The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1884-01-17
GEN. FREMONT.
The Old Man Who Was the Coun-
try's Hero Thirty
Years Ago

lCTOUut IN Boston GlODe.l
While rambling through the inventors
department OF Cooper Union last Saturday,
gratifying my curiosity by vending in and
out among the queer machines, l met Gen
John c. Fremont, the hero and idol Of my
boybood. / had seen him many times during
the last few years, but l thought l
had never seen him look 80 serious and so
tired. The sad fact Is that age begins to tell
on him, for in another month the gallant
looking young man whom we Republicans
went wild over in 80 will be 20 years old.
His beard and hair are almost white, and his
grey eyes have a weary look. 1t was difficult
TO realize that this venerable and dignihed
man moving slowly about was the same
person who had fought in the Mexican
war and the war for the union;
who had twice resigned his position in the
United States army, who had challenged Col
Mason and Senator Foote to fight duels, and
put them both to flight; who had set the
American flag on the highest peaks Of the
Rockies long before settlement was thought
Of; who with an adventurous Indian at his
side, had plunged headforemost down the
wild falls Of the Colorado; who had
been famine stricken on the great desert in
the midst Of winter, and had administered to
his men an oath to die rather than resort to
canibalism; whose romantic life had been the
rallying point OF the Republicans before they
knew either their purposes or their strength.
And the lovely Jessie Benton whom he stolo
from "Old Bullion and ran away with when
she was 10, is now a lovely white-haired lady
of 65, who goes into society sparingly and Is
still the pet of her friends.
As we stood among the queer mechanical
mysteries Gen. Fremont spoke Of the mag
nificent forethought Of Peter Cooper in pro-
viding such a place where all poor inventors
gOulA Gonna and ghnNE THAR. Nya1gaa almost
without cost, and get the opinion Of an ex-
pert as to the patentability aud probable
value Of each device.
l inquired Of the general about the project
which 1 had seen mentioned to restore his
rank in the army and then put him IN the re-
tired list.
@Yes," he said. @Some of my frinds have
set 1t on foot. l don't know exactly what
is being done about it now"
"The Democrats are In power now" l re-
minded him.
@That makes little difference, I fancy" he
rojoined; "if there should seem to be Justice
in the application, l suppose Democrats
would BE- as ready 10 recognize and acknowl-
edge 1t as Republicans"
Remembering that he resigned his position
in the army, as Mcclellan did, and as Han
cock didn't, because he had been nominated
for the presidency, and thought holding mill
tary Office Inconsistent with the higher can
didacy, | said that, as his resignation was in
a sense an offering to our form OF govern
ment, l did not see why he should not be Ie-
stored, and took my cave.
know more of Gen. Fremont's affairs than
he is aware OF; more, perhaps, than he would
care to have me tell. There isno harm, how
ever, in my saying that he is poor; that he
made 81, 900, 900 in the Mariposa speculation.
and put the sum OF s ,2o0,OO0 in bank, and
that he was robbed Of this magnificent for
tune by a band of swindlers who conspired to
fleece him. l could name them, but no good
would come Of it now. Suffice it that Gen.
Fremont is poor and that necessity pleads for
his restoration and retirement.