Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-11-15
- LOWELL B.F.vQUBT.

In 1862 ten young gentlemen of copgen-
ial tastes and tempers boarded at fashion
able boarding house in New York. They
divided up in parties of twos and threes
and fours, attended theatres, lectures, and
other places of interest in the evening, and
when they returned they made IL point
TO meet in the parlor and talk over the
business, pleasures and adventures of the
day, before they. retired tosstheir rooms.
The close friendship, and this method of
each communicating his experience for the
benefit of all proved both instructive and
entertaining, and these daily reunions pos
sessed local attraction enough to draw them
all together at regular hour in the eve
ming. This mode of life continued for
some years. At length the time came for
them to separate. The country needed its
young men, and called for several of this
party of ten. They had a farewell dinner
in their boarding house on the 10th of Sep
tember, 1861, and grand time feasting
and talking and singing songs.
One remarkable feature of this crebra-
ton was that before they separated at 2
o'clock in the morning each arose in his
place and made solemn vow that, if liv-
ing, he would meet the rest of his compan-
ions at s o'clock in the same place, and dine
with them ten years hence, as they had
dined that night. Each one was to occupy
the same seat, and, as nearly as possible
they were to have the same kind of din
ner. So they bade each other good night
and separated. In the course of years the
house changed hands, and set up the more
pretentious claims of a hotel. The dining
room remained, however, just as it was,
and probably the old table and chairs were
still on duty
Some days ago, Mr.. Edward X. Winship,
broker, No. "a Bond street, called on the
proprietor Of the hotel and requested him
to prepare dinner. for ten gentlemen in the
old dining-room on the evening of Sep
tember 10. Mr.. Winship briefly narrated
the circumstance Of the compact to explain
the request, and that being the eldest of the
party of ten, he had been appointed on the
evening of their dining in 1862 as chairman.
AT precisely eight o'clock on the evening
of September 10, Mr.. Winship entered the
dining-room, and the doors were quickly
tluStu utulHu Hlill. NO one else came. Ile
table was bounteously spread, three color
ed walters were there, and nine empty
chairs, and plates and glasses at every
chair. The meal was begun, and the soli-
tary banqueter was served with the pre-
SC ribed courses almost in silence. Mr..
Winship occasionally passed a word with
the head waiter. "Poor boys! They're all
gone" said he. zone went down in the
Monitor in Mobile Bay, another was drown
ed in the same waters. Two were shot in
Mobile. One lost both legs by ball, and
the other was pierced through the heart.
Another died in Philadelphia, and another
died in New York" lie said that while,
in February last, he was walking up Broad
way one evening, he felt tap on the shoul-
der, and voice asked him whether he
knew M.--, 81 do" replied Mr.. Win
ship. "IIe died at four o'clock to-day"
Though Mr.. Winship turned quickly upon
feeling the tap and hearing the voice, he
was unable to ascertain who it was that
had addressed him. lie alterward learned
that one of the party of ten had died that
day at the hour indicated Mr.. Winship
said that the oldest of the party, next to
himself was only 29.-S. Louis Republican,