The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1880-07-15
HORACEGREELEYIN PIKE Co11Nqy
An Unsuccessful Land Speculation
Bathing His Feet in u Horse Trough.

Reading Eagle.
At the annual sale of wild lands for
taxes in Pike County last week, several
tracts once belonging to Horace Greeley
were disposed of. Horace Greeley at
one time owned $500 acres of land in
Pike county. In 1S43 he formed the
Sylvanian society and established a
community on the property after the
plan of Fourier the French social econ
omist Large buildings We're erected,
at one time 125 persons were active
members of the society Mr.. Greeley
invested $4,000 in the enterprise, but it
was disastrous failure. He believed
that he had been made the victim of
land sharks and the ultra democratic
views of the Pike county natives. This
inspired him to publish in the editorial
columns of the Tribune several bitter
articles against the county, in one of
which occurred two expressions that
the Pike countians never forgave. "Pike
county," said Mr. Greeley, sis noted
not only for its scrub oaks; its locofoco
majorities, and its rattlesnakes. There
are five gallons of whisky to one spell
ing book in Pike county" When Mr..
Greeley ran for president in 1872, Pike
county, good at any time for nearly
l 900 democratic ma ajority, could hard
ly be induced to give any majority for
him. Half the vote refused to come
out, and the county was just saved to
the democrats, and that was all.
Once, before the Fourierite society
had failed, Mr.. 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 here in the condition
of a confirm ed tramp. "Uncle Sammy"
Dimmick kept hotel here then. He
was one Of the dozen or SO of wings
that dared the democratic forces in the
place. He was a bluff, curt man, but
kind and generous. Horace Greeley
was his idol He had never seen him,
but often declared that he would CON
slider it the proudest moment of his life
to meet the great editor. When Mr..
Greeley entered the village after his
long and dusty tramp he CHANGED to
stop at Dimmick's tavern. Uncle Sam
my was in the barroom 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 1
would like to have room where can
wash my feet"
Uncle Sammy looked the seedy and
dirty stranger from head to foot. Be
lieving him to be an impudent tramp,
he beloved out, in voice that could
be heard half over the town:
"a room to wash your feet in Why,
you d -impudent scoundrel, go out to
the horse trough and wash your feet"
A large public trough stood in the
street at the corner of the hotel. Mr..
Greeley walked quietly out to it took off
his boots, and began washing his feet in
the trough Cornelious w. De Witt,
father Of John E. De Witt, the well
known New York insurance president,
at that time kept store opposite Dim
mick's tavern. He knew Mr.. Greeley.
He saw the man at the trough washing
his feet, and Uncle Sammy standing on
hotel piazza looking at him with intense
disgust. De Witt walked over, recog-
nized Mr.. Greeley, and once gave
words to his surprise. He beckoned
Uncle Sammy to the spot.
"Nlr. Dimmick," he said, II want to
introduce you to Horace Greeley the
editor of the New York Tribune
Uncle Sammy never recovered from
the modification he felt over his treat
ment of the man he would have gone
hundred miles to do honor to. Mf.
Greeley took the matter good naturediy,
and spent several days with his Wing
admirer