The Shasta courier., 1867-06-22
SHASTA COURIER.
STORY OF MORGAN PRUSSIA.

George the Fourth, when Prince Regent.
remarkable for his dexterity in telling a
story, was fond Of collecting instances of the
whim and humor Of the Irish peasantry.-
One of these was the history of Morgan Prus
sia.
Morgan-the gay and handsome son of
low Irish farmer-tired of home, went to
take the chances of the world, and seek his
fortune. By what means he traversed Eng
land, or made his way to France, is not told
But he at length crossed France also, and,
probably, without much knowledge or much
care whether he were moving to the north
or the south pole. found himselfin the Prus-
sian territory. This was in the day of the
First Frederic, famous for his tall regiment
of guards, and for nothing else, except his
being the most dangerous compound of fool
and madman among the crowned heads of
the continent. lie had but one ambition
that of inspecting twice day a regiment of
a thousand grenadiers. not one Of whom was
less than six and a half feet high. Morgan
was an Irish giant, and was instantly seized
by the Prussian recruiting -sergeants, who
forced him to volunteer into the tall battalion
This turn of fate was totally out of the Irish
mans calculation; and the prospect Of car
rying musket till his dying day on the
Potsdam parade, after having made up his
mind to live by his wits and rove the world,
more than once tempted him to think Of
leaving his musket and his honor behind him,
and fairly trying his chance for escape. But
the attempt was always found impracticable;
the frontier was to closely watched, and Nor
gan still marched up and down the Potsdam-
parade with disconsolate heart when one
evening Turkish recruit was brought in
for Frederic looked to nothing but the thews
and sinews of q man, and the Turk was full
seven feet high.
How much did his maj jesty give for catch
ing that heather % said Morgan to his cor
poral.
= Four hundred dollars, was the answer.
He burst out into an exclamation of aston
ishment at this waste of treasure upon n
Turk
why, they cannot be got for less, replied
the corporal.
What a pity my five brothers cannot hear
of it p said Morgan g am a dwarf to
any of them, and the sound of half the mon
ey would bring them all over Immediately"
As the discovery of a tall recruit was the
well known road to favoritism, five were
worth at least pair of colors to the corpo
raj the conversation was Immediately car
ried to the sergeant, and from him through
lu6 2TdudllOu VI OHlCtIS W ltit CotOuSl. VIII
took the first opportunity of mentioning it to
the king The colonel was instantly ordered
to question Morgan. But he at once lost all
memory on the subject. He had no broth
ers he had made the regiment his father
and mother and relations, and there hoped
to live and die" But he was urged still
more strongly, and he at length confessed
that he had brothers even above the regimen
tai standard, but that nothing on earth could
stir them from their spades.
After some time the king inquired for the
fire recruits, and was indignant when be
was told of the impossibility of enlisting
them.
.'Send tho fellow himself" he exclaimed,
and let him bring them back"
The order was given, but Morgan was
broken hearted at the idea of SO long All
absence from the regiment. lie applied to
the colonel to have the order revoked, or at
least given to some one else. But this was
out of the question, for Frederic's word was
always irrevocable; and Morgan with dis.
consulate face, prepared to set out upon his
mission But new difficulty struck him.
Z" How was he to make his brothers come
unless he showed them the recruiting mon
ey?"
This objection was at last obviated by the
advance of sum of fifteen hundred dollars,
as a first installment for the purchase of his
family. Like loyal grenadier, the Irish
man was now ready to attempt anything for
his colonel or his king, and Morgan began
his journey. But, as he was stepping out of
the gates of Potsdam, another difficulty
occlrred, and he returned to tell the colonel
that, of all people existing, the Irish were the
most apt TO doubt a travellers story, they
being in the habit of a good deal of exercise
in that style themselves and that when he
should go back to his own country and tell
them of the capital treatment and sure pro
motion that's soldier met with in the guards,
the probability was that they would laugh in
his face. As for the money, " there were
some who would not scruple to say he stole
it, or tricked somebody out of it. But, un-
doubtedly, when they saw him walking back
only as a common soldier. he was sure that
they would not believe syllable, let him say
what he would about rising in the service"
The objection was intelligible enough and
the colonel represented it to Frederic, who,
doubly outrageous at the delay, swore a
grenadier oath, ordered Morgan to be made
sous officer, or upper sergeant, and, with
sword and epaulet, sent him instantly across
the Rhine to convince his five brothers of the
rapidity of Prussian promotion. Morgan
flew to his home in the county Carlow, de.
lighted the hreslde Tor many mile round
with his having outwitted king and whole
battalion of grenadiers, laid out his recruit
ing money on land, and became man of es-
tate at the expense of the Prussan treasury.
One ceremony remains to be recorded
Once year, on the anniversary of the day
on which he left Potsdam and its giants
behind, he climbed hill within short dis
tance of his house, turned himself in the
direction of Prussia and with the most con-
temptuous gesture he could contrive, bade
goodbye to his majesty The ruse was long
great source of amusement, and Its hero,
like other heroes, bore through life the name
earned by his exploit. - Morgan Prussia"
How TO SIT.-All consumptive people.