Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-06-11
4 Plucky Vermont Boy.

About fifteen years ago young man,
barely out Of his teens, stepped OIL the
train on the Cleveland & Toledo Cnow Lake
Shore) railroad at Oberin, Ohio, carpetbag
in hand, and inquired for the nearest hotel.
He was directed to Chauncey Wack's ia-
nous house, not far from the depot, aud
at once proceeded thither and engaged a
room.
Our hero registered at Wacks innocently
enough, and then started up town to pros
pect. Being the son Of clergyman in
Vermont, aud having but few shillings in
his pocket, he naturally sought the good
citizens Of Oberlin in his quest Of employ.
ment. At FIRST they lent ready car to bis
story, and inquired into particulars, but as
soon as they learned that he was stopping
at Wacks they fed dismayed The young
man, after several incidents Of this kind,
strangely suspected that he had got into a
smallpox hospital but being plucky aud
self-reliant, be determined to make the best
Of it and be under obligations to nobody
A few days later a shingle dangled from
a little shop, aging to the passer-by, "House
aud Sign Painting" and look within dis.
closed the young Ncrmonter deep in the
combinations Of white lead and lnsecd oil.
Soon from morn till night be could be seen
perched on his ladder around the town re-
DovatiDg walls aud making his marks
Skill aud perseverance brought him employ.
ment, and he continued to board at Wack s.
Aud even worse, for then he actually had
the audacity TO accompany Miss Helen
Wack, then a beautiful aud accomplished
Miss in her teens, to lectures and public
entertainments.
Careful mothers exposiulated with their
sons about associating with him, and if the
impertineut offspring asked for reasons,
they were triumphautly overwhelmed with
the reply, "lIe boards at Waok's !" This
was cliuchor, and thereafter no further
questions were asked.
The rebellion broke out, and among the
first to take an active part in the work of
raising recruits was this plucky, indepeud-
ent painter.
\ few months later the telcgraphic re.
ports OF one of the bloodiest battles III the
South contained especial mention of the
galantry Of Lieut.--, Of the Artil-
lery. Already the young man had in a
great measure, in the eye Of patriotic Ober-
lin, atoned for the sin Of boarding at
Wack's by the active part he had taken
in the war-and when at length he revisited
the town on brief leave of absence, his
society was somewhat courted by the liter
airy and leading citizens. They thought
they could discover something very manly
about him, and began to wonder why they
had not observed it sooner
A year later and the poor painter was
Captain of Artillery and in command of
Fort He'll, in front of Petersburg. His
name was in every body's mouth, and it was
considered an honor to grasp his manly
hand
After peace came, the first official act Of
this Captain was to return to Oberlin and
make bride Of Miss Helen Wack. Ober.
lin then actually rejoiced with him and babe
him "God speed" as be left for Alabama.
After time he returned to Ohio and
started a large manufacturing establish.
ment at Saudusky. Some two years since,
having amassed a handsome fortune, he
went to Arkansas aud eventually became
President Of and built the Arkansas Cen.
tral Railroad,
To-day that poor boy who left, alone,
his Green Mountain home, went to Ober-
lin, started paint-shop without ever
handling a brush before in his life, fought
his way up to captaincy married the
prettest girl in Oberlin, and made bis
fortune, is Hon Stephen W. Dorsey, United
States Senator from Arkansas A nober
heart than Steve Dorsey's never beat and
no one who has known him as boy and
man, will begrudge him his good fortune
Cincinnati Commercial.