The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-01-25
It was while he was 4 clerk n

/ y
Washington that he was ono day sur
prised by a visit from P. T. Barnum
about lifetime Of his Fire Annihilatol
humbug, Barnum wanted poem
commemorative of that sensation, and
offered $500. Captain G. declined, on
the plea that his muse would mo-
snrvc him for money. Barnum wal
very complimentary and persistent
and the Captain dashed off the song O
the "Firo Annihilator," which, in his
own opinion, was an utter and dis.
graceful failure, and gladly would be
have given $500 if he had never writ
ten it. BY agreement, the Captain
went to New York, stopping at the
Astor, sent his card to Barnum who
came--took the mannscript-read il
TO certain referees land the next NOR.
n ing called at the Astor-hanced the
! Captain check for $500 and his ex-
Ipenscs included. The Captain, with
his accustomed improvidence, stayed
over at Gotham a few days, engaged
in sightseeing, and returned to Wash
ington just about as rich as when he
Illeft it few days before. p,
While at Washington he made tho
acquaintance of Miss LOWS, of Roches-
ter New York, to whom he was soon
married, greatly to the displeasare Of
the father Of Mrs. Cutter, who never
became reconciledI to- Ibis son-in law.
Mrs. Cuttcris still living in Rochester
the mother of tho dead poets only
child, George Wa Cutter, jr., now a
boy Of five or six years Of age. 81
Captain Cutter was no reader of
poetry though himself one ofacknowl-
edged ability. He often spoke in the
most extravagant terms of brakes
liI0de to the American Flag as ems
bodying his highest conception of true
poetry. Itwas his custom to reeite it
with great enthusiasm, throwing into
it that soldier element which was o
strong quality of his tcmporament.--
There was no envy in his heart. He
appreciated the genius of all the poets
whom he knew, and was slow to speak
in disparaging terms Of the perform
al1ces of others. @ ars1I9t " hogp.
Captain Cutter was imbued with a
thoroughly loyal sentiment. Love of
country was one of the strongest ele-
ments in his nature. That is shown
in his "E Pluribus Unum." During
the war, the writer saw it manifested
in a remarkable manner. A flag was
floating from q conspicuous place near
the corner Of Fifth and Vine Streets
1t was earlyin the morning. Some
young rebels were standing on the op-
|posite side of tho street, and by words
and signs manifesting contempt for
the flag. Captain Cutter came around
the corner, evidently from a nights
carousal His eyes were afame; his
hair stood out like quilts upon the
fretful porcupine; his voice was hoarse
with passion. He had espied the
group from afar, and approaching,
his whole face glowing with passion,
he broke out. "In Spain they have
bull fights. When the bull is led in
to the ring the matador flaunts red
flag in his face, when, with bowed
neck and flashing tcye, he goes into
the fight. When the old flag is insult.
ed [ feel like the bull in the ring"
And with these words, himself the i'm
age of an enraged bull, he made short
work of tho young rebels. '.l1
Captain Cutter cssayed politics sew
eral times in his lite, He possessed
more than fair ability as an orator, and
his other qualities being equal, he
could have sustained handsome po.
sition anywhere. But there was no
work in him, he was constitutionally
indolcnt, impatient ofrestraint, moody
and with deep rooted lovo ofstimu-
lants, which finally broke down his
naturally strong constitution and
placed him in his grave in his fifty
fifth year.
1t was his oft repeated request that
his friends should sometime place
over his grave an humble monument
with the simple inscriptions:
nsACRED TO THE MEMORY OF
CAPTAIN GEORGE W. CUTTER,
Author of The Song ofSteam' and 'E
Pluribus Unum. "