Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-07-14

1t was April, 1910, forty-five years ago.
1t was six years before the Mexican Var
Where San Francisco, with it's $780, 600 in
habitants, now stands, was then, and for
nine years later, the little Mexican settle
ment of Yerba Buena, whittier a young
man who wrote 'sTwo Years Before the
Mast' went into Boston ship for hides
Denver, with its $4,000 Inhabitants, was
founded nineteen years after.
We 'tmake history" so fast in this coun-
try that 45 years with us count for more,
indeed, in the worlds progress ethan cy-
Gle of Cathay." In this sleepy corner of
Long Island. however, there has been pre-
cious little change for the better, and East
hampton was more important place than
now in this month of April aforesaid. 1t
was, perhaps, on just such day as this
the sea as blue, the air as clear, the sails of
the old windmills as active-that high
bred, dignified gentleman, about fifty years
of age, walked up to the little inn, follow
ed by an attendant.
In pleasant voice, and with Scotch
accent, he asked if he could have accom-
modations. The landlord looked at him
with a certain hesitation.
"Is that man your servant?" he asked.
"He is was the reply.
"Well, he must eat at the same table
with you"
81 shall conform to your customs and
regulations, was the smiling answer.
For five long years did this courtly gen.
| tleman sleep in the cramped chambers,
breakfast, dine, and sup at the frugal board
of this humble hostelry. Then he became
an inmate-fortunate enough he was to
find such good friends-of the home of the
| Huntington family, and in that substantial
house Git is the fourth from the old Presby
terian church. going South) he spent about
| twenty five years more. He was man of
marked piety and benevolence of charming
manner and address, of extreme culture, of
rare social qualities. He had been the
| friend and associate of Jeffrey and the lit
erary giants of his day. He had ample
means, and remittances came to him
through a chain of banks, ending in a we'll
known New York house, who denied any
knowledge of his personality OF belong
| ings.
| He led blameless, a lovely life, in this
quiet town. He was the friend of all, the
comforter of the afflicted, the helper of the
needy. Books and magazines in large store
came to him. He versified the Psalms and
taught Latin to the boys. A blameless and
lovely life indeed; but martyrdOm, liv-
ing death, one would have said, to man
of his tastes and antecedents. Think of it!
He remained, an exile, in this town for
nearly thirty-one years-from early in his
fiftieth to the end of his eighty-fi year.-
In all this time he never saw the face of a
relative or an old friend. He went at first
on Sundays to the Episcopal church at Sag
Harbor, seven miles distant, but he was in
strumental in the building of the little one
in Easthampton, which we just passed.; he
contributed largely to its support and he
was made a lay reader, and for long time
conducted the services himself. With the
exception of this church going at Sag Har-
Dor, the only time in thirty-one years that
this remarkable man passed the limits OF
the little village was on the occasion of a
single trip to Southampton, twelve miles
distant The servant, a Scotch valet, went
to the West and married. He made his ap-
4 pearance at intervals, evidently to extort
money from his old master.
4 During his entire life in Easthampton
this man successfully defeated all attempts
to discover his identity. When he entered
the little inn in April, 1910, the name he
'lgaye was John Wallace; John Wallace he