The Sweetwater forerunner. [volume] (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1867-1869, 1868-11-05
Tom Benton.


The other day published somewhere,
perhaps in the Commercial, some novel
anecdotes of Tom Benton, the principal
protector Of the Pacific railway, whose
statute stands 10 st. Louis to day looking
westward along the line, aquline and grim
as in life, with his cloak folded around
him. From the same source l have OBJ
tanned other personal "reminiscences, one OF
two of which l send you as pertinent to
the theme of this letter.
ShillingtOn is an Irish bookseller here,
Of credit and renown. Benton was a
neighbOr and friend of his, and made
ShillingtOn cut out of books and newspa-
pers every conceivable article upon the
Pacific railway and bring it to him. He
also employed Shllington to select from
the Congressional Globes, which were
brought to his house in c street by the
cart load, the matter he wished in pab-
fishing his "Abridgement of the Debates
of Congress"
1t was a strange and remarkable study,
said Shillington, to see that old man lying
there fiat on his back, unable to rise, his
sPectaces poised on the tip of his nose,
looking through the long debates, whose
huge foliOs he held on his breast. He
knew that he had but week or two to
live, and he was running a race with death
to get the book finished; for he believed
that it was the vital thing to keep the
country together. He used to send me
word four or five times day to come up
there and the people said that 1 was a
slave. If | did not come promptly on
time, the old gentleman seemed to feel
that was in some way dorelict in my
duty to the country. One day, when the
shop was full of people, word cam down
Mr., Benton wants you to come at two
o'clock to help him on an important mat
ter. As soon as | could possibly leave, l
went around to his dwelling and found
him asleep, breathing very hard, with a
large volume of the GlJbo on his breast.
| lifted the book off and set it on a table
little out of reach. Then seeing that
he did not yet awaken, fastened back
to my work. In about two hours I re-
turned, and the old man looked very
severely at me.
81 sent for you, sir, two hours ago. l
have but month at most to live, sir; and
it is important for the country that this
book shall be finished before die. You
did not come, SIR"
"Yesl Mr.. Benton, 1 did. And
found you asleep
81 have not slept for fifty hours, sir
1t was impossible that I could sleep, sir,
with so much on my mind"
Benton never trusted man that told
him lie, so l found it necessary to clear
myself.
"Mr. Benton, said l, you were asleep,
with volume of the Globe on your breast
when l 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, | knew I had
that book on my breast, or on the bed
somewhere, and l wondered how it got
off there so far, Perhaps l did doze
unconSciouSly. But come, sir, we must
get to work. I have but little time to
do a great deal of work inn
CDR. Hall and his colleague, to prolong
the life of Benton, opened the old mans
abdomen and taking out his bowels, while
he was still conscious, proceeded to
cleanse them. AT one place they found
some grape-skins; then they found bits
of wood, which he used to chew abstract
eddy while writing or reading.
"Look on, gentlemen said the old man,
feebly, dare say you will find Congress
ional Globe next"
When Benton was about to die, so vital
did he think his advice was to the coun-
try, he sent for Buchanan, had the door
closed, and solemnly devoted his last
hours to impressing upon the President
his opinion of the mode in which the
country should be administered. If ever
there was man, concluded Shillington,
who thought in his mind and reason lay
the true destiny of the Union, it was Tom
Benton. His family, his fame, his future,
we're all subordinate to the love of coun-
try. ...u