Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-09-07


opened the mouth of General Taylor
on the Presidential question. 1t oc
Cured at the Fourth OF July dinner
1917, in Aristas palace, at Monterey
After toast and song had gone around
this subaltern, sitting at my elbow
arose and drank. general Taylor, We
hail him as the next President p This
soft impeachment unloosed the
tongue of "Old Zack - he took to hi'
feet, and convinced the audience in Q
one minute speech, that "Barkis il
willin' and waitin' for Peggoty," as
most people are. 1t was an Irish sol
dier of company "B," who tried tC
smuggle his wife on the march from
Vera Cruz to Mexico, contrary to
orders. He got donkey on which be
packed their worldly goods, including
"Pots and pans.
Kettles and cans
and lac finished out the load by putting
his wife on top. The little animal, and
the big load, and the woman on top
made as picturesque a group as one
would wish to look at, funnier than
"The Devil on Two Sticks" This non,
desoript affair was seen sneaking out
of camp early in the morning, and |
was hurried off TO overhaul it, reaching
it where the highway leaves the beach
at Nergara, above Vera Cruz The
husband was leading the donkey, and
the wife occupied her seat OF honor in
oompIaisant security. When | in.
formed the twain they must return to
camp, the disappointed Blddy blessed
me in the vernacular OF the Emerald
Isle. A curious coincidence happened
TO General Cushing at the little town
OF Acaieti, situated on the plain be.
tween Perote and Pueblo, When he
returned from China, about 1874, he
came across the continent via Acapulco,
Mexico and Vera Cruz. Near that
town he was robbed of all he possessed,
including many valuable papers, lie
made complaint TO the Alcaldc, but
could get no relief when he told him
if he did not recover his property for
him he would come back some day
with an army and demand redress.
The morning we reached Acajeti, the
General called upon the Alcalde and
reminded him of his promise, but be
neither recovered bis property or got
satisfaction for its loss. 1t was my
fortune to announce to Mr.. Gushing
his election as colonel of the regiment.
He was a member of the Assembly,
and boarded at the fremont House.
The election was held the night before,
at the Winthrop House, | believe, and
on the third ballot, he received one
majority. 10 be frank, will say
had one eye, and sometimes two, on
the adjutancy, and thought il would
not prejudice my chances, If were the
first to carry the good news to him. |
was on hand early next morning, and
at the fremont House before the new.
ly.made colonel was out of bed. was
shown to his chamber door and rap.
ped he inquired, "Wbo's there2" and
| replied, "Mr. Davis He then jump,
ed out of bed and opened the door
when | saluted him by saying, "Good
moring, Colonel Cushingl' TO this he
responded, "Mr. Davis, what can | dc
for you ?" | was now placed in deli
cate situation. | did not wish TO dc
violence to my native modesty | was
not disposed to lose my vantage
ground nor was / quite generou;
enough to say, "Oh, no, | do not want
anything; so aftera moment ofthought
replied, "You can make me adju
tant." He said it should be done, and
il was done. Soon after we reached
Mexico, as you are aware, Colonel
Gushing was appointed and confirmed
Brigader General in the regular army
Again il was my fortune to carry the
good news to him, and q second time
he asked the question, "What can ] dc
for you p and ! was not too modest
to respond "You can make me Aide
de. Camp" which was done.
In the thirty.three years since the
time Of which | speak, how wonderful
tho change, at home and abroad. Az
we descended from the table-lands tC
the sea, on our homeward march, We
received news of the revolution which
had broken out in Europe; which
drove Louis Philippe into exile, and
placed the Bonapartes again in power
on the banks OF the Seine; and, for a
brief period, gave the destiny of tho
German race into their own hands
Since then, dynasties have been chang
ed; States consolidated; boundaries
altered in fact, the map OF Europe
has been recast. Victoria, Of England
alone has survived the mutations OF
time, and is the monarch who then
sat upon the throne. The Others have
laid down the "pomp and circumstance
of kingly power, and gone to that "un
discovered country"that the poet wrote
about, to give an account OF thell
stewardship. At home, the change
which has been wrought in peace and
in the agony of civil war, is no less
marked The moment we tapped the
Golden Land of the Pacific, the coun
try seemed to spring forward like an
unleshed hound painting for the race
When you laid aside your weapons OF
war on Boston Common, and re.dedi'
Gated yourselves TO deeds of peace,
thirty. years ago the United States
contained population OF but twenty
two millions, and the Union was form
ed of thirty States, Now, our popula'
ton is over fifty millions, more than
doubled and the Union has grown to
thirty.eight States, with several addi'
tional knocking for admission into the
great political brotherhood. Then
there were but four States and ono
Territory West of the Mississippi, aud
the vast remainder, reaching across
the continent to the Pacific, was o
wilderness Of plain, and mountain, and
desert, except the few Mexican settle
ments which fringod the Rio Grando,
and the Mormon immigrants who had
just planted themselves on Salt Lake
The spirit Of progress pervades every
section of this vast region. Within
its borders we now find twelve States
and eight organized Territories, one
of the States containing q population
of more than a million OF people. 1t
is traversod by numerous railroads
one of them uniting the Pacific with
the Atlantic, and others will soon be
completed to the shore Of that distant
sea. All the appliances of civilized
life are in active use, and some oI
these new States rival the old in i'm
provement Tho aggregation oI
wealth has more than kept pace with
the increase in population, and our
merchants and bankers have become