OF ground to which h'
had arrived. In passing up the side
of the mound, he caught the sound oI
a human voice, but could not deter
mine from whence it came, as ht
could see no one near him. The
noise increased, and seemed to be &
very earnest dispute, mingled with no
few hard acOrdS, when suddenly Mr.
Fulton discovered the place from
which issued the sound. lie was neal
tue top Of the chimney or hole from
which the light, smoke and heat d
CAPTAIN Stubs residence escaped
and not dreaming that he was in the
vicinity of habitation, he was some
what startled, but cried out at the toE
of his voice, as he looked down thC
cavity, "Hallol What are you dong
down therel' To which the answer
came back in quick response, "Wha
are you doing up there! Get of my
house, sir!" This was his first intro
duction to Captain Stubbs, who, in at
ter years, received many kind tokens
OF regard from the hand Of Mr.. Full
ton. The only cause OF the disturb
anca in the Captain's domicile wai
that the~pet pig had, probably NTH
out malice qf0rethOught, undertaken
to assist his master in the culinary de
partment, and accidentally(or for wan
OF better traiuing) partially destroyed
a pone of corn bread which the Cap
tam had been preparing ior the frS
tube. Captain SlubOs was survey
OF. aud run out many ol the hrsL sci