The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-06-25
Speech Of Spartacus.
From stenographic Notes by Bill Sye.

1t had beena day OF triumph 10 Capua.
Lentulus, with victorious eagles by way Of
the river division of the Chicago, Mill
waukee and ST. Paul Railway, had anus
ed the populace with the sports OF the
| amphilheatre. to an extent hitherto I'M
, known even In that luxurious city. \
large number OF people from the rural
districts had taken advantage OF halt
rates on the railroad and had been IN
town watching the conflict IN the arena,
listening to the infirm, decrepit ring joke
and viewing the bogus sacred elephant.
The shout and r~evei.y had died away.
The last ~loiterer had retired from the
free lunch counter and the lights in the
palace Of the victor, were extinguished.
The restless hyena in the Roman mena-
gerie had sunk to rest and the Numidian
hon at the stock yards had taken out his
false teeth for the night. The moon pierre
ing the tissue of feecy clouds tipped the
dark waters of the Tiber with a wavy,
tremulous light. The dark-browed Ro-
man soldier moved on his homeward way,
the sidewalk Tipping up occasionly and
hitting him in the small Of the back.
No sound was heard save the low sob
of some retiring wave as 1t told its story
to the smooth pebbles on the beach, or
the unrelenting boot jack struck the high
board fence in the back yard just missing
the Roman tom cat In its mad flight, and
then all was still as the breast when the
spirit has departed. Anon the half stifled
Roman snore would steal in upon its
deathly Stiffness and then die away like a
hot biscuit in the hands of the hired
man.
La the green room of the amphitheatre
a little pane Of gladiators were assembled.
The foam of conflict yet fingered on their
lips, the scowl of battle still hung upon
their brows, and the large knobs on their
profiles indicated that it had been a busy
day with them in the arena.
There was an embarrassing silence of
about five minutes when Spartacus, gent
ly laying bis chew of tobacco on the BAN
lister, stepped forth and addressed them ]:
"Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men-Ye call me chief, and We do well to
call him chief, who for twelve long years
has met in the arena every shape Of man
or beast that the broad empire of Rome
could furnish, and yet has meyer squealed.
| do not say this egotistically, but simply
to show that | am the star thuI0per OF
the entire OUTFIT.
IF there be one among you who can
say that ever in public fight, or private
brawl, my actions did belle my word, let
him stand forth and say it, and | will
spread him around over the arena, till
the coroner will have to soak him out OF
the ground with benzine. If there be
three in all your company dare face me on
the bloody sands, let them come, and /
will construct upon their ~physiognomy
} such cupolas. and cornlces, and dormer
windows, and Corinthian capitals, and
~entablatures, that their own master.
would pass them by in the broad light Of
high noon u~nrecognlzed.
"And yet l was not always thus-a
hired butcher-the savage chief of still
more savage men. My ancestors came
from Sparta, Wisconsin, and settled
among the vine-clad hills and citron groves
of Syracuse. My early life ran as quiet
as the clear brook by which | sported.
Aside from the gentle patter of my ange
mothers slipper on the hustle of my over
alls, everything moved along with the
still and rhythmic flow of goose grease.
My boyhood was one long, happy summer
day. We stole the Roman muskmelon,
and put split sticks on the tail of the
Roman dog, and life was a picnic, and a
h%allelujah.
"When, at noon, / led the sheep be-
meath the shade and played Little Sallie
Waters on my shepherds flute, there
was another Spartan youth, the son of
neighbOr, to join me in the pastime; We
led our focks to the same pasture, and
together picked the large red ants out o.
our d~oughnuts.
Zone evening after the sheep had beer
driven into the corral, and we were al
seated beneath the ''Bammygilead" tree
: hat shaded u cottage, my grandsire an
old man, was telling of Marathon, anG
Leuctra, and DR.. Mary Walker, and
how a little band of Spartans at Milwau.
kee had stood off the police, and they
fled away into the mountains, and there
successfully held an annual pass over
the c. NJ. and St. 7. Railroad
Held it for a year? did not know then
what war was, but my checks burned
| know not why, and | thought what q
: glorious thing it would be to leave the
reservation and go upon the warpath.
But my mother kissed my t%hrobbing tenn
, Piles and babe me go and soak my head,
think no more of those old tales and saw.
age wars. That very night the Romans
landed on our coast. They PLACED the
whole country, burned the agency build
, ings, demolished the ranche, rode off the
stock, tore up the smoke house, and ran
their war horses over the cucumber
vines.
To-day | killed a man in the arena
and when | broke his helmet clasps and
looked upon him, behold! he was my
friend. The same sweet smile was on hi,
face that | had known when in adventur
Gus boyhood We bathed in the CLASSY LAKE
by our Spartan home, and he had tieC
my shirt into 1852 dangerous and difficult
knots.
"He knew me, smiled family, tolc
me always to tell the truth, and to trave
by the Milwaukee and st. Paul road, anC
then he assembled the golden stair.
begged of the Praetor that l might be
allowed to bear away the body and have
it packed in Ice and shipped to his rela
tives at .Sparta, Wisconsin, but he couldn'I
| see it.
AS upon my Bonded knees amid the
dust and the blood of the arena | begged
this poor boon, and the Praetor answer.
I ed: Let the carrion rot. There are nc
f noblemen but Romans and Ohio men
| Let the show 90 on. Bring forth tht
bobtall lion from Abyssinia." And tn,
assembled maids and matrons and thu
rabble shouted in derision. and told
! them brace up" and they threw pea
nut-shells at me and told me to .'chees,
!, it." with other Roman filings which l d.
/ not now recall.
: And so must you, fellow gladiators
and 5 0 must l, die like dogs. To-mor
row we are billed to appear at the Cole
u at Rome. and reversed seats arr
even now being sold at the corner o
!, Third and Jackson streets St. Paul. fol
our moral and instructive performanct