The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-08-08
The Irishman Who Outwltted q Mon.
arch.

SsOAys WHCA 4 AAuCC ASCSSCAl was AOuu OI
collecting instances Of the wit and
humor of the Irish peasantry. One of
those was the history of Morgan Prus-
STA.
Morgan, the gay and handsome son
of low Irish farmer, tired of home,
went to take the chances of the world
and seek his fortune. BY what means
he traversed England, or made his way
to France, is not told. But he at length
crossed France, and, probably without
much knowledge or much care wheth-
er he was moving to the North or the
South Pole, found himself in the Prus-
sian territory. This was in the day of
the First Frederick, father of Frederick
the Great, famous for his tall regiment
of guards, and for nothing else-except
his being the most dangerous COM
pound of fool and mailman among the
crowned heads of the Continent. He
had but one ambition-that of inspect
ing twice day regiment of thou
sand grenadiers, not one of whom was
less than six feet and a half high. Nor
gan was an Irish giant, and was in
stantly seized by the Prussian recruit
ing Sergeants, who forced him to vol
unteer into the tall battalion. This
turn of fate was totally out of the
Irishman's calculation, and the pros
pect of carrying a musket till his dying
day on the Potsdam Parade, after hav-
ing made up his mind to live by his
wits and rove the world, more than
once tempted him to think of leaving
his muskct and his honor behind him,
and fairly trying his chance for escape.
But the attempt was always found i'm
practicable; the frontier was too close
ly watched, and Morgan still marched
up and down the Potsdam Parade with
u discOnsOlate heart, when one evening
Turkish recruit was brought in; but
Frederick looked at nothing but the
thews and sinews of man, and
the Turk was fully seven feet high.
"How much did His Majesty give for
catching that heathen?'' said Morgan
to his Corporal
"Four hundred dollars" was the an
swer.
He burst out into an exclamation of
establishment at this waste of Royal
treasure upon Turk.
"Why, they cannot be got for less, :"
said the Corporal.
"What pity my five brothers cam
net hear of itr' said Morgan. II am
dwarf to any one of them, and the
sound of half the money would bring
them all over Immediately"
As the discovery of a tall recruit was
the well-known road to favoritism, five
were worth at least pair of colors to
the Corporal. The conversation was
Immediately carried to the Sergeant,
and from him, through the graduation
of officers, to the Colonel, who took
the first opportunity of mentioning it
to the King. The Colonel was instant
ly ordered to question Morgan; but he
at once lost all recollection of the sub
ject.
He had no brother; he had made
the regiment his father and mother and
relations, and there he hoped to live
and die"
But he was still urged more strongly,
and at length confessed that he had
brothers, even above the regimental
standard, but that nothing on earth
could stir them from their spades.
After some time the King inquired for
the five recruits, and was indignant
when he was told of the impossibility OF
enlisting them.
"Send the fellow HIMSELF" he ex-
claimed, "and let him bring them
back"
The order was given; but Morgan
was broken-hearted Eat the idea of SO
long an absence from the regiment. ="
He applied to the Colonel to have the
order revoked, or at least given to some
one else. But this was out of the qucs-
ton, for Frederick's word was always
irrevocable; and Morgan, with dis.
consulate face, prepared to set out upon
his mission. But new difficulty struck
him. "How was he to make his
brothers come unless he showed them
the recruiting money!" This objec'
ton was at last obviated by the adj
vance of sum equal to about fSO(
sterling, as first installment for the
purchase of his family. Like loya
grenadier the Irishman was now ready
to attempt anything for his Colonel OF
his King, and Morgan began his jour
ney. But, as he was stepping out Of
the gates at Potsdam, another difficulty
occurred; and he returned to tell the
Colonel that of all people existing the
Irish were the most apt to doubt 8
travellers story, they being in the habit
of a good deal of exercise in that style
themselves; and that when he should 60
back to his own country, and tell them
of the capital treatment and sure pro-
motion that soldier met with in the
guards, The probability was that they
would laugh in his face. AS to the
money, there were some who would
not scruple to say that he stole it, or
tricked some one out of it. But, un-
doubleday, when they saw him walking
back only as a common soldier, he was
sure they would not believe syllable,
let him say what he would about rising
in the service"
The objection was ineligible enough,
and the Colonel represented it to Fred
erick, who, doubly outrageous at the
delay, swore a grenadier oath, ordered
Morgan to be made Sous-O Officer, or
Upper Sergeant, and. with sword and
epaulet, sent him instantly across the
Rhine to convince his five brothers OF
the rapidity of Prussian promoting.
Morgan flew to his home in the County
Corlow, delighted the tiresides for many
q mile round with his having outwitted
King and whole battalion of grena-
dries, laid out his recruiting money on
land, and became a man Of estate a,
the expense of the Prussian Treasury.
One ceremony remains to be record.
ed. Once year, on the anniversary
of the day on which he left Potsdam
and its giants behind, he climbed a hill
within a short distance of his house,
turned himself in the direction of Prus'
STA, and with the most contemptuous
gesture which he could contrive, bade
good-by to His Majesty. The ruse was
long a great source of amusement, and
its hero, like other heroes, bore through
life the name earned by his exploit
Morgan Prussia.-English Magazine.
Law and Justice.
SOLOMON would have found it diff.
cult to improve upon recent judg.
ment of a French court. A year ago,
an apothecary of Port d. Ain, in the De-