The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-15
MUSINGS At NEWPORT.
Pleasant to Draw Apart From the
World to the Rare Old
Town.
Brusque Old 3. D. Armour's Gem
erosity to Poor Colored
Lad.
A Story Of Abraham Lincoln and PreAi.
DENTAL Tickets for 'Os -Philol-
ogy and Love.

II Written for THE SUNDAY INDEpENDENr.l
/ NEWPORT, r. l., May 9.-It is pleasan
to occasionally come to Newport. The vul
gar display on the part Of the limp an
hating aristocracy is hateful to see: bu
there ID good and olden face shining be
nignantly out of unpretentious plenty an
a mellow perspective of historic age. g
where you will the eye ranges along moss,
walls, by lane and by street; catches SHIN
merings of light beyond vistas of overarch
ing elms; rests genially upon stone cap
pings to which the architecture of our tim
is stranger; sees amplitude and hospital
ity behind great oolonnaded porches: light
upon dormer windows and clipped" roof
| OF such pOnderous measurement az coult
alone have been the outgrowth Of sea cap
tains' "square-rigged" dreams; and rest
here, there and everywhere, upon time-sof
tened base, capital and arch as were onl,
wrought in this country in such a plac,
commerce by sea was winked at for spic,
Of privateering, and in it's soberer days still
laid its hands npon the riches of the Indies
West and East.
| Then, again. what a real age, for GU,
land. is here. Prof. Rain, of Copenhagen
believes the Old Stone Mill of Touro Parl
to be 500 or 500 years old, and q genuine
relic Of nte-Columbian Morse colonists
| The city hall dates back to 1763. On CLARK
street is the old Baptist church erected in
1875. The ancient Honeyman mansion, at
the corner of Church and Thames streets
was built in 17o4. Trinity church, where
worshiped the colonists, the British army OF
occupation, and finally the successful revo.
lutionists, has stood LA years. The Chan
ming house, on Thames street, was built in
1870. Scores of mansions are here, built in
the early part of the last century; while the
famous Coddington house, on Spring street,
has stood 249 years just as you will see it
to-day.
One can almost close his eyes and see the
ancient folk as they were once here, so
much that was theirs remains. No DER
quick fancy is required to revive the very
scenes in which they moved. The flavor,
the incident, the sight and sound of it all,
The stately ways Of the colonists; the rug
Red earnestness and often the arrogance Of
the British occupants; the daring and sac
rihce Of the revolutionista; the lordly swag-
ger OF the rich old sea captains; the pleas
ance and grace Of the French, when De
pade, the Counts De Barras and Noailles,
the Marquis de st. Simon, the unfortunate
Chevalier De Terhay. and Rochambeau with
his dainty muff-coddled wrists; and with
half-caught silhouettes of Washington and
Howe and pretty Polly Lection, and the
sound of dancing at Mrs. Cowley's famous
assembly rooms-all irresistibly live with
the old, old trees thoroughfares and man.
sions, as if waiting here by the sea in this
olden sun for the coming of one whose
genius through glowing fiction shall rehab-
illtate them and move them, with all their
customs and ways, before an unlocking
later age, as though in stately minuet and
song.
Because believe there is as great pro-
portion Of rich men as of poor men who are
endlessly doing good for goods sake, and
absolutely without other motive. it was a
alongside General Forrest the hey oo 10 ed
smoking-car porter on the Congressional
limited" train between New York and
Washington, and hear his radiant story how
the richest man of Chicago, p. d. Armour,
had taken him out of the bondage OF mex
Pressible ignorance and made an educated,
Forrest is probably the best known and
best liked railway car porter in the world;
and his life has been almost romantic
one. He was a piccaninny slave, bought in
New Orleans with his mother, Ann
Burr, (and if black old Ann Burr
give her Yet bit Of eart asGfy heav may
few years before the war By the after
wards famous confederate cavalry leader,
General n. B. Forrest, for his Coahoma
county, Miss. plantation. Though but a
mite Of lad Forrest was fond of him, and
kept him at his side as sort of diminutive
valet until the generals surrender at
in 1865. For good M any
years General Forrest" who thus honestly
came by his sobriquet, knocked about like
all the rest Of the freedmen fotsam and Jet
sam OF the war, finally securing in 1872
position as smoking car porter on the
tnrorgh New York and Chicago trains of
the PENNSYLVANIA railroad. In eighteen
years he never was discharged, and never
left the company's service but once. P,D.
Armour was responsible for that.
He had been to Washington and was on
his way west. He had been enjoying cigar
n the smoker, and on nearing Altoona
wrote telegram, which he directed tho !!
General to be very particular about with |
he operator, at Altoona. as one word was
lot very clear. The General fled the
Message; returned to the car and began his |
Usual ayccation, when not waiting on pas
'engers, of studying his primer. Armour
Message; questioned him sharply; found |
hat he could not read, but that his wits |
md memory served him in such exipencies:
md on leaving the car turned to the porter |
With:
General have you got sand enough to
would send your"
''Golly'' responded the general" .'jess
ct somebody try!''
"All right. Go to school,,
With this Armour left the car. Some two
months later, on his way to New York he !
ound the smiling general attending to
is duties as usual. Regarding him with
everlty Armour brusquely asked:
"How's this, 'generalr l thought told
ou to go to SCHOOL,
so you did, for sure, Mr.. Armour. But
-i.-well, jess thought you was Albumin
mo. don't fun anybody. tell you to
o to SCHOOL,
..Ali right, I'll 20 sure this time, if You
ay So"
well, I say So Go to school at once,
nywhere you like"
Not another word was exchanged on the
ubJect. But the General" LETT the road: ,
rst located at Hamilton College, Va;
hanged from this to Wilberforce college,
ear Aenia. Ohio; where he remained six
ears, leaving the same q well-educated
IAN, and, as he says. with no airs to be q .
reacher or an editor" in the summer of /
sSs; and at once secured car on the .scon-
limited" between New York and /
Washington: During all those six years. ,
nd 70 this day, Mr.. Armour's tremendous
aterests have never interfered with his I
'rifing this black man, at least once ,
aonth, letters containing expressions of
riendship. encouragement. approval and
RATS ranging from ~ to go. He has ex- ,