The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1886-06-05
A Song That Saved The Life Of a
President.
alexandria Gazette.l

alexandria Gazette.l
When Harrison and Tyler were
elected in 1910, Col. Coke, of vii
liamsburg, the father of the Sen.
ator from Texas, remarked that
Gen. Harrison would not occupy
the White House a year, for Ty-
ler's luck would kill him-a pre-
diction speedily verified. A still
more striking evidence of the
same good luck, if you will SO term
it, occHrred q few years later,
when the life of President Tyler
was in all probability saved by a
song. On the 2Sth of February,
1874, President Tyler, with a nun.
Der of the members of his Cabinet
and a party of invited guests, en-
barked ON the U. s. steamer
Princeton, for an excursion down
the Potomac, and to witness the
effect Of the firing of a large
breech loading gun called the
"Peacemaker.n This gun was the
largest that had then been made,
requiring a charge Of some thirty
pounds of powder, and carrying o
ball weighing upwards Of two
hundred pounds. The gun had
been discharged several times,
and when the steamer was near
Fort Washington, the party sat
down to o sumptuous dinner.
When dinner was over, some of
the guests, among whom were
Hon. A. p. Upshur, Secretary of
State; T. w. Gilmer, Secretary OF
the Navy; Com. Kennon; Virgil
Maxey and Mr.. Gardiner, of New
York, accompanied the command.
ing officer, Capt. Stockton on
deck, where, after putting it to
q vote, it was unanimously decid.
ed to fire the big gun again. Pres.
ident Tyler accompanied by bis
intimate friend, Maj. VIM. Noland,
Com. of Public Buildings, had ris.
Ell from the table and ascended
three or four steps leading from
the cabin 20 the deck, when his
son in.law, VIM. Waller, of viii
liamsburg, was requested to sing
the grand old song, "Wife, Child
rem and Friends.o On hearing tho
request the President said to Maj
Noland: "IIold on, Major, let vi
hear Bill sing wife, Children an,
Friends" They accordingly re
turned to the table, and while tn,
touching words, "For the hear
draws a bill that is never protest
ed, when drawn on the firm wife
children and friends," were wafi
ed on the air, the heavy boom 0
the Peacemaker rang out the deaf
knell of some of the noblest me
that ever lived. Had the steps 0
the President not been arreste
by the song, he would doubtles
have been standing with the men
bers of his cabinet aud shared th
fate of Secretary Upshur, Secrt
tary Gilmer, Commodore Kennoi
Mr.. Maxey, Mr.. Gardiner, the SCI
+ man and the colored man VIII
were all killed by the fatal expl,
sion. aEla
In this connection it may not b
amiss to refer to the popular b,
lief that the tune Of the Sta
Spangled Banner was original an
coeval with the beautiful word
written by Francis M. Key. Sucl
however, is not the case. Tn
tune to which the words of Sta
, Spangled Banner were adapte
was that of an old drinking SON.
called "Bibo in HELL" and con
menced thus
When old Bibo went down to the r,
gions below,
Where Lethe and Styx round eternii
flow,
He awoke and cried he would be rowe
back,
For his soul Was adry and he wants
some sack, SC.
/ have the song in manuscriI
one hundred years old. Th
words of Yankee Doodle wei
y also set to the tune of an old con
, ic song, as l have been informe,
: by perhaps the Oldest practlsin
; physician in the State, who, III
fortunately. can only recollect on
of the verses.
. Lucky Locket lost her pocket,
: Kitty Fisher found it,
D Twas lined within with Chamois ski
{ And silken braid around it.
B..
Col. VIM. B. Taylor, who fl
| many years has been an honore
and highly esteemed citizen of th