, 1874-08-20
THE LAST MAN.
SOnliothtnE About a Society .tfluf IL
PcrPe tuntcd by Dac aAnn.

sor1ht1tng About a Society TINT Ia
Porpetnntcd by 0s,e aknn.
From The cincsnnati Enquirer.
In Sundays Enquirer waa published short
Communication asking about tho existence OF the
Society Of tho Laat Aan, social club which
was Formed In Cincinnati over forty years ago.
tho main point being to inquire Il any members
Of tue society still lived, and, if only QUO were
still living, who that ono was. In yeAtoraay'a
paper another correspondent attempts to answer
tho inquiry, but in doing falla into some inac-
lng briot story Of tho socicty, who were in It at
first, and how it's members dropped OF ycur by
year, until tho solitary ono who still remains be-
eanao the SOLE living scminder OF tho youth. and
hope. and life, and ambition that inspired those
brouats, now foE:y: odd yonrs ago!
Il was one Sunday afternoon. tho Both Of
septemho., in the year 1882, THAT Beycn young
men, NIL Of thpm woii known hero in Cincinnati,
3. Mason, rising young portrat-painter Of tint
time. They wore DIR. james IL. Mason, DR.. j.
/. Vattlor, Fonton Lawson, Henry l., TAtum,
William stanborry, William Disney, Jr.,, and j.
phnntnsn, Of doath, had just arrived on our
shores, mud WAS advancing up the Mississippi,
and had already reachcd st. Louis. Tho country
waa in a fever Of alarm oVor tho peatifenco that
batled tho combined skill and aconco of tho
entiro medical profession. Naturally enough tho
conversation turned upon this subioct. Aftor it
Ind boon discussed tor a while it was suggested
q society to be called tho Society OF tho Last
Mnn. Tho main iqon was that they should have
a banquet each year, at which plaeas should DO
provided for all. and that when only ono Of them
they woro to provide at tho first meeting and
seal up for use. A mahogoEy oaskot was pro-
yided for it's reception, and on the night Of tho
frat meeting Tho s s5ine was proGnroa and Locked
oaskot sealed with tho seal of tho Society. Tho
key wa8, moreover, thrown away, 30 That by no
means could tho box DO opened and closed again
without Its being discovered.
Tho first uiooting Of tho society was on tue
night Of the 9th Of October, 1882. All tho mcnl-
bora Woro prosont, and the ceremonial Of locking
up tho bottle of vino was Eono through. with.
Thoy also cast lots for tho custodianship OF the
TO one menbor for tho FIRST year. to another for
tho second aud 80 on until 1t had gono around
Or. Yattier won tho lot. and IN his banda It was
placed for tho FIRST year. Tor fonr successive
anniversaries did thosooiety meot regularly with
full membership, all Of thom still living, and
each one milking il polnt OF duty to bo present
no matter what else might intervene.
In June, 1887. DR.. James M. Mason diod, and
their mystic number seven WAS broken iuto, and
In tho following October, whou their banquet
took place, thero was one vacant soar at tho
board, ono plate lay At tho table untouched. Iu
November, 1889, William Stanberry died, and on
the following yoar, whom thoy cana together
again, only i've sat ut the table aud thero vero
two vacant places: In soptembor 1872. J. r.
Mason, tho artst, bsoathod bin last, and the fol-
lowing month, whoa the Sooloty Of tho Last
Man camo togothor, thero wero but four Of
them-three vacant chairs and throo upturned
plates told tho story. For gayon successive
years did thoso four hold tlloir auniYersary
banquet without further change, tho
aoalod caakot being hauded around from
ycar to year among those who remained. In
Novom6or, 184a, William Disney died. leaving
but three OF tho seyen aliye. In June, 1855.
Fonton Lawsons earthly career was onded, and
Dr.. .yattior and Honry L. Tasom woro tic only
caslset at this time. and had morbid fear that
he would bo tho last man and be left with it iu
his possession. Two nlonthH after Lawson'P
DEATH l,e was taken sick, and in hls delirium thia
idea obtainol poBscsslou Of hs 1nnd and lla
cried, Break opau that oaskot aud pour out
The wine! lt's worse than fato in haunting
mol" Aud Or. Yattior became the Last Alan.
solitary bauquot at his homo. seyou plate!
wcro laid, and seven cllairs placed around /
the board. The. caaket waA placed OH !
tho table, its Eeal brolscu, and it's lid pried
OF. The bottle Of wine which for
tncnty-ti.rea years had roposod within WIS
opened and drank in sienco and solitude by tho,
SUCCESSOR OF all those seyen. No ono was per~~
mittod to break tint solitude, and tho meal waa.
eaten aud drank without thu aoand Of voice.
docs tho Last Alan ropnnt lilo solitary ropaat,
ha Rttng With si1 vacant chairs nyonnA tue
table, with sx upt,lrned plaIcH on tho boar!l.
Aud whilo.e sits there i1ssilenee and alone there
coma, trouping around him the memories of NJ.
those> who oHes Joined with him III tho l,lesrs-
making. and yet tho hcart' Of the kindly old man
IL Us Young and II feelings as tender nn they
were forty years ago when lie little thought OF
ever becoming the Last Mani