The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-09-05
NUMBER 81.
The Last Man.

The Last Man.
In Sundays EnquSrer was published
| short communication asking about the
existence of the Society of the Last Man,
social club which was formed in Gin
cinnati over forty years ago, the main
point being to inquire if any members 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
OIL year by year, until the solitary one
who still remains became the sole living
reminder OF the youth, and hope, and
life, and ambition that inspired those
breasts, now forty-odd years ago.
1t was one Sunday afternoon, the Both
seven young men, all Of them we'll known
at the studio of Joseph R. Mason, ris.
ing young portrait-painter of that time.
They were DR.. James NJ Mason, DIR. J.
L. Waiter, Fenton Lawson, Henry L.
Tatum, William Stanbcrry, William Dis
ney, Jr., and J. R. Mason. The Asiatic
cholera, the stalking 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 pesti-
lence that was stalking over it, and
which had thus far baff1ed the combined
skill and science of the entire medical
profession. Naturally enough the
conversation turned upon this subject.
After it had been discussed for a while
1t was suggested that those present
should form themselves into society to
be called the Society of the Last Man.
The main idea was that they should have
a banquet each year, at which places
should be provided for ali, and that when
only one Of them remained he was to
drink a bottle of wine which they were
to provide at the first meeting and seal
up for use. A mahogany caskct was pro-
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 scaled
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 it being discovered
The first meeting of the society was on
the night of the 9th of October, 1882.
All the members were present, and the
ceremonial of locking up the bottle Of
wine was gone through with. They also
cast lots for the custodianship of the
casket, it being agreed that it should he
confided to one member for the first
year, to another for the second, and so
on until it had gone around. DR.. Vatticr
won the lot, and in his hands it was
placed for the first year. For four sue
ccssive anniversaries did the society
meet regularly with n full membership,
all of them still living, and each one
making it a point of duty to be present
no matter what else might intervene.
In June, 1887, DIR. James NJ. Mason
died, and their mystic number seven was
broken into, and in the following Octc-
bcr, when their banquet took place, the re
was one vacant scat at the board, one
plate lay at the table untouched. In
November, 1889, William Stanbcrry died,
and the following year, when they
came together again. only five sat at the
table and there were two vacant places.
In September, 1S42, J. r. Mason, the
artist, brcathcd his last, and the follow
ing month, when the Society of the Last
Man came together, there were but four
OF thcm-thrcc vacant chairs and three
upturned plates told the story. For
seven successive years did those four
hold their anniversary banquet without
further change, the sealed casket being
handed around from year to year among
those who remained. In November,
1949, William Disney died, leaving but
three Of the seven alive. In June, 1866,
Fenton Lawson's earthly c;a GER was
ended, and DR.. Vattier and Henry L.
Tatcm were the only survivors. Mr..
Tatem had possession Of the casket at
this time and had morbid fear that he
would be the last man and be
left with it in his posses
sion. Two months after Lawson's
death he was taken sick, and in his de.
lirium this idea obtained possession of
his mind and he cried: "Break open that
caskct and pour out the wine! It's
worse than fate in haunting met" And
DR.. Vatticr became the Last Man.
In October, 1866, the Last Man held
his first solitary banquet at his home.
Seven plates were laid and seven chairs
placed around the board. The caskct was
placed on the table, it's seal broken and
it's lid pricd off. The bottle of wine
which for twcntyAhrcc years had reposcd
within was opened and drank in silence
and solitude by the survivor of all those
seven. No one was permitted to break
that solitude, and the meal was eaten and
drank without the sound of a voice. And
each succeeding year, on the 9th of Oc-
tobcr, does the Last Man repeat the soli-
tary repast, he sitting with six vacant
chairs around the table, with six up.
turned plates on the board. And while
he sits there in silence and alone there
comes trooping around him the memories
of all those who once joined with him in
the merry-making, and yet the heart of
the kindly old man is as young and his
feelings as tender as they were forty
years ago when he little thought of ever
becoming the Last Man!-Cinci1nati
Enquirer