The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1868-11-12
Thomas II. Benton aud a Washington
bookseller,

The Washington correspondent OF the
Cincinnati Commercial tells this story Of
Thomas II. Benton:
"Shillington is an Irish bookseller here,
Of credit and renown. Benton was a neigh
Dor and friend of his, and made Shilling.
ton cut out OF books and newspapers every
conceivable article upon the Pacific Rail
way and bring it to him. He also employ
ed Shillington TO select from the Congress
sional Globes, which were brought TO his
house in c street by the cart load, the INIT
ter that he wished in publishing his
'A~bridgement of the Debates Of Congress-.
1T was a strange and remarkable study, -
said Shillington, ito see that old man ~
ing there fiat on his back, unable TO rise,
his spectacles poised on the tip Of hisnose,
looking through the long debates, whose
huge tolios he held on his breast. He
knew no had but n week or two TO live, and
he was running a race with death TO get
the book finished; for he believed that 1t
was the vital thing to keep the country to-
gether. He used 10 send me word four or
five times a day to come up there, and the
people said / was his slave. II / did not
come promptly on time, the old gentleman
seemed to feel that l was in some way
derelict in my duty to the country "
'One day, when the shop was full of
people, word came down, Mr.. Benton
wants you to come at two o'clock to help
him On an important matter As soon as
l could possibly leave | went around to his
dwelling aud found him asleep, breathing
very hard, with u large volume Of the
Globe on his breast. | lifted the book OF
and set it on Q table a little out Of reach.
Then, seeing that he did not yet awaken, |
hHstened back to my work, In about two
hours ! returned, and the old man looked
very severely at me.
81 sent for you, cir, two hours ago. /
bave but a month at most to live, sir; and
it is important for the country that this
hook shall be flushed before / die. You
did not come sir
eyes, Mr., Benton, I did. And 1 found
you asleep
" / have not slept for fifty hours, sir
II was impossible that / could sleep, sir,
with so much on my mind.
"'Benton never trusted a man that told
him a lie, SO found it necessary to clear
myself.
"AIr. Benton said |, you were asleep
with a volume Of the Globe on your breast
when | entered the room, and | found you
breathing hard, so / put the book on the
table yonder.'
"The old mans eyes lighted up.
"'Well, now, sir, he said, 4 knew / had
that book on my breast or on the bed
somewhere, and / wondered how it got of
there so far, Perhaps / did doze q little
unconsciously. But come, sir, We mus
get to work. / have but q little time 10 do
a great deal Of work in
'Dr. Hall and his colleague, 10 prolonl
the life Of Benton, opened the old man.
abdomen, and taking out his bowels Will.
he was still conscious, proceeded 10 cleans,
them. At n place they found soml
grape skins; then they found bits of wood
which he used to chew abstrGctedly Will
writing OF reading.
"Look on, gentlemen, said the old man
feeblyi i dare say you will find Congress
SiOEdl GLOBES next
"When Benton was about to die, s.
vital did he think his advice was to tn
country, he sent for Buchanan, had tn
door closed, and solemnly devoted his las
hours to impressing upon the Presideu
his opinion of the mode in which the GOV
eminent should be administered. If eve
there was q man." concluded ShillingtoI
"whO thought that in his mind and reaso
lay the true destiny Of the Union, il Wa
Tom Benton. His family, his name, hi
future were all subordinate to the love {
country"
MAMMOTH APPLE TREE.-Mr. Joseph TuI
tie has IN apple treeion his farm int Concord
Lake county, Ohio, Of remarkable growth
The tree was grated by him thirty-fou
years ago and now measures around th
trunk, three feet from the roots, eight fec
and six inches, and the breadth of the to
is siTty feet and sic inches. The tree is j
full vigor and now laden with fruit, an
estimated TO contain from thirty to font
bushels of apples. We have an apple frol
this tree before III which is of n choice VI
riety, Of average size compared with thos
upoa the tree, and measures eleven inchC
in circumference Ohio Farmer.
Brown broad and baked beans, says IL
Boston Traveller, are among the acknOw
edged institutions Of New England. Bosto
| ahpua hapaalf a uvppthu Vnaigonolia