The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-04-15
"reminiscences of John Phenix.
From the Round Table.


Phoenix" was that there was not particle
of Miniature about it. He was not of
those sour, Disseminated, satirical, practi-
teal jokers, SO naturally and justly ia.
booed in society. Good-nature and good
fellowship he cherished; and beyond these,
save in the way of harmless mirth, he
never swerved. 1t was not in him. We
have mentioned how he joked us some
deal in introducing himself to us as a Mr..
Furguson whom we had met before. But
funnier, and perhaps more perplexing
thing, was what he did to a clerical mis-
sionary from the Mission Dolores, for
lorn establishment not far from San Fran
cisco. The aforesaid missionary was
lean " Yank, as our rebel brethren would
term him; very poor and very pious, but
one among the most inquisitive of his
tribe. He was introduced by Mr.. Phoenix
to his wife, an accomplished and attractive
lady, to whom the missionary, of course,
was very anxious to make himself accept
able. After the usual changes were rung
on meteorological topics, the growth and
wickedness of San Francisco, the learned
prelate suddenly asked:
Captain Derby, what was the name
of your good lady before you married
her?"
Without moving muscle, and looking
him steadily in the eye, John Phoenix re-
Piled:
"Her name, sir, was Coon (Which it
was, by the by, being that of an opulent
and well known family in St. Lpuis); you
must have heard of her father ?''
mot that / am aware of, answered
the missionary. -
"You have forgotten it, probably, but
he was we'll known; Zip Coon, 'Old Zip
Coon, they used to call him. He was a
United States Senator for several years,
and was very popular, everybody who
knew him always speaking of him as
clever fellow
"Oh, yes" responded the simple mind
ed prelate, 81 do ROW remember having
heard of him there were some exceed
ingly complimentary elegiac lines written
upon him after his death"
Not smile, says our informant, who
witnessed this scene and heard this con-
versation, mantled the face of John Ph9-
nix during the whole of it.
His power of face, in fact, was some-
thing wonderful, as is sufficiently atteste
by the following authentic anecdote: He
was sitting on one occasion in the guests
lolling room of the New York Hotel, 'front.'
ing on Broadway, when a little beggar-girl
came in, and with the keen discernment
of little people in general, noticed bis child
loving, benevolent countenance, and aD-
preached him, asking aims. She was We
ry young, innocent-looking, and had none
of the juvenile whine and persistency of
most young mendicants whom one meets
in the streets and in the halls of our pub
lie hotels Phoenix at once assumed a
mourntul expression of face, and began to
talk, as it were, con6dentially and very
atfectionately to her. He told her that his
father was long since dead, and that he,
% Having early lost his mother.
Without sister, without brother
was now left entirely alone in the world
that he was then but little boy, with no.
body to look to; and often and often he
had not known where to get piece of
bread, or where he was to sleep at night.
The little girls blue eyes began to moisten;
the lolling guests, most of whom knew
Captain Derby, gathered around; when
" NOV VOC OuSn SuA pass " W. fSSN3
sympathetic beggar child go close up to
him, and in quiet, confidential way take
out of the little side-pocket of her soiled
and tattered frock all the money which
she had gathered during the day, and place
it in his hands. This tribute to Mr.. Der
bys power of countenance and manner,
and the exquisitely beautiful evidence Of
the effect of it in the act Of the little girl,
struck every person present with kindred
admiration. It is needless to add that the
tender-hearted and generous little donor of
her hard days earnings had not only her
small yet great benefaction restored, bnt
went away with great possessions, educed
from the sympathetic pockets of the by
ISLANDERS. stl y
The New York Independent, in refer
ring to the great calamity at Sheffield.
England, caused BY the, bursting Of al
Immense reservoir Of water, intimates that
the reservoirs in Central Park are not en-
tirely free from suspicious a. To- their
soundness, and the city in the neiehbor-
hood is liable to the same calamity that
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