The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-09-03
the LAST MAN.
Something About a Society that is
Perpetuated by One Man.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer. |

In Sundays Enquirer was published
short communication asking about
the existence of the Society Of the Last
Man, social club which was formed in
Cincinn att over forty years ago, the
main point being to inquire if any mem
bers of the society still lived, and. if
only one were still living, who that one
was. In yesterdays paper another
correspondent attempts to answer the
inquiry, but in SO doing falls into some
Inaccuracies which we will attempt to
correct by giving brief story Of the
society, who were in it at first, and
how its members dropped off year by
year. until the solitary one who still
remains became the sole living remind
er Of the youth, and hope, and life, and
ambition that inspired those breasts,
now forty odd years ago!
1t was Sunday afternoon, the 30th Of
September, in the year 1882, that seven
young men, all of them we'll known
here IN Cincinnati. were gathered to-
gether at the studio of Joseph R. Ma
son, a rising young portrait painter Of
that time. They were DR.. James NJ.
Mason, DR.. J. L. Waiter, Fenton Law
son, Henry L. Tatum, William Stan
bury, William Disney, Jr., and j. r.
Mason. The Asiatic cholera, the stalk
ing phantasm of death, had just arrived
on our shores, and was advancing up
the Mississippi, and had already reached
St. Louis. The country was in fever
of alarm over the pestilence that was
stalking over it, and which had thus far
baffled the combined skill and science
of the entire medical profession. Nat
urally enough the conversation turned
upon this subject. After it had been
discussed for while it was suggested
that those present should form them
selves into society to be called the
Society of the Last Man. The main
idea was that they should have a BAN
quet each year, at which places should
be provided for all, and then when only
one of them remained he was to drink
bottle of wine, which they were to
provide at the first meeting and seal up
for use. A mahogany casket was pre-
vided for its reception, and on the night
of the first meeting the wine was pro-
cured and locked up, the key-hole filled
with sealing wax, and the casket sealed
with the seal Of the society. The key
was, moreover, thrown away so that
by no means could the box be opened
and closed again without its being dis
covered.
The first meeting of the society was
on the night Of the 9Th of October,
1882. All the members were presept,
and the ceremonial of locking up the
bottle Of wine was gone through with.
They also cast lots for the custodian
ship of the casket, it being agreed that
it should be confided to one member for
the first year, to another for the
second, and SO on until it had gone
around. DR.. Waiter won the lot. and
in his hands it was placed for the first
year. For four successive anniversa-
ries did the society meet regularly with
full membership, all of them still liv-
ing, and each one making it point Of
duty to be present no matter what else
might intervene.
In June. 1887. DR.. James NJ. Mason
died, and their mystic number seven
was broken into. and in the following
October, when their banquet look place.
there was one vacant seat at the board,
one plate lay at the table untouched.
In November. 1889, William Stanberry
died, and on the following year, when
they came together again, only five sat
at the table, and there were two vacant
places. In September, 1912. j. R.
Mason. the artist. breathed his last,
and the following month, when the So
ciety Of the Last Man came together,
there we're but four of them-three
vacant chairs and three upturned plates
told the story. For seven successive
years did those four hold their ami
versary banquet without further
change, the sealed casket being handed
around from year to year among
those who remained. In November,
184o, VIM. Disney died, leaving but
three of the seven alive. In June. 1855,
Fenton Lawson's earthly career was
ended, and Dr.. Vettier and Henry L.
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