The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-04-15
BaEZ OR BAFEEs


BAEZ- OR EAEEEs
The Eoyhood Of the ''Presidento-uls
EaF1y TraIninE-rhe Manifest Dustf-
EorIcal Ec1forJ-Iis First Appearance
san Dominso-A Surmise as TO HIS
Paternity.
Baez, president of San Domingo. is Nir-
ginian if what the Morrisville (Ea.) Times
says is true. Virginia has been called Tie
Mother Of Presidents" Every schoolboy
will accord TO us Washington. jefferson,
Madison, and Monroe. Still there are those
who are not aware that Harrison and Taylor,
though elected from other States, drew their
FIRST breath within our borders and even that
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
was bo:o before his parents removed from
Of our southwestern counties
to Kentucky, In addition to these, we
also have uuGoubted ground for claiming
Baez, the president of San Domingo, as a
native Of this State. Some Of our elderly
readers, " ho in days Of yore were in the habit
of stopping at the comfortable old tavern
kept by Mr. Luckett at the little town OF
Jefersonton, halfway between War:eutou
and CalpepPer courthouse, will doubtless
recollect
sPRIGHTLY MULATTO BOY
called "Baizs" He was q sort.of a pet of
the old host and hostess. from the fact that
be lost his mother in early infancy. From
the time Of his birth until he was ten years
cid. he was uniformly to bc found in green
baize, probably the lining taken from the
olG cIoaks Of his master and Mistress
Hence lis name, for we are not aware
that lie ever had any other. We remember
him also when rather older, when he had
dofied his
SUIT OF GREEN.
and were often amused at his agility on the
long tavern porch. turning flip flaps and
sornersaul,s which he had learned from
travelling circus. Mr.. Luckett also taught
him, orally, My name is Norval, ON the
Grampian bills" "You'd scarce expect one
Of my age to speak in public on the stage"
and several other juvenile speeches. which
he rendered with effect, and with which he
sometimes
ABUSED PRESIDENT MONROE.
wko frequently travelled that road to and
from Washington and his residence iu Allie
marie county. When his good Id master
and mistress died Of cholera during the Fl st
summer that it appeared epidemic in
this country, it was supposed that BmZ'
would become the property Of some one OF
the heirs Of the old couple. but he
MysTkRIOUsLY DISAPPEARED.
It was afterwards strongly suspected that a
Yankee peldler, who veudcd his wares thro'
that section of the State, had spirited him
away in one Of the big b, Xes Of his wagon
No news was heard Of him for long time.
AT last c. plain Fairbanks, Of the brig Puca-
houtas, (then owned by Mr.. Fowle. Of Alex
audria, and trading to the West IuLies. } 4. ct
him at Sau Domingo. He had learned the
trade Of barber. and opened a shop with
"B. BAFz"
conspicuously painted on the sign and the
customary barber's pole at the door. Capt
Fairbanks was a native Of JefTersonton, and
had visited that village every summer for
many years. He, therefore, on going into
the San Domingo barber shop to Get shaved,
at once recognized BliZa, although he mad
grown 70 be a man. Ia conversation with
him he found that he was
EI5ING CITIZEN OF TIE TOWN,
He was captain Of the San D5mugp guards.
spoke at public meetings, and lectured on
several specific subjects, including phreuolo~
gy. lie had almost o. quite forgotten his
mother tongue, but spoke Spanish huenly.
Captain Fairbanks knew him for some years
afterward, when trading amongst the islands,
and every summer when we met he gave Us
a verbal record Of
THE UPWARD COURSE
Of Bacz until. aLd even after. he became
president Of San Domingo Captain Green
and other Virginiaus Of the West Incia squad
ron. who knew him in his boyish days, were
in tho habit Of calling OF him. and were al
ways Hospitality entertained by him IN San
Domingo. Senator Wade. in his first letter
from San Domingo, saws: Il was much sur
prised to learn from President Baez that he
was born
SLAVE IN VII GINA"
In this short Biographical sketch Of the
gentleman whose name has come 50 promi-
uently before the reading public of late. it
would scarcely become us as journalists to
moot the
QUESTION OF HIS PATERNITY
Yet. Judging from his photograph sent Us by
one OF the officers IF the ship which conveyed
the commission to San ID D,miugn, there is a
remarkable Resemblance 70 an engraving OF
the head Of Abraham Lincoln. hanging
against the wall in the oiiiee of the Morris
Vile Times. 1t is well known in this neigh
borhood that Mr. Lincoln taught school
while he studied law at Jettersouton, about
or before Baez was born. aud that lac board.
ed with Mr.. Luckett. But lit IS human tc
err" Let US be charitable.