The morning call., 1890-06-15

Z
Inv street: catches shimmerings Of light
beyond yistas of 0verarching elms; rests
penfally upon stone cappings to which the
architecture of our time is a stranger; sees
amplitude and hospitality behind great
colonnade porches; lights upon dormer
windows and hipped" roofs of such pom
derous measurement as could alone have
been the outgrowth of sea captains
"square-rigged" dreams; and rests here,
there and everywhere, upon time-softened
base, capital and arch IS were only
wrought in this country in such a place
when our young, but buxom and aggressive,
commerce by sea was winked at for spice
of privateering, and IN its soberer days still
laid its hands upon the riches Of the Indies,
West and East.
Then. again, what real age for our land
is here. Professor Rain of Copenhagen be-
lieves the Old Stone Mill of TOurO Park to
be 500 or 900 years old, and genuine relic
of ante-COlumbian Morse colonists. The
City Hall dates back TO 1765. On Clark
street is the old Baptist Church, erected in
1885 The ancient Honeyman mansion, ut
the corner of Church and Thames streets,
was built in 1904. Trinity Church, where
worshiped the cUlonsts. the British army
of occupation, and finally the successful
TeyOlutioniSts, has stood ia years. The
Charming House on Thames street was
built in 1920. Scores of mansions are here
built in the earlier part of the last century,
while the famous COddingtOn House on
Spring street has stood 249 years Just as you
will see il 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 Ger
quick fancy is required to revive the very
scenes IN which they moved. The flavor,
the incident, the sight and sound of it all,
come easily enough as one wanders here.
The stately ways of the colonsIs; the rug
ged eaTnestness and often the arrogance Of
the British occupants; the daring aud sacrl-
fee of the reyolutionists; the lordly swag-
ger of the rich old sea captains; the pleas
ance and grace of the French, when De
Segur, De LauZun, DestOuches, De PEstra-
pade, the Counts de Barras and NoaileS,
the Marquis de st. Simon, the unfortunate
Cheyalier
DE TERNAY, AND ROCHAMBEAU
With his dainty, muff-cOdded wrists, and
with half-caught slhouettes of Washing
ton and Howe and pretty Polly LeitOn, and
the sound of dancing at Mrs. Cowley' S
famous assembly rooms - all irresistably
live with the old, old trees, thorOughfares
and mansions, as if waiting here by the sea
in this Olden sun and air for the coming Of
one whose genius through glowing fiction
shall rehabilitate them and move them,
with all their customs and ways, before an
Unlocking later age. as though in stately
ninuet and song.
Because l believe there is as great pro-
portion Of rich men as Of poor men who
are endlessy doing good for goods sake,
and absolutely without other motive, 1t was
genuine enjoyment the other day to sit
alongside General Forrest" the cOlOred
smOking-car porter on the "CongressionaI
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 bondage of mex
pressible ignorance and made an educated,
hopeful, happy man Of him. " General
Forrest" is probably the best-known and
best liked railway-car porter in the world,
and his life has been almost a romantic one.
He was picaninuy slave, bought in New
Orleans with his mother, Ann Burr (and if
black old Ann Burr is living this little story
may give her yet bit Of earthly heaven),
few years before the war by the after
ward famous Confederate cavalry leader,
General \. B. Forrest for his COahOma
County (Miss1 plantation. Though but
mite of a lad, Forrest was fond of him, and
kept him at his side as a sort of diminutiye
valet until the Generals surrender at
Gainesville in 1865. For good many years
General Forrest" who thus honestly came
by his sObriQuel, knocked about like all the
rest Of the freedmen fiOtsam and letsam Of
the war. finally securing in 1872 position
as smoking-car porter on the through New
York and Chicago trains of the Pennsyl-
Yania Railroad. In eighteen years he never
was discharged and never left the COM
pany'S service but once. 7. D. Armour was
responsible for that.
He had been to Washington and was on
his way West. He had been enjoying a
cigar in the smoker, and on nearing Altoona
wrote a telegram which he directed the
General" to be very particular about with
the operator at Altoona, as one word was
not very clear. The General filed the
message; returned to the car; and began
his usual avOcatiOn, when not waiting on
passengers, of studying his primer. Armour
saw this with some alarm for the fate of his
message: questioned him sharply; found
that he could not read, but that his wits and
memory served him in such eXigencies: and
on leaving the car turned to the porter
with, General have you got sand enough
TO go to school aud be a man If somebody
would send YOU"
"Golly" responded the General" LESS
let somebody tryW
''All right Go to school,"
With this Armour left the car. Some two
months later, on his way to New York, he
found
THE SMILING GENERAL"
Attending to his duties as usual. Regard
ing him with severity, Armour brusquely
asked:
"How's this General thought told
you to 60 to sch0olY
." So you did, for sure, Mr.. Armour. But
l-!-well, jess thought you was a-fun-
min me-
- Ne, / don't fun anybody. tell you to
60 to school,"
"All right. I'll go sure this time if you
say So"
anywhere you like"
Not another word was exchanged on the
subject But the General left the road;
first located at Hamilton College, Va.
changed from this to Wllberforce College,
near Aenia, Ohio; where ne remained six
years, leaving the same a we'll educated
man, and, as he says, with no airs to be a
preacher or an editor" in the summer of
1855; and at once secured a car On the
Congressional limited" between New
York and Washington. During all those
six years, and to this day, Mr.. Armour's ire
mendous interests have never interfered
with his writing this black man, at least once
month, letters containing expressions of
friendship, encouragement, approval, and
drafts ranging from $50 to $50 He has ex-
pended fully $1,000 on the Generals" edu-
catcn and support; has made an educated
and sensible man of him; keeps his picture
on his desk in his Office; both he and his
son who, the General" says, Is as " plain
as a Shoe" treat him with the greatest
friendship and esteem. and have neither
ever asked SO much of the " General as to
brush their clothing or clean their boots.
Every story should have happy ending.
This one will be so provided ON the 18th of
June. On that day " General" Forrest
willswed one of the colOred bellies of Will
beTfOrce. Their bridal trip will be to Chi
cago for their benefactor'S blessing and
would like 10 be one to see them ascend the
great marble stairs which lead to the mil
lionare's La Sale street Office, and witness
the handsome reception when " General
Forrest and bride are announced within.
While in Paris few days since men,
Der of the present French Cabinet, anxious
to secure any sort OF intimation as TO
American Presidential possibilities for
1892, pressed me so closely upon the sub:
ject that out of poiteness, as 4 makeshiit l
combined a Renaissance with the best
guesses l could make upon matter subject
TO such deep complications The result OF
the conjuring may have interest TO Others
Along in the last half OF the fifties such