The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-04-06
ANECDOTES CT PROMINENT
MEN.

If will have clear grit and hold my
own for all time, [ must commence by
eating my porridge Franklin said: 80
long as | can subsist on sawdust pudding,
you may stop your subscription to my
paper at any time Now that was true
of Sidney Smiths beautiful career. He
went into the solitude of Salisbury Plains
and dined on potatoes day after day and
week after week, rather than barter
single atom Of his manhood. "Ae down
trodden masses found in him champion
to fight their battles, and he stands to-
day as one of the noblest Englishmen of
the last generation, because, when be
was young man, he could be content
with his porridge; and this, as we can
easily gather, must be one true reason
why Mr.. Greedy. long years ago, was able
to establish his great journal and become
the power he has been and is to-day in
the Nation. To exchange his porridge
for chicken in these times, [ suppose,
was never allowed to come as a tempta-
ton under that old white coat of his. I
remember that John Bryant, of Prince
ton, Illinois, told me that when his
brother, William Cullen Bryant, adopted
Lpartan habits-omitting of course,
stealing-he would take piece of bread
and cheese with water for his broadcast,
do something that had work in it before
he came down to his newspaper office,
work at his office all day, and then 60
back at night to the same sort of sup
per. I have no doubt that William
Cullen Bryant owes his long life to being
contented with his porridge. Said Lin
coin to friend who came to the White
House: 81 should be glad if you would
stay and dine with me, but [ have no
idea what we are going to have for din
ner, because when Mrs. Lincoln is away
I lust browse around" Aud this was
the reason for his being the man he was.
And sos turn where you will you encoun-
ter this truth, that to make much or sure
ofyourself, you IL ust more that you are
clear grit; first Of all, in being able to
say no to those good servants but bad
masters, your passions and appetites,
and it is not hard to see the line
here again between the false and the
true.
When an Irish gardener was shot by
an Irishman from another country, he
refused surgical assistance on the ground
that he wanted to die in order that the
other man might be hung. He had his
wish: he not only died, but his assassin
was strung up. This was clear grit, but
not the kind that he would care to imi-
tate. England wept over Peabody, and
Victoria honored him with tokens OF re-
gard, but there was greater than he,
who was not SO widely mourned, and
whom the Queen did not inYite to her
palace. Prof Tyndal has said that a
young man, Faraday, who could have
receipt of Ia rye income, gave up all
to devote his life to scientific investiga-
tons through chemical experiment.
He thus died poor, when he might have
left million I would not disparage
the benefaction Of Peabody, but Faraday
gave up what he might have made-one
bequeathed his money, the other sacri-
feed his life. 1t was not because he was
Indifferent to wealth, but because he
was possessed Of an enthusiasm for sci
ence.
Ia one of the terrible colliery accidents
in Y Yorkshire, where [ formerly resided
an incident illustrative Of clear grit oc-
cured. The inundation of bilge water
| in mine drove the workmen back into
the pit They were mostly Methodists,
and had the Christian faith. There was
one exception, however, dog fancier-
man of wild irregular life There
was also two small boys in the party, and
after they had been confined some II
hours, the boys began to cry out from
cold and hunger. It so happened that
the dog fancier had in his lunch can q
little food, the only thing edible in the
cavern, and which, if eaten, would re-
move one Of the few remaining chances
Of escape from starvation. Still the
rough man, accustomed to find pleasure
in the batting of dogs, could not harden
his heart against the cries of these child
dren, and he not only divided his por-
ton between them, but wrapped the
smaller boy in his rough coat, next to
his heart. He could neither sing nor
pray like the others, but he could not
put aside the appeal Of helplessness.
The party were saved by miracle and
when I revisit Yorkshire, as [ hope to
do, mean to find out this honest dog
fancier, who, have no doubt, is just as
rough, and ''going 10 the dogs" just as
fast as ever, and grasp his hand for this
exhibition of "clear grit
Thus, too, in the Sepoy rebellion in
India, the rebels were given their
choise of renouncing their religion or
being put to the most painful and ig-
nominious of deaths, yet it is believed
In England that not one of them re-
nounced his faith. So, too, have Eng
fish soldiers, though unusually rough
and wicked, refused, under similar cir
| cumstances, to make a ike remuneration,