The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1870-07-28
The old Man RemarkabIe,

The Old Man Remarkable.
Hon. Thomas Ewing has written, and
published in the Cincinnati Commercial,
an elegant essay on the subject of pro-
tecting the country near the Mississippi
from overflow of high waters in that
great river
We reproduce the principal part Of the
article in this paper-for the purpose of
firstly, to treat our readers with strong,
terse and superb reading; and secondly,
on account of the intrinsic interest of the
subject. The classical finish of Mr..
Ewing's composition will prove a. rich
treat to every person of good taste and
judgemnt, while the practical sugges-
tions of the writer will probably COM
mend themselves 10 every practical en-
gineer.
The author of the paper referred to
is, we believe, several years over eighty,
in point of age. When, a few months
age, he was overcome by serious illness
in the U. S. Supreme Court room, at
Washington, and supposed, for time,
to be in dying state, his great age and
remarkable physical powers were COM
mented upon with surprise. But the
article we now republish, furnishes an
other proof that the mental or intellect
ual capacities of a cultivated mind, are
ever renewing
-"the vigor of their youth"
In truth, we never saw anything
from the pen of its author which ap-
peared to our Judgment mere elegant
and complete than the essayin question
The aged philosopher, as it were "for
the love of it," plumes his pen and ar
rays his classical didactics with a really
intellectual gusto.
1t is now over thirty years since,
with the ambition OF an ardent young
reporter, we wrote from the sound of
Mr.. Ewing's eloquent lips, a political
discourse, as be stood beneath a tree in
the area of "the old constitutional court
house." at Chillicothe. The freemen of
Gross and around listened and ap-
plauded with great fervOr, as the peri
DDS fell, in slow and measured pauses,
from the popular orator. At that time
the position of the speaker seemed to us
to be among the most elevated and en-
viable of human condition-so that we
felt greatly cemplimented when he COM
mended the fidelity of our report.
At that time, it is probable, Mr.. e. was
nearly fifty. five years old, and in the
rich fruitage of life To us, he appear
ed an old man, advanced among those,
to whom, according to the common
provsrb, are assigned the duty of "coun-
sellors." But, so far as regards the
harvest of wealth, distinction and wis
dom, which a man may gather in his
lifetime, Mr.. Ewing was then only
youth.
1t would be a pity if the aged lawyer
and statesman were gathered to his faith
srs, before some competent sanitarian
particularly note the phases Ofhis phys
ical and intellectual history, for the ben
eft ofmankind. Weknow most young
sters think they "knOw it ALL" at any
rate, or at least "want to see the folly
OF it, too;" but occasionally an excep-
ton is found where an individual is
willing to profit from the experience
of distinguished man; ;-and therefore,
in these degenerate days" there might
much good follow the faithful perform
ance of such a task Of course, we all
know that Mr.. Ewing was a western
boy, used to the hardships of a back
woods life; that he commenced his pub
Ec career as a woodchopper and salt
boiler; and that he earned money to
pay for his tuition at school by cutting
cord-wood, while he crammed himself,
in the evenings and mornings, by the
light of pine torches. We know that
he commenced bis forensic life at Ath.
ems, o., that old "Yankee" town, where
several other eminent Americans had
'their start" We know that he has
ever seemed to possess that golden mean
of human status ga sound mind in a
sound body;" and infer that he was
blessed by robust constitution at the
start, and maintained it by temperate
and systematic habits, and the healthful
exercise of all his powers. We have
all heard of the anecdote of Mr.. E. and
the late Daniel Webster, when, on the
occasion of the visit of the latter TO
Ohio, and the two were travelling on
high road, their course was impeded by
a fallen tree. While the Massachusetts
statesman was completely nonplussed,
and essayed to turn back, the Salt Boil
er called for an axe, and, by a series of
of stalwart blows, soon rolled a "rail-
cut" from the road, when the pair pass
ed on.-But yet there are an infnity of
subjects and suggestions furnished by
SO remarkable a life as that of Mr.. EW-
ing, which could be "shown up" pro
bono pu6IicO, in the light of the fact that