The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1873-01-09

Semaf~ri.l Ra>~rmnhfe&
IT., c...-;.I ..,,.-. .- .-;.;,o ...
% wv"
interest,", anu VARIOUS gentlemen sre men1oneo
as aspirants fon the place. Doubtless the Pubiic
would like to know something of the history of
,h. x,r;ous cand;l,,.s w. hall ao onr mart IN
..,
s'""' '"'' "''- '"e"'
JAMES d. sNODDf.
Jsmes Dinsus Snody is the 6frenth so Of poor but
clean parents who bore good eh.r.ct~ With the exee
tnn that they scrofuloua He Is descended from
noble line of ancestors the Dnsuse Of Scotland whose
castle was situated among the rocks near AthoL They
almost e1ermnated in some of the many internal dis
orders Of the country But the family traits have not yet
become extinct We judge from traditions and por
traits vet for the subject Of this sketch posses
among other marked good deal Of the
Dingus.
Sno.ldy's immediate ancestors mixture of
ScotchIrish. Moravians and Yonkepins His sire was
Irish his grandsire Scotch by Yonkepn he by old I'm
ported Snoddy from the Isle of skye The family settled
early Northern Pennsylvania The grandfather Of James
Of great decision Of character and OF rapid
oution. An example will Illustrate He formed the reso
luton evening supper Of emigratng; and by the
time tho neighbos asleep in bed he was packed up
and moving on He selected this time Of the day because
he could bear the taking farewell leave Of his
friends The Sheriff and other fnnctionsres, who had
strong attachment him followed him the State line
intent upon casping him by the hand and sa.ping him IA
marly upon the shoulder But they too
late Old Snod had crossed orer into New York and con-
tinue his journey until he reached Bno where he oca
ted. He ef only few autographs for his Pennsylvania
friends to remember him by These were highly prsed BY
the Of whom valued theirs at several hun
dred dollars.
Dngus Snoddy bosz and eut the earlier years Of
his life in Buffalo He bore ssch resemblance
his forsasherA both in and disDsifion that
ne was called Buffalo chip the odd block In his youth
he did not exhibit Of that en fef which he has since
become distinguished He then remarkable for his
otuseness; and common observation Of the town.
that Jim Snoddy dumb that he split his name with
t He possessed only suit Of clothes but he Of
ten declared I'm prophetic oe that he woud one day
have suits than any Of them An eminent and obscr
want New Yorker remarksd when you see . boy
that Wild and keeps the sleeve Of his roundabout glazed
by wpng with il the ooEngs from his probosciA you may
set it down that he will make . sharp man. This proP
tous sign what encouraged the friends Of snoddy in
the darkest days of his heatheuisun
At the age Of seventeen James met with singular acc
dent which changed the entire Of his fe- He
the lake, skating tae ice, when he received
heavy fall striking ON the lower part Of his body in sit
ting posture He felt the concusson in the top Of his
head something had been violently propelled there
from the initial point Of the shock Persons often
knocked sensecss by hard f but this had the oppo
site effect Suoddy mp dereut boy and from that
time on held rank as sharpest youths in the city,
A an evidence Of his he left home the
ensuing Spring and struck West Going through Indiana
hs worked his passage down the Wabash Canal by walk
ing on the tow path and driving Mules Pursuing his
wav he finally engaged 10 drive oxen across the plans
Upon reaching Salt Lake City his talents attracted the
notice Of Brigham Young by whom he was appointed Seal
Master Of Salt Lake. His duty was seal the wives the
Mormon Elders He continued in this concenia busne.s
until tn, Spriur of 1851 when his soul yearped for glory in
tn. war then lust beginning But his heart still cuny to
his Mormon home and in his affections were deeply engra
ven the tasnanic characters L. S-place Of the seal"
II was during one Of his spells Of home that he
wrte the beautiful lines commencing
Go feel what have felt"
Snoy ioine the th Kausas because of the quiet and
p, feeling that peryadsd il and was rapidly promoted
until he became commander If the regiment and finally of
the brigade In commanding tn. brigade Gen A. L. Lee
acted a Suoddys proxy 1t used to be said Of Gen Jack
son and Tom Benton that they could both live
and mutually agreed that one should eavc-the lot
faip. upu Benton So at this period Of our history il
was found that Snody and Gen. could
mand the armies Of the South West but them
must retire Of officers took tho matter
der consideration and decided that Snoddy must quit
Jealousy the part Of the commission controlled the do
cison-ani Grant became President instead Of Snoldy
An affecting incident is related Of Snodys army life.
night Holly Springs Mississippi he and Of
his comrades were sitting . tent playing Old Sledgc
had been dealt sid the carls lifted of
the boys who had returned nI rubbing melon patch
along. and flung green melon I'm af the door Of the
tent II struck Sncdy squarey the head smashing in
to many fragments, and tumblne him HIS thought
rebel bombshell had exp'ded and raising his hand tn
his head and feeling the pulp Of the melon with which It
besmeare he imagined that his brains knocked
ont and exclaimed in tragic tones: Il die in the service Of
country and young just when held high low, jack
oh, write and tell my mothrr!"