Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-11-10
THOMAS H. BENTON.
His Last Days ON His treat Work-Painful
Means Adopted TO Prolong the Old SIan's
Death.

The Washington correspondent O
the Cincinnati Commercial tells thi
story of Thomas Ii. Benton
Shillington is an Irish bookseller
here of credit and renown. Benton
was neighbor and friend of his, ant
made Shillington cut out books ant
newspapers every conceivable arti ell,
on the Pacific railway ard bring i
to him. He also employed Shilling
ton to select from the Congressional
Globe, which were brought to hi,
house in c. street by the CARLOAD
the matter that he wished in publish
ing his "Abridgement Of the Debates
of Congress.
1T was a strange and remarkable
study" said hillington, 'io see that
old man lying there flat on his back
unable to rise, his spectacIes 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 a week or two to live, and
he was running race with death To
get the book finished for he believ-
cd that it was the vital thing 10 keep
the country together. He used to
send me word four or five times Il
day to come up there, and the people
said that | was his slave. If / did
not como promptly on time, the old
gentleman seemed to feel that | was
in some way derehct in my duty to
the country. One day, when the shop
was full of people, word came d )wn,
"Mr. Benton wants you to come at
o'clock to help BIN on an important
matter" AS soon as I-could possibly
leave, | went round to his dwelling
and found him asleep, breathing very
hard. with a larg volume Of the Gt06e
on his breast. lifted tho book off
and set it on table a little out of
reach. Then, seeing that he did not
yet awaken, FASTENED back to my
work. ln about two hours | return
cd, and the old man looked very Sc
vorely at me.
Il sent for you sir, two bCurs ago
| have but month at most TO live,
sir; and it is important for tie coun-
try that this book shall be, finished be
tore | die. You did not come. sir.
Eyes, Mr., Benton. | did. And |
found you asleep"
81 have not slept for fifty hours. sir!
1t was impossible that | could sleep
sir, with 30 much on any mind"
benton never trusted a man that
told him lie, so | found it necessary
to clear myself"
"Mr. Benton, said |, you were
asleep with a volume OF the Globe on
your breast when / entered the room,
and | found you breathing hard, so
rut the book on the table yonder"
"The old mans eyes lighted up
"Well now, sir, be said, Il know |
had that book on my breast or on the
bed somewhere, and / wondered now
it got off there SO far. Perhaps
did doze little unconciously. But
come, sir, we must get to work. /
have but little time to do great
deai of work in"
"Dr. Hall and bis colleague, to pro-
long the life of Benton. opened the
old mans abdomen and, taking out
his bowels bile he was sill concious,
proceeded to cleanse them. AT one
place they found some grape skins !;
then they found bits Of wood, which
he used to chew abstractedly while
writing or reading
Look on, gentleman, said the old
man, feebly Il dare say you will
find Congressional Globes next."
Nv hen Benton was about to die,
so vital did be think his advice was
to the country, he sent for Buchanan,
had the doc? closed, and solemnly de,
voted his last hours to impressing on
the President his opinion fthe mode
in which the country should be admin
istered. If ever there was q man.
concluded Shillington, who thought
that in his mind lay the true destiny
of the Union. it was Tom. Benton.
His family, bis fame, his future were
all subordinate to the love Of coun-
try"