Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-04-22
AT DONEGAL.
CAMERON. nIs rLoUx, AND nrups.
Rotiosot on current Poli,ics-,,ut Fol, OF
"Reminiscences OF tho Past
SAnnsrattan.

Hotiocot on Corrent foli,ic,-i,ut FOIL OF
"Reminiscences ot tho Past
generations.
Mr.. Geo. III. Wclshons, tho brilliant
stan correspondent of the Pittsburg Dis
i patch, paid visit to Lancaster last week,
and during his stay hero took a drive
through the uorthwestorn part OF the
county aud to Donegal springs, tho home
of Simon Cameron. He sketches for his
paper this pleasant picture of the venera-
bic politicitn and the Surroundings of his
later dny rural retirement
He wore n single white hyacinth in tho
lapel buttonholo OF his black Prince
Albert coat, and just enough trace of tho
soil upon the polished nentness of his
shoos to hint that he is farmer. His tall,
slender figure stoops from the six feet OF
his prize very little, considering the
weight of four score and four years. full
of anxioti ties more wearing than concern
the chances OF tho wheat surviving tho
! frost OF green winter, and bat.
ties flo rcer than those no now wages
against the tobacco worm. 1t stoops,
indeed, about as ono Of his height would
have to stoopto take the handles of n
plough. A full head of white hair, swept
straight back from his face, falls In n
silver wave from underneath his somew hat
. worn silk hat to the red silk handkerchief
loosely l;notted about his mock. His face
Is clean shayen and almost ruddy, his eye
clear and bright, his forehead wonderfully
free from wrinkles, as though he had never
in all his life concerned himself with any
project d seper than turnips or more intri
cate than n furrow. ." He stood in the
sunshine beside his country house with n
couple of his hired laborers aud pointed
this way and that with his long straight
staff as he talked to them with great
animati IN upon certain work about the
farm.
aSrs rsrsi Cameron anu his Nsixhoors.
His farm comprises about five hundred
acre of the best land in Lancaster county,
lyi ng in its extreme western corner. 1t is
lS miles from the county seat, and Is most
readily reached by way OF Marietta, which
lies within three miles, on the Pennsylva.
! MIA railroad 4 quarter OF n mile away
are the broad farms of his son, the young
senator, who, by the way, has quito ro-
covered his health abroad. " At least, ~
his father remarked, "he writes like a
well man and says nothing about his
health" Another Of General Cameron S
neighbors. and his intimate friend, is
James Duffy, the greatest tobacco
farmer Of the largest tobacco grow
ing county in the country. for thrifty
Lancaster has given the best OF Ken.
tucky and Virginia the 90 by in the mag
nitude of its tobacco product. Mr., Duty
has extensive farms IN the neighborhood
OF the Cameron homestead, aud Is some
what famous for his dinners. Grant, Sher
man and Bayard are among his frequent
guests, and his hospitable mansion in
Marietta is also o favorite resort OF the
Farmers club, that wonderful agric ultural
society which has on its roll such men as
George w. Childs, proprietor of the Phil
adelPhia Ledger, Judge Green, of the
supreme bench ex.Attorney General
MacVeagh and George Il. Roberts, presi'
dent of the Pennsylvania railroad com.
pany. The chief characteristic of the
Farmers club is that its mem bership has
all sorts OF people in IL except farmers.
Tho Camnon Farm.
General Cameron raises chiefly tobacco,
and tho white sides and red roofs Of the
largo barn like drying sheds about the
house marx II u the eye great way off.
lie devOIes Considerable share of his
acres to other crops, however, and has q
fine herd Of Jersey cattle. The state
formerly had fish nursery on the prem
ises, supplied with water from a strong
spring which rises in the cellar OF one oil
the farm buildings. 1t was abandoned
about year ago however. The farm
house is Large, two-story brick, built on
the subssa atial, spacious plan OF years ago,
a porch level with the ground aud tioored
with red brick tiling extends along the
whole front. Red wooden rocking chairs
loiI about here aud there as il inviting
guests, for tho old geGeral 10 fond of com
pany, particularly the company of young
| people, acd the old fashioned and dull
brass knocker swings very easily and mus
ically on its gudgeons. The chief orna
ments OF the grounds are q thrifty growth
OF young loousts, stretching from the
house to the church yard fence, and q
, royal bed of hyacinths, red, white, yellow,
pink aud purple. Hero and there one oi
the elder growth of trees has been cut OIL
and the stump fashioned into rustic seat
1t is very quiet, peaceful home. The
robins pipe and the backbirds whistle and
g the woodpecker drums on the trees, uudis
Q turbed by the sound Of q gun from years
:, end TO years end. The farm houses
p round about are none OF them very close.
n The only near neighbors are the silent
people in the old churchyard at Donegal
n within stones throw Of the porch, where
0 le many OF the early settlers of that
4 region.
The Ola senator at Home.
a To this retired home the venerable
Y Acuator DcRins coming every spring, a.
soon as the very cold weather breaks up
~ He usually comes out from HARRISBURG
2 every Friday or Saturday, returning OF
! Monday or Tuesday Although his grand
son has general supervision of the farming
. operations, he takes an active int rest In
| them himself and when he Is at the farm
plans the work and gives his orders to the
n laborers direct. He stopped in the mids
. OF an interesting description OF Henry
|. Clay's eloquence aud stepped out to the
: barn with butcher when called to loob
= at some cattle.
"Clay had wonderful command over on
audience" he said. "He had voio,
like an organ, and most delightful music
he played on it. But there" he added
pointing up from the dining room table u
portrait Of Webster on tho wall, "ther'
= was the greatest Of them ALL"
His house upstairs and down, In halls
aud rooms, is very gallery Of pictures
/, for the most part life size portraits o
. distinguished statesmen, hung seemingly
5 as the notion happened to take him, with
out any particular order OF arrangement
There is one notably iins largo engraving
/ of Abraham Lincoln, in the library, ant
on either side Of the fire place in that room
hang engravings Of Governors Hester ant