The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-03-29
Damon and Pythias.


These worthless lived in Syracuse IN W
and were consequently known as "Salt
Pnters.' Their back doors fronted on each
other, and they were the warmest kind of
friends, even in midwinter. Their friend
ship dated back to the days Of sunny child
hood. If one of them had anything he
always wanted the other to have some of
it. If, for instance, Damon got licking
from the school-master, he wasn't satisfied
until Pythias got one, too. Pythias got
the measles once, and he went right off and
gave some of them to Damon. They
shared everything together. Damon found
his fathers whiskey bottle one day, but he
didn't keep it all to himself. Not he. He
went and got Pythias drunk. If Pythias
run all night, Damon keptit up all the
next day, so that tt !, days of Damon were
equal to the Knights of Pythias.
Damon was member of the City Coun-
Gil of Syracuse, while Pythias belonged to
the National Guards. II appears that one
Dionysius had been scheming to have the
Council declare him mayor of Syracuse
without vote of the people, aud succeeded
one morning when Damon was absent.
Ascertaining what had been done, Damon
| fastened to the Council chamber, DAMN
| Dionysius and his fellow councilmen who
sustained the fraud. Meeting Dionysius
he attempted to stab him with an ivory
paper-cutter, remarking as he did So
"--By all the godsl one blow
Sand Syracuse is free"
There had been heavy duty on SYRIA
cuse up to that time, owing to the salt
monopoly, and Damon was a free-trader.)
| He might have freed his beloved city from
the tyraut had he not stopped to "buy all
| GODS" and blow about it, He was secured
by the mayors new police and condemned
| to death.
| Pythias had sweetheart named Calau-
the, whom he loved next to Damon. Their
wedding day was appointed, and just as
| the marriage ceremony was being perform
| ed, news was brought to Pythias Of what
had occurred, and leaving Calanthe only
| about half-married, he hasteued to the
| station-house, where Damon was confined,
arriving just as he was being led forth to
| execution. Damon was petitioning Dio-
nysius for few hours respite, in order
that be might see his family, but the tyrant
wouldn't listen TO it.
| Pythias then offered to take Damons
place for the space Of six hours, and if at
the expiration of that time his friend re-
turned not, he would perish in his stead
hope to die if he wouldn'tl The PROPOSE
ton was accepted, and Damon hurried
away to his family, who lived way out in
the vicinity of the salt works.
Sad indeed was the parting of Mr.. aud
Mrs. Damon. The inter view was necessa-
rily brief. He had to hurry back, or he
wouldn't be in season to see himself die
Damon was greatly affected, and when he
tore himself away there was dame on the
| floor, in a swoon.
"Fetch up the old mare !" yelled Damon
to his hired man, Lucullus. He was excl
ted, because, you see, it was getting late,
and he didn't want to keep the executioner
waiting on his account. Then it was Luz
cullus acknowledged that, in order to save
his master, he bad given the old mare a
dog button, and the coroner was even then
sitting on the body. Furious at the thought
of not reaching Syracuse within the allot-
| ted time, and knowing how mortified
| Pythias would be if compelled to die in
consequence, he seized Lucullus to rend
him to pieces. 1t would have been good
bye Lucullus had rot horseman appeared
at that moment, whom Damon persuaded
to dismount, by taking him gently by the
throat. Then mounting In his stead, he
dashed away toward the city.
| In the mean time every preparation had
been made for the execution Of Pythas
Time was up, and no word from Damon.
The people sneered, and asked if anybody
supposed Damon was such fool as to
come back again, and even Pythias began
to fear his old pard had gone back on him
Suddenly great shout was heard. A
great cloud of dust was seen to rise in the
| direction of the salt works. 1t approached
rapidly, and in short time Damon came
tearing in on horseback at pace that
would have made Phil. Sheridan SO
ashamed of himself he would have ridden
"twenty miles away" and hid.
There was just a shade of disappoint-
ment on Damon's face when he saw that
Pythias still lived, but he jumped off his
horse, threw handspring on the scaffold,
and shouted: "Brng on your cleaver /!
| Damon is on deck"
| Dionysius was so struck with this exhi-
btlon Of friendship, that he pardoned them
both at once. They then fell into each
others arms, exclaiming:
| "Pythe !"
"Dam' me p