The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1884-04-25
THE IOG-CABIE CAMPAIGN.
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES OF THE
FAMOUS HARD-C1DER CAMPAIGN.

INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES OF THE
FAMOUS HARD-c1DER CAMPAIGN.
Cor. Louisville Courier-Journal
More than forty years have come and
gone since the log-cabin, hard cider,
and coon-skin campaign of 1910. -.
This was a remarkable event in the
history of our country. With clap-trap
devices, Gen. Harrison was elected over
Mr.. Van Buren almost by acclamation,
having carried nineteen states out of
| twenty-five.
Hon. Bailey Peyton, of Tennessee,
called to see Gen. Harrison at North
Bend, after he was nominated at
Harrisburg, Pa. Peyton went to Gin
cinnati and made a speech; in this
speech he said he had been to see the
Wing nominee; that he was the man
they wanted. He said he lived in a
log-cabin, with the latch-string never
pulled in, barrel of hard cider to
treat his friends, and coon skins nailed
over the cracks in the walls to keep the
wind away.
Old Joe Harrison (no kin to the gen.
eraD owned the Six-mile house, below
Cincinnati, where the United States
flag had fioated for forty years. This
was the great resort for fast hor ses,
tight men, and lively women. Joe saw
q point and at once built. the firstn3aGn
cabin. This was the first; in
weeks there were hundreds bui4eD aff
over the country
On May 18 the wings met at the
Gait house to make arrangements to
build log cabin. In short time
plenty of funds were raised for the pur-
pose.
Col. John O. Cochran, chief marshal !;
George d. Prentice, of The Journal,
Birney Marshall, of The Gazette, as
sistant marshals; George L. Robards
and James Mcdonald, architects and
builders. William O'Hara's band was
in attendance. It consisted of drums
and flies, four horns and two bass. two
hundred boys with as many axes. Each
appointed himself a committee of one.
With twenty teams we left the city, pro-
ceeded down Jefferson street, then
south to Broadway, into Bullitt's
woods. We cut twenty trees. With
OK and horse teams to haul them, the
line of march was one mile long. We
brought the whole tree and cut it up at
the place where Rufer's hotel now
stands This was one of the jolliest
days of the Falls City" There were
all sorts of people there, from the high
est to the lowest, and all seemed to take
hand in the log cabin. It seemed to
me that hard cider was quite strong, for
many of the Toys fell at the first fire,
and by the wayside, but there was not
any quarreling.
Birney Marshall and Hiram Ray led
the van, each with a long pole, driving
old Meeks' OK team, Bill O'Hara with
his band of fife and drum-I would like
to see such band to-day. The dust
was two inches deep, and when the van
were reaching the city you would have
thought it was Birnam woods moving on
Macbeth's castle, as every Whig carried
a large bush. At the setting sun our
cabin was finished, and in the presence
of 5000 people Gov. Poindexter and
Charles M. Thurston made the first log
cabin speeches. Prof. Candy and AIS
glee club, With the songs of ''Tipp gsaRoe
and Tyler too," set all thespeople wild.
I thought, goodbye, Matte Gas Old
Hickory called VanBuren). I said hear
it not at the Hermitage, old Zero. The
air became full of the sounds of the
different glee songs, composed by Prof.
| SdHuN 4de WOOOS IOSOuHuSo "IOu
songs of birds and the voices of the
had more power over the mind than the
churches There was something in this
presidential campaign of 1910 that was
remarkable-the good feeling one party
had for the other; there being but few
homicides, if any; it certainly was owing
to the glee songs. But once was enough
to make president in that way. In
1874 the same claptrap was tried, but it
was stale, fiat and Improbable. Mr.. Clay
was defeated by Polk.
The Cincinnati Mail-line steamer
gave out that she would leave our
wharf on the Fourth of July, 1910,
then on the 5th leave Cincinnati at IL
o'clock and lay over at North Bend
four hours to let the passengers see
Gen. Harrison and his log-cabin.
Men, women, and children made the
trip. About four hundred yards from
the landing was the old-fashioned two
story frame house with some old out
houses attached, but all clean and neat.
The general was there, as we'll as Mrs.
Harrison, his son Scott, and several
members or the family. The general
felt f1attered at so large concourse OF
people calling on him at one time
Here was an inirm old man living on
borrowed time, nothing but walking
shadow, low, weak, and emaciated
bloodshot eyes, and looked careworn
and excited. The question of his
friends and acquintances was: Has he
vitality enough to live through this ex.
citable campaign? The general roSlks
care to stay at home until the election
was over, and see but few visitors.
Gen. Harrison was pure minded man
he was the governor and commander Of
the northwest. He certainly was not
great man, but he had greatness
thrust upon him-the presidency ol
the United States, almost by one voice
When he was nominated for the presi
dency he was clerk of Hamilton county
court. The good man had not strength
, enough to bear his honors, but bore ur