San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1880-08-07

An Adventure of Horace Gree
ley-lIalhIng His Feet Ia q
llorse.rroagh.
Milford (Pa.) Letter to N. Y. Sun.
At an annual sale Of wild lands fol
taxes in Pike county recently, severa
tracts once belonging to Horace Gree
ley were disposed of. Horace Greeley
at one time owned $500 acres Of land ir
Pike county, In 1S43 he formed the
Sylvanian society and established Q
community on the property after the
plan of Fourier, the French soc;al
economist. Large buildings were
erected, and at one time hundred
and twenty FIVE persons were active
members of the society. Mr.. Greeley
invested $4,000 in the enterprise, bui
it was disastrous failure. He be
lieved that he had been made the vic
tim of landsharks and the ultra demo
cratic views of the Pike county natives.
This inspired him to publish in the
editorial columns Of the Tribune sew
eral bitter articles against that county,
in one of which occurred two expires.
sions that the Pike countians never
forgave. Pike county," said Mr..
Greeley, "is noted only for its scrub
oaks. its locofoco majorities, and its
rattlesnakes. There are five gallons
of whiskey to one spelling book in
Pike county" When Mr.. Greeley
ran for president In 1872, Pike county,
good at any time for 1000 democratic
majority, could hardly be induced to
give any majority for him. Half OF
the vote almost, refused to come out
and,the county ,wasljust saysd-to the
deshocrats and that was all. I. L !
Once; before the Fourierite society
had failed, Mt. Greeley paid visit to
the spot. On his way back to New
York the stage coach broke down sew
eral miles from Milford. Mr.. Greeley
walked the rest Of the way to this vii
lage. He arrived in the condition of q
confirmed tramp. 'Uncle Sammy
Dimmick kept o hotel there then He
was one Of the dozen or SO of Wings
that dared the democratic forces of
the place. He was bluff, curt man,
but kind and generous. Horace
Greeley was his idol. He had never
seen him, but often declared that he
would consider it the proudest mo-
ment of his life to meet the great whig
editor. When Mr.. Greeley entered the
village after his long and dusty tramp
he CHANGED to'stop a. -Dimmick's tav-
ern. Uncle Sammy was in the bar
room and in one of his worst humors.
Mr.. Greeley walked up to him and in
his peculiar falsetto voice said
II am very tired and dusty, sir. l
would like to have room where |
can wash my feet
Uncle Sammy looked tho dirty, seedy
stranger from head to foot. Believing
him to be an impudent tramp. be bel
lowed out in a tone of voice that could
be heard over half the town:
"A room to wash your feet In 3? Why
you id impudent scoundrel, go out
to the horse trough and wash your
feet p
A large public trough stood
in the street, at the corner of the hotel.
Mr.. Greeley quietly walked out to
it. took off his boots and began wash
ing his feet in the trough. Cornelius
w. De Witt, father Of John e. De
Witt. the well known New York in
surance president. at the tune kept a
store opposite Dimmick's tavern. He
was also a whig, aud knew Mr.. Gree
ley. He saw the man at the trough
washing his feet, and Uncle Sammy
standing on the hotel piazzi looking at
him with intense disgust. Dewitt
walked over. Recognized .MriGreeley,
and at once gave words to his surprise.
He beckoued Uncle Sammy to the
spot.
"Mr. Dimmick. he said. Il want to
Introduce you to Horace Greeley, the
editor Of the New York Tribune"
Uncle Sammy never recOyered from
.be modification be felt oyer his treat
men; Of tae man be vosld hsve gone
a hunSred miles to do hOaor to. Mr..
Greeley took the nstter gOod-naturei-
". and spent several Says sith his
wLis siEircr.