American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-09-05

enough to knock out one of his front
teeth. The tooth was broken off close
to the gum. The nerve being left cx-
posed caused intense pain, but the Chief
Justice Waite had blown her first whistle
and the time had come for hin. to leave
for his engagement in the city. So, GOV
ering the exposed nerve hastily with wax,
he took his departure, and, protected in
this prccarious way against the torture
of the throbbing nerve, otficiated in the
services of the Sunday. The most prob
able solution of the apparent mystery of
the hidden blow Is that he was hit by a
spent ball from the rifle of some chance
sportsman.-T0lcd0 Commercials
The Last Man.
IN Sundays EHqlNFeF was published Il
short communication asking about the
existence of the Society of the Last Man.
a social club which was formed in Gin
cinnati over forty years ago, the main
point being to inqu 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 Il
brief story of the society, who were in il
at first, and how its members dropped
off 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
of September, in the year 1882, that
seven young men, all of them well known
here in Cincinnati, We're gathered together
at the studio of Joseph r. Mason, IA ris
ing young portrait-painter of that time.
They were DR.. James NJ. Mason, DIR. j.
l.. Waiter, Fenton Lawson, Henry L.
Tatum, William Stanberry, 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 Il fever of alarm over the pesti-
lence that was stalking over it. and
which had thus far baffled the combined
skill and science of the entire medical
profession. Naturally enough the
conversation turned upon this subject
After it had been discussed for while
it 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
banquet each year, at which places
should be provided for all and that 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. 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 filed
with sealing-wax, and-ahe 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 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 be
confided to one member for the first
year, to another for the second, and so
on until it had gone around. DR.. Nattier
won the lot, and in his hands it was
placed for the first year. For four sue
cessive anniversaries did the society
meet regularly with full membership,
all of them still living, 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 Octo-
Der, when their banquet took place, there
was one vacant seat ut the board, one
plate lay at the table untouched. In
November, 1899, William Stanberry died,
and 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 follow
ing month, when the Society of the Last
Man came together, there were but four
of thcm-three 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
1919, William Disney died, leaving but
three of the seven alive. In June, 1865,
Fenton Lawson's earthly career was
ended, and DR.. Nattier and Henry l..
Tatem were the only survivors. Mr.. |
Tatcm had possession of the casket at
this time and had Il 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 lie cried: Break open that |
casket and pour out the wine! It's
worse than fate in haunting me" And |
Dr. Waiter became the Last Man.
In October, 1855, the Last Man held |
his first solitary banquet at his home.
Seven plates were laid and seven chairs |
placed around the board. The casket was
placed on the table, its seal broken and |
its lid pried off. The bottle of wine |
which for twenty-three years had reposed |
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 IL voice. And |
each succeeding year, on the 9th of DC
tobcr, does the Last Man repeat the soil |
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 Kim 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.-CinciHltatt |
Enquirer.