The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-01-03
The 9aiIg Arsas.

From Lipincott's Magazine.


| One of those to whom il ia a fascination
| to listen has recently given us book full
of memories. which he calls Old Times II
Tennessee But a greater treat thar
reading it is to hear the author tell how
he saw Gen. Jackson scare and put to
| fight 10000 men," 1t was on Clover
bottom race course, The narrator, then
small boy. was stationed on a cedar
fence. The betting was very fierce
| Horses and negroes as well as motley was
put up large pound being filled with the
| live stock Murmurs arose that 1t was te
be a jockey race; that Greyhound" one
OF the famous racers, had been seen the
night before in a wheat field, and his
rider was TO receive $500 to throw him off
In the height of the excitement Gen
Jackson appeared, riding a gray horse
and carrying long pistol 10 each hand. /
| think they were as long as my arm. with
muzzIes that ground squirrel could enter
He swore by the eternal he would shooi
the first man who brought his horse on
the track-that the peoples money should
not be stolen in this manner. He talked
necessarily, while the spittle rolled from
his mouth and Ere flashed from his eyes.
have seen bears and wolves at bay. but
he was the most ferocious looking animal
4 uAFo cFSE EcCDs lis appearance anu
manner struck terror into the hearts of
twenty thousand people If they all felt
as / did, every one expected to be slain,
The end of it was that there was great
rush to the pound to get back the money
staksd, and the boy on the fence was over
turned and nearly tram pied to death. But
he still lives. possibly the only survivor of
that great crowd. He gives the most vivid
idea of odd Hickory's" personality
When Lafayette visited Nashville in 1924,
and Jackson greeted him in the public
square, approaching the carriage with
peacock stride, the eyes of all were al
tracted to their own hero rather than to
their distinguished guest. A hundred
voices exclaimed. Just look at old Jack
sonl" There was something 10 his face,
his martial presence, that unclaimed the
public gaze whenever he appeared.
Of course. amid so much talk of Gen.
Jackson, the lady to whom he gave the
protection of his name and honor comes
in for her share. Many sly little anec
dote about her has been preserved One
ladytells that the last time her mother
saw Mrs Jackson the latter remarked, by
way of accounting for cold under which
she suffered, THE general kicked the
kiver off last night.
OO0 Vi her WOIleQ came 10 D6r ID
good deal OF trouble because che had just
been told that the world was round, and
she had always thought it fat Never
mind aunty," said kind Mis- Rachel"
don't you be disturbed / think it is fat
myself. and honey"-so she often called
the general honey thinks So too"
But her yefiest detractors fnd nothing
to say against her looks or character
She was beastiy ignorant" said one fne
old gentleman, and jackson married her.
not from love, but from an impulse of
chivalry, to fling his protection around
her; but she was perfectly beautiful, and
as fine and good woman as ever lived"
But he did love her. They tell that the
Hermitage. which stands rather oddly just
back of an elevation OF the greuDd. instead
of CD its brow. was SO placed because Mrs,
jackson, walking one afternoon with the
general, stopped just there and said it
was only a small distance from the spring
where they went for water The general
struck the ground with his staff aud said
there should the foundations be laid. And
there they were laid. 10 spite of exposu u
lation.