Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-11-09
The Early Days of Vim. l.. Marcy.

A correspondent of the Liberal Chris
tidn tells this story about William l..
Marcy
l spent a day of my vacation at
Charlton, Mass. As we rode into the
village, on the evening of our arrival,
we saw an old man on his way from his
house to the barn close by, going. with
pail in hand. to milk the cows. He was
ninety two years old. He not only
milks the cows, but drives them to pas
ture and goes after them again every
day, Just as he has done for i know not
how many years. In the morning, as
we sat under the piazza of the hotel,
the old man was seen walking along the
street on the other side, with a quick,
energetic step, when Mr.. Pratt called
him over to the house and introduced
us to him. He sat down and was very
chattyJ talking over the times that were
long ago, and telling us of the years
when he saw such men as George Wash
ington and John Adams and Fisher
Ames, and mingled with the great
spirits of a generation which seems
quite distant from the men of to-day.
For General Salem Towne, our vener-
able friend, was formerly himself man
of mark and influence, well fitted by
nature and education to associate with
the most eminent of his contempora-
ries. The General is often spoken of as
" the man who made Bill Marcy" Bill
Marcy was a native of the immediate
vicinity, and grew up to be a wild and
heady youth. He was thought by his
parents and by all the neighbors to be
the worst boy they knew. One winter
he succeeded, in conjunction with kim
dred spirits, in ousting the teacher from
the district school. Salem Towne, then
young man, was summoned as the
fittest person to take charge of these
unruly youth and complete the term.
Everybody thought the new teacher
would certainly have trouble with Bill
Marcy. But the trouble did not come.
The first day had not passed before Mr..
Towne had discovered In his pupil an
element of real good, and told him so.
This, to the boy, was most unusual
acknowledgment, and it touched his
heart. Some one had seen seen good
in him. He was, then, capable of better
things, and he was determined to make
the endeavor.
1t was the turning-point in his life.
Such was his conduct and such his pro-
gress in study that his teacher advised
him to go on and prepare himself for
college. 1t was great surprise to his
parents, but at the earnest solicitation
of Mr.. Towne they gave their consent,
and he was placed under the instruc-
ton of a clergyman in the vicinity of
his home. At length he entered col
lege, and passed through the course
with great success, .justifying at every
step the confidence and hope of his
best friend. In subsequent life he rose
from one degree of eminence and use
fulness to another, until at last the
whole world was familiar with the name
and fame of the great statesman of New
York, William l.. Marcy.
Long years after he had left his
school-day haunts, and when he had
come to deserved eminence, he visited
Boston, and was the guest of the then
Governor of the old Bay State. Among
the distinguished men who were in.
vited to meet him was General Salem
Towne. When the Governor saw Marcy
and Towne greet each other as old
friends, he very naturally expressed a
pleasurable surprise that they knew
each other so well. "Why :" said
Marcy, "that is the man that made me.
None-no, not even my own father or
mother-saw any good in me. He was
the first who believed in me, befriended
me, told me what might become, and
helped me on in life at that critical
iuncture. Whatever of merit or dis
tinction / have since attained to l owe
to him more than to any other living
person." We need not say that the
teacher, who has so long survived the
illustrious pupil, is proud to remember
that he is "the man who made Bill
Marcy"
OFFENDED DIGNITY.-The Democracy
have had clear working majority in
-, Illinois, for a number of years.
But when the Fifteenth Amendment
went into effect it enfranchised so
many of our "culled bredren" as to
make it apparent to the party leaders
that, unless good many black votes
could be bought up. the Republicans
would carry the city election. Accord
ingly advances were made to the Rev.
Brother -, whose influence it was
thought desirable to secure, inasmuch
as he was certain to control the votes of
his church.
He was found "open to conviction
and arrangements progressed satisfacto-
rily until il was asked how much money
would be necessary to secure his vote
and influence.
With an air of offended dignity
Brother - replied:
"Now, gemmen, as regular awdained
minister oh de Baptist Church, dis ting
has gone jes as far as my conscience will
low: but, gemnen, my son i0iH call round