The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-06-05
A PIucky Vermont Boy.

| ABOUT 10 years ago young man pare
! ly out OF his teens, stepped off the train
on the Cleveland & Toledo (now. Lake
Shore Railroad at Oberlin, Ohio. carpet
bag in hand, and incurred for the nearest
hotel. He was directed to Chauncey
Wack's famous house, not far from the
depot, and at once proceeding thther and
engaged 4 room.
Our hero registered at NVack's innocent
ly enough and then started up town to
prospect Being the son of a clergyman
in Vermont and having but few shillings
in his pocket he naturally sought out the
good citizens of Oberlin in his quest of
employment. At first they lent a ready
ear to his story, and inquired into particu-
lars, but as soon as they learned that he
was stopping at Wack's they fled dis
mayed. The young man, after several
incidents of this kind, strangely suspect
ed that he had got into a smallpox hos
ptal; but being plucky and sell-reiiant,
he determined TO make the best of it and
be under obligations to nobody.
A few days later single dangled
from a little shop saying to the passer-by
blouse and Sign Painting" and look
within disclosed the young Vermonter
deep in the combinations of white lead
and linseed oil. Soon from morn till
night he could be seen perched on his lad
! der around the town renovating walls and
making his marks. Skill and persever-
ance brought him employment, and he
continued to board at Wack's, And even
worse, and then he actually had the au-
dacity TO accompany Miss Helen Wack,
then a beautiful and accomplished Miss
in her teens, to lectures and public enter
| tanments.
Careful mothers eXpostulated with their
sons about associating with him, and if
the impertinent offspring asked for rea-
sons they We're triumphantly over
whelmed with the reply, 'He boards at
| Wack'sm This was Il clincher. and there
after 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, independ
ent painter.
A few months later the telegraphic re-
| ports of one of the bloodest battles in the
South contained especial mention of the
gallantry of Lieut. =, of the Artillery.
Already the young man had in great
measure, IN the eye of patriotic Oberlin,
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 a brief leave Of absence, his society
was somewhat courted by the literary 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 Hell, in front of Petersburg His
name was in everybody's mouth, and it
was considered an honor to grasp his man
ly hand.
After peace came. the first official act of
this Captain was to return to Oberlin and
make =. bride of Miss Helen Wack. ODER
lin then actually reioiced with him and
babe him "God speed" as he left for
Alabama.
After time he returned to Ohio and
started a large manufacturing establish
ment at Sandusky. Some two years since,
having amassed Il handsome fortune, he
vent to Arkansas and eventually became
President of and built the Arkansas Cen
trail Railroad.
To-day, that poor boy who ran away
from his Green Mountain home, went to
Oberlin, started paint-shop without ever
handling brush before in his life, fought
his way up to captaincy, married the
prettiest girl in Oberlin. and made his for
tune, is Hon. Stephen w. Dorsey, United
States Senator from Arkansas A nobler
heart than Steve Dorsey's never beat, and
no one who has know him as boy and
man, will begrudge him his good fortune.
(Cincinnati Commercial.