River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1872-12-20
A DAsHlSG ExPLOIr.


.Hs.s. When the Revolution of 1880 set in
Alexandra Dumas, then a very young
man, and seeing nothing in life but
e..as.vlt one series of tableanx took his share
In the more stirring scenes iii the-ea-
pacity of skrmisher He tells the
F- whole story in his memoirs; and his
account seems anticipation OF the
best portions OF Rabalas. But his mar
rative on his expedition TO scissors to
seize some powder viii be found one
k OF the most stirring bits of adventure
in modern times.
taT He had heard Lafayette say, that if
the king were TO advance on Paris, there
woull be no powder to meet him with.
Alexandre conceived bold scheme and
proposed to the general to set off for
S0lssons-a town he well knew-and
e.ga seized on the magazine there. Laiay
t.s Al. cite Laughed at'the idea, but consented
to give him pass to Gen. Gerld, to
which Dumas coolly added ''And we
F recommend his scheme to YOU" From
Gerard he with some difficulty, obtain
at ed requisitou addressed to the au-
thortIes OF the town for the powder
In this.he iugcniousy lnterpolated the
owes words . minister of war'-a rank
which no one but himself had confer
red On the general. With tins official
document, he returned TO Lafayette
and persnacei the old patriot To write
-. ~ HIM sort of letter Of introduction to
s.a-a. t'ic citizens OF Soissons, recommending
10 them Alexandra Dumas, one Of our
- a~ eviInhatants as tit nlproper person
to whom they should hand over the
powder Then our hero--tor such he
f was on this occasiou-prcpared himself
81 fe for as spirited and dramatic an adven-
,ture as can be found in the books of
'romance
.iAt e.-s4t Il mds about three oel,u,l IN the af-
temoun of the 30th OF July, 1880 As
h. was hurrying away. he met a Young
y ssf l,slaier aametl- Bard, who was only
uiEcteen. He askeU him TO join The
other agreed with llacrity, and Alex.
understanding him bIckfor his double
barreltd pistols NJ. ms horse set of
himself ih cabriolc Tor lie Bourget
then the first post on the road 90 Sos
syas, ami which h,s sinco obtained
snch disastrous notoriety. Arrived
8 #r lerc, he exhibited his Lafayette and
Garud letters 70 the postmaster, aud
demanded chaise and horse for his
' mission The postmaster was friend-
~ AMI even empresse, and supplied
HIM No once with what he asked. He
went oUt obuy some pieces of calico
red white and hlue--whoh were sewn
into uicolor flag fixed TO a broom
stick, which latter was tied ON TO the
500 chalse. With thus ensign they started,
IN hopes of getting 10 Soiasons about
midnight The postmaster shook hi
heat, but AS he saguciously remark
eel, Z" so many miracles had been per
formed during the last three DAYS that
IL might be possible AS they hurried
through the various villages, and flag
caused the greatest excitement His
tellow-traveler. delighted declared that
all was going spendidly, "but that
they ought 10 have some sort OF cry "
''Shout awav then" said Dumas :
= and while YOU are shouting Ill take
.some sleep
The only difficulty was, what was TO
le the cry; and with some hesitation
the NOW well-worn aud Iattered Niye
Il Repubhqpe" was decided on Ac.
cor1inplv, tre voung painter his head
1886 ont Of the window.and lns fac waving,
roarrd ON. On tRe4ugA road they met