News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-03-06
A CARPET-BAGGER.
SOME INCIDENTS IN TIE CAREER oF
JOHN w, BUTLER.
A Florida Major-GenernI and Jack of All
Trades.

During the carpet-bag days in Florida,
saws San correspondent, John W.
RntIer was a Maior-General in the State
militia an immense man physically.
Irish TO the core. and had heart rs big
as his body could hold. NV acquaint-
ance with him opened very oddly I was
sitting in the office of the State Treas
urer. in conversation with a Northern
gentleman. who was highly INDIGNANT
at the manner in which the Republicans
were managing things in the State.
"Whv " said he. ''T am told that some
Of the carpet-baggers hold five and six
offices apiece.
partv man standing hear broke in
with s'That's nothing. I hold thirteen,
and prowl like thunder because I can't
oct another one" 7 found upon in
nuirv that he was the famous ''Santa
Rosa" ButIer. 25Opounds of pluck. good
nature and generosity, nicknamed Santa
Rosa because he hailed from that county.
When under the influence of liq-
nor of which he was rather fond, But
Ter would amuse himself at some of the
NIGHT sessions of the Legislature by
sbootino at the candles that shed q mild
1ioht mon the assembled wisdom, or by
any other freak that his exuberant fancy
compelled him to do.
After he had failed to recei We Con
gressional nomination at one of the con-
yentions. he told several of us that he
had ''offered the scoundrels and thieves
three thousand dollars for the nomina-
ton, but they wanted MORE" and he
couIdn raise ii. in time. He was very
prodigal in his generosity, and nothing
delighted him more than 70 be of service
to a friend. At one session of the LeGls
lature he called his friend the State
Treasurer. aside and said ''Dock, the
committee is going to examine your &C
counts tomorrow. Now, [ don't know
whether your books are straight or not
and don't care, but if you want help
here it is, and you can keep it as long a
you like. too. "
He threw on the desk huge roll o
money, several thousands of dollars
The treasurer thanked him for his prof
fered kindness, but told him that tn
entire Legislature could examine his &C
counts in public, if they wanted to, a
they were unassallable.
Butler was a brilliant and variegate
politician. In 1872 he was at the sam
time a delegate to the regular Republl
can Convention, delegate to the Libers
Republican Convention, and was abou
to contest the credentials of the delegat
to the Democratic Convention. Will
Butler was sheriff of Santa Rosa county
he hung a criminal under sentence {
death. without waiting for warrar
from the governor.
One dav Butler was seated in hi
office. His fine horse was fastened to
post at the door. A noted desperad
mounted it and dashed down the roat
Butler secured another horse and starte
! after him. Away they went at fu
, speed. on wild race through the woods
pursuer and pursued squirting to tt
quick. The thief refused to stop whe
! hailed: so Butler, who was dead shO
r fred. and he rolled out OF the sadd
, with bullet in his head.
: Although Butler was a plain, rou9
, fellow, when the Legislature was IN Sc
! sion he always appeared in brilllal
= array, topped off with high silk hat.
! solid gold chain reached from his nee
to his waist. One day Butler was STAN
: ing in the doorway of the Assembly,
boring under little too much convlI
=, alitv, when another member, also pret
well loaded, undertook to pass. Butt
grabbed him by the collar and push'
him back, exclaiming in voice heal
all over the chamber "Git out OF thu
Q I'm the only member of the Legislatu
! who has a right to attend a sessl(
drunk"
+ The county ne represented had on
a 5000 inhabitants, and the taxes did n
\ amount to much. Sometimes Butt
a would go to the State treasurer, ask IN
i what the eount.y taxes were, and won
$ pay them himself, trusting to luck al
the honor of his neig' hors for repa
I ment. Butler died in Utah some yea
ago, a warden OF the penitentiry.