The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-12-24
Stark County enaonaf Canton Chic hnrsduy erbsr "a 1914


L have not known him long enough to
draw his whole character; but to what is
revealed in his recorded acts | can add
one trait: he is a man without bile.
offer one example: after describing with
great spirit how he saved respectable
acquaintance, he told me that the said in
dividual had afterwarl avoided him; and
then he stopped and went in moment
from mis- French manner to his Scotch.
"And-l bsairyed, sir, that the
mair part-of them l hae saved-shuns
me-"
Straight | exploded with ire at their
baseness. But | could not convey my
spleen into this heroi bosom void of bile.
Ma, sir, /" said he with the same meas
ured thoughtfulness. "Ijust-thlnk-it is
over great-a debt-to owe to any man /;
and they feel it burden"
Almost any other man, finding, in a
certain base biped, vanity too strong for
gratitude, would have vented the dscoy-
cry in tones, either of wrath, or of piteOus
complaint; but this man sounded like II
patient inquiring philosopher; certainly
II faint tone of regret pierced through,
but no more than became Il philosopher
gently disappointed in mankind. To me
who have seen SO much stOrming, and
blubbering over trifles, this thoughtful,
uncomplaining, dignity was as pathetic as
it was noble.
If the man seems egotistical, his dis
course being all about himself, you must
remember that | kept drawing him out,
and that the true balance of the dialogue
is not presented, since | have suppressed
the greater part of my questions, as not
worth printing.
| ought also to tell you that his man
ner of relating his exploits had no touch
of vanity, nor boasting, nor self-gradua-
tion. 1t was thing both strange and fine
to see how he was carried away out of
the dark present into those glowing
scenes, relighted by the sun of memory.
As he related, the whole man uuivered
with excitement. When he was telling
me how he dived for the little boy, oppO-
site "the dead house." | took his hand,
and-under cover of the sympathy, being
Il prying scoundrel-I furtively felt his
pulse. 1t was beating about one hundred
and ten to the minute, his heart Was once
more dOipg he deed, and his poor blind
face shone with angelic goodness, and
cleaned with heroic fire.
This hero and martyr has fOible, not
an uncommon one in Glasgow, but still
Il sad fault. He is too fond of whisky
much.
Bookmakers' morality will say, "Why
reveal the inlirmily Of such Il man ?" Pll
tell you; because in less than 200 years
the first stone Of honesty in biography
will have to be laid; so, not to waste the
worlds time, lay it now.
Since, in this best of all possible worlds,
much is done for moderately good killers
of men, you may be curious to know what
man has done forthis incomparablesaver
of men.
He has earned the gold medal of the
Humane Society twice, and the silver
about twelve times.
He has never received either.
He better deserves every order and
decoration the State or the Sovereign can
bestow, than does any gentleman or no.
bleman in this land, whose bosom is Il
constellation. GetnOt cross or a ribbon
has assembled from the vulgar levels,
where they grow like buttercups, to the
breast of this immortal hero. And why /?
he is but a saver of men, not a killer; he
is only Christian hero, and, in the dis
tributon of the glory the world, includ-
ing the very preachers, is as rank a
heather as ever, in spite of Christ; and
fool, in spite of Voltaire.
The one public honor paid him is this {.
A suspension bridge has been built over
the Clyde, where he saved more than
twenty lives that one dark night and
over this bridge two men pass gratis till
they die-Bailey Harvey and Hero
Lambert The rest Of mankind pays a
half-penny.
So much for his decorations. Then
for his pensions. He has but one, and
that is local, not imperial, though the
places the man adorns are the empire
and the world The Barony Parish,
Glasgow, allows him three and six-pence
a week. But he was earning twenty-five
to thirty when he fell blind. So that his
local allowance, for benefits to mankind.
does not compensate him for his calami-
ty by fve-sixths, and his heroic and
philanthropic feats are left out of the
arithmetic altogether.
| propose then, to to those who govern
this country, to depart from the stiff pre-
cedents of savages, and to take wider
and more enlightened views of heroism,
beginning with James Lambert, since
they cannot begin better. They have
the example of France; she bestovs
civic honors on the heroes who save, as
well as on the heroes who kill.
propose to the Humane Society to
bestow their gold medal. Anything less
would be no compliment to this great
Saver
AS for the English public, that needs
no spur. When this narrative appears
in an influential journal, hundreds will
desire to improve James Lambert's con-
dition. The best way to do that would
be to secure him a fixed and large in
crease of income for the few years he has
to live. 1t is OUT Of my way, but in this
one case | would receive and acknowl-
edge donations, with this object, and so,
| feel sure, would you, Sir.
But also wish to procure him the
blessed boon of personal sympathy. |
will not encourage raid ofstaring dune
es, pragmatical charlatans, and gaping
quidnuncs; for that would do him harm,
and good. But will give his present
address to any ladies and gentleman,
who may be able and willing to 60 to
him in the right spirit Any such supe-
ror soul, who will visit him in person,
and with gentle hand draw him awhile
from the things present, which he cannot
see, to the past, which he can see. will
mount high on what an old author calls
"the ladder of charity" for this will be
charity in a very refined and gracious
form; it will be charity brains. None
will repent such visit; though his estate
is humble, he is one Of natures gentle
men, fit company for an emperor; and
he is sight better worth seeing, than
half the nubliC shows. for he is a man