National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-07
OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO.
REMINIScENcES OF AN OLD MANS
CHECRERED GREER

CHECAEHEO C@AA16A-
A NEW YORK ALDERMAN, A MlLLloNAIhE
AND A CALIFORNIA SHEEP-HERDER-|
SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT soAH
INTERESTING PEoPLE-EMIGRATloN,& &c.
From the San Francisco Chronicls.l
On Friday evening last at about dusk q
.cb,ons,Ls reporter found himselfploddIng along
ON horseback IN q miserable, muddy, rocky,
rutty trail in Mendocino county. He had nd
den sixty miles, and had ten miles further to
90 before getting to his journeys end. His
horse was weary and jaded, his limbs stiff and
bore, and his whole being shrouded in disgust
1t the thought of taking his meals from the
nanteLpIeCe for days to come. The horse
Ahufaed along in the dark in his little pacing,
Snele foot gait, and the reporter sat in the sad
Ole limp, tired and fabby. The bridle-rein lay
on the horses neck and he picked bis own way
through the mud and rocks without the slight
est care on the part OF his rider.
eLTMMERISo LIoHT.
Presently, IN skirting the edge OF the chap
arrsl, dim Pickering light came into view In
a canon, The horse and its rider both gathered
new courage. The one picked up its ears and
moved forward at q quicker pace. The other
sat IN STRAIGHT in the saddle and pulled at his
Eigar with a keener relish. The dim light
finally moved to come from the window of q
littIe country wayside inn-a little roadside
tavern, with big sign on post and big dog
In the doorway. The building was nestled in a
little vale with a running stream dsshing byit,
and was surrounded by oaks and smaller
shrubbcry which almost hid it from sight. On
one side was q piazza which ran the whole
length of the house, and on this piazza were
benches and chairs for the accommodation Of
the guests who might wish to enjoy the deli
cious mountain air in the soft twilight. The
benches were unoccupied, for the reason thst
there were no guests to fill them; but there
they stood invitingly, all the same, and prob
ably their positions had not been changed all
winter long.
THE GENIAL HOST.
The horse drew up to a tying-post and
stopped of his own accord. The reporter, by
mighty effort, dsmounted, and by the time
he had fastened the animal the genial propri-
-etor of the establishment had confronted him.
"Good evening, sir" he said.
"Good evening, sir"
"Traveled far to-dayP
"WeII, yes; been in the saddle all day and
I'm tired. thought I'd get of and rest few
moments"
"Thats right. Come in"
The host was an eldish man of about 65.
His hair was quite gray, his face pinched up,
but his whole manner jolly and good-natured.
He led the way into his little bar-room, Kicked
three or four dogs out of the fireplace, and
placing a hide-bottomed chair In front of q
bright, warm fire, asked the reporter to be
seated.
Twas just a-takin' little gin," he said;
twill you join mei'
The reporter poured out a swig and gobbled
1t without winking. "That's good gin," he
said.
eyes, it's good gin. Well, know what good
liquor is; used to make it."
"Ahv"
eyes, years ago, used to be big distiller
in the States, and 1 know something about
liquor, you bet. Have some more!"
''No, thanks"
"No' Wen, will. Doctors, they say, never
take their own medicines, but Pm always ready
to swallow my own liquor, you bet. You see l
know what good liquor is. used to be big
distiller in the States, before / came to Cali
fOrny, and l always buy the best, you bet"
THE OLD MANS WONDERFUL STORY.
With this the old man tossed off another
tumbler of poison and almost instantly his
tongue began to wag, Satisfied that there was
peculiar history lurking about in the recesses
Of the old mans brain which was even then
struggling to get out, the reporter squared him
self for an interview.
eyes, went On the old man, 81 know what
good liquor is. used to be big distiller in
the States, and one time 1 was q good deal
bigger man than am now"
t'What part of the States was thatF' the re-
porter asked.
''Oh, New York city, you bet. No where
else but there. All! was q big man there
once. Lem'me see; that was long before your
time. Guess LEFT New York just about the
time you was born. Twas in 1915 turned
my back on that place. Oh! know 'em all
there, all the boys. used to be q traveller,
you bet: and while don't believe that any
body remembers me now there, yet no one can
say word against Aleck McDonald-that's my
name-Alexander Campbell Newfoundland l
used to be - sight bigger man than am
now. used to be an alderman; eh2 what do
you think of tEatl-an alderman in New York;
and now Pve got a little d sheep-ranch-I
not much of ranch, either, but still IT'S
something. How long have been herel Bless
your soul, I've been here In this State ever
since 1S47. Yes; come here before the forty
miners. I've been a millionaire, almost, three
times, and now I've got a little D. sheep
ranch and a country tavern. Big business,
amt it, for q man who's been an alderman in
New York and three times millionaire.
FRIEND OF DANIEL WEBSTER.
Who'd know in New York; Great GodI /
knew EN- all. Thurlow Weed, Horace Greeley,
Jim Bennett, Daniel Webster; and, by the way,
the last time saw Daniel Webster was in the
old Park theatre along with Weed and Amos
Kendall and fellow named Travis, who Used
to be 3 blood in those days. I was q kind Of o
blood myself, and so l know. You see was
rich and young and foolish and had big bust
ness. was q distiller, and when was twenty
five l was worth a cool hundred thousand,
oh in hoe 1ary- Tavac nr1ah ory,iIli
is now. All! was 4 traveller, you bet. Lord,
knoWed Coznele Vanderbilt when he used to
run plunger down to Staten Island. l used
to go and see a girl down there, and many's
the time Cornele took NE down in his boat.
Then there's George Law, "stingy old George"
as the boys used TO call him. Some of 'em
would get him out on the road sometimes, but
he'd never spend dime. They tell me he's
just as mean now as he was then. He was
handrOmc fellow, though. Lord, amt seen
him nigh on to thirty year; but if he should
ever hear of Aleck Mcdonald, he'd remember
him, you bet. All! l was traveller and so was
George. used to have my pair of trotters that
HI Woodruff trained for me out there to his
place, you know, on Third avenue. In those
days Third avenue used TO be the place for the
boys to 90. Many's the time I've been out
there with cutter and just cleaned the road,
along with
CHARLOTTE CUsHMAN.
Ali my boy, there's one of the best women
God ever made-the greatest actress the world
has ever seen In my boyhood 1 fell madly in
love with her-would have given my all on
earth If she'd q listened to me, but she
wouldn't. She said was foolish boy. Well,
mebbe was; but she did like to sleigh-ride,
and my team was the fastest on the avenue.
Lord, we used to have good times, you bet.
WEEDS go out 70 HPs and meet Kean, Kemble,
old Jim Wallack, Mary Taylor, and Burton,
and such suppers as those theatrical people
used TO eat you never heard of. Oil I could
sit and tell you more about people who are now
living than you ever dreamed of. used to be
8 traveller, you bet.
GREAT JOURNALISTS CHILDHOOD.
Did / know Jim Bennett Well, 1 should
say did Remember when he started the
Herald, and how at that time he used to be
cowhided, almost every day. He kind a. toned
down, though, after q while, and when / left
New York the Herald was getting pretty de-
cent Many's the time l took the old man up
townin my sleigh in the binding snow storms:
baf hafn- ha trinb and horses