The Republican journal., 1869-08-19
"REMINISCENCES OF "oLD BEN TAPPAN.' ;
ON the Cincinnati Enquirer.

II
seat in the United States Senate, from the
same State. Numerous are the anecdotes re-
lated Of him in all these capacities by his
neighbors, associates members otthc har, and
felow-legislators in Congress. From among
the host Of good things told of him. we re-
duce to writing and print the following sam
pies:
The old Judge, as he was sometimes styled,
iaborcd under an obliquity of vision--in fact
the defect amounted to distortion and gave
to his features, especially when excited a
fearfully sinister aspect On one occasion,
while holding court in an interior town in
Ohio, the prison or county Jail of which was
constructed of logs rs he was passing sem
tence upon the usual number convicted of
petty offences against the law, an inebrated
individual in the customary crowd of specta-
tors sung out, That's right, give it to him,
old gimlet eyen '.Who is that?'' sternly de
manded the court-hs sinister eye indg-
nantly flashing fire. at the old hoss Judge
exclaimed the offender against ''the peace
and dignity of the State ''Nlr. Sheriff,
promptly responded the dignitary with the
italc 1, ''take that old hoss to the stable, lock
him up, and keep him without hay, oats or
drink for twenty-four hours which mandate
was forthwith obeyed.
The brother of Arthur, Lewis and William
pious members of the family, upon the sub
ject of religion while they were devout pro
fessors, he lived and died an open. avowpd
and confirmed infidcl, as the following char
acteristic incidents will clearly illustrate. In
connection with several brothers-in-law, all OF
whom We're members of the bar, Judge
Wright Goodenow and the Golfers, he settled
at an early period in the history of the State
in the town of Steubenville,-a noted manu-
e.
cipal house of entertainment. hotel or tavern,
as such institutions We're styled in those days,
was kept by Il Friend Quaker. known rs
''Old Sammy j" An extensive Female
Academy, one of the principal institutions OF
this character, in the State, located in the
same town, was presided over by 4 sanctimoni-
Gus, hypocritcal sort of a moral Pccksnif-
who kept the whole community constantly in
hot water-by the citizens generally called
"Old Bobby H" One night at supper the
venerable Quaker landlord, addressing Il
friend of the writer, then a boy learning the
printing business, remarked There are to
be some distinguished men here tonight, and
if thee will take seat in the parlor and sit
guilty in a corner and listen, thee will learn
something, and hear a great deal to thy edi-
tication and that will benefit thee very much.
Accordingly our friend did rs directed, and i'll
Il short time there gathered in a company
composed ofthe parties already named along
with Il wealthy iron-master from PittSburg,
who owned considerable property in Steuhen-
Vile
Chief among the crowd, however. was old
Ben Tappan. After deScanting upon the va
rouS prominent topics of the day, i'll which
politics bore y promlnen part, the subject OF
religion was broached, and a lengthy and an
imated discussion arose over the system of
rewards and punshments set forth in the
| Bible. During the entire debate the subject
Of this sketeh-albeit given to the discussion
of such topics-had remained perfectly silent,
when one of the party, taking advantage Of a
lull in conversation, remarked, LET Us hear
what Brother Tappan has to say on this inn
portant subject which call met with Il unan-
imous second from the crowd. 'Well, be
can he. in his usual whining, squeaking tone,
'.gcntlemen, the Scriptures teach us hat the
good the Just, and upright men of this earth
will be rewarded hereafter according to their
works. and that the wicked will be punished
in a corresponding rate, but may he id II
| wouldn't rather 90 to h-ll with Julius
! Caesar. Napoleon Bonaparte Tom Paine, Vol
tare, and all that crowd, than to go TO heaven
with old Bobby H All of which was, of
course, very editying and instructive to our
young friend, who was all ears to this very in
| tcrcsting discussion.
| 1t is well known To every one who has pass
sed any time in Washington during a session
of Congress, that the Federal Capital is, at
such times, besiegcd by an army of @cnteel
professional beggars. Of both seNeS-those OF
the male persuasion being generally of the
black-coated order One OF this class having
levied the usual tax upon number OF the
members of the two Houses, during Senator
Tappan's term Of service, q waggish party,
Il
on the subject of religion and also aware of
his close-f>tedncsS in contributing to chari-
ties of any kind, gave this solicitor for aid to
the church his address, advising him to call
at u certain hour in the evening, assuring hmm
| that the Ohio senator was very plouS and
benevolent man, and would doubtless CON
tribute largely to the object he had in charge,
Eager to enjoy the fun, the party were
promptly on hand at the place designated be
fore the appointed time. The Senator, who
was one Of the Judiciary committee of the
House of which he was Il member, WAS busily
engaged in drawing up an important report
to be presented next day. Inviting them 20
take seats, he kept on at his work, and in 4
short time the solicitor for the church enter
prise arrived, and, after being duly presented,
proceeded to unfold his mission to the old
rcprobate, who still kept on Writm%-statln%,
among other things, that the Lords treasury
was empty, and having heard great deal Of
the libcrality and generosity of his senatorial
listener, had called to receive his donation to
the good work. This harangue being ended,
Old Ben looked up from his paper and took
q good look with his cross-eyc at his visitor
and with Il measured nasal drawl, answered
and said: ''My friend, if mistake not, the
good b00!, somewhere says that the earth
is the Lords and the funeSs thereof, and
that he owns the cattle on 4 thousand hills
Is it not so?" Being answered inthe aflirma-
tive, he continued: ''Well. such being the
case, if you say the Lords treasury is empty,
why the h--ll don't he sell some of his cat
tlc!'', Immediately after this speech, he placed
his sinister eye again in close proximity TO
his paper, while the solicitor, utterly con
founded by this 0o him) utterly unexpected
reception, beat Il hasty retreat.
PAPER PETTICOATS.
An exchange says the uses to which paper
can be put seems to be in no way exhausted
yet. Paper collars have become Il great fact
of the present nineteenth century, but what
will ladies say to paper petticoats? These
have been produced with great success. and