The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1890-10-10
it through an old unwritten law, and
proceed to fill the vacancy occasioned
by Wilk1nson's Withdrawal.
We shall see.
From Tuesdays Daily.
LIFE IN LIBBY PRISON..

audience which filled the spacious room to
its limit, and an entertainment of rare
merit was given. Chaplain McCabe is a
complete encyclopaedia of information up
on almost any subject, and he has way
of getting things before his auditors which
wins for him the closest attention and
warmest applause.
The evening exercises were opened with
song by White Brothers, and they aroused
the audience to a high pitch of enthusiasm.
Rev. Mr.. Whitney then announced the
course CT lectures to be given at the Bap-
fist church in this city, the first of which
will occur on the 21st inst These lectures
will be given at the low price of 81 for the
course, any one of the five of which will
prove worth that fee, and the public should
show their appreciation of good thing by
buying season or course tickets.
No one who had not spent season in
Libby Prison could conceive how Dr. Nc
Cabe might be able to find anything of a
bright side" to pen picture about this
most horrible of all horrible dens, and we
doubt even if those who had been confined
there found much over which to rejoice
But the Chaplain is one of those moving
spirits whose soul will not carry burden
of depression long without revolving, and
the many anecdotes told and comical
things done while in confinement do doubt
materially aided in momentarily allaying the
distressed feelings and untold hardships
which surrounded them The Chaplain
himself being one of 6ooo in confinement,
his remarks come freighted with personal
experience, and the tales of woe narrated
would fill the audience with pity and
heartburnings, while the next instant he
relate the quaint sayings of some wag which
set his listeners in an uproar of laughter
He told how through friend, the pris
oners were supplied with books of the
French, Greek and German languages and
how they held regular sessions of recita-
tons in these foreign tongues. Studies in
various professions were taken up, and
one man, Mr. Blair, graduated at law
there and is now prominent practitioner
in New York. This, said the speaker, was
the only man who ever graduated from a
Southern prison. although a number be-
came quite proficient in the use of foreign
languages. When he was taken prisoner
and lodged in Libby prison, he had $50
in his pocket, money given him by his
comrades to send home. This was taken
from him and a receipt placed in his
hands which read that upon his release the
amount should be returned But this was
in confederate money hardly worth the
paper. Shoes were worth $500 pair and
-four 81 900 per barrel, while the confed-
crate soldier was paid only SIS per month
in this worthless script The Dr. describ-
ed how men who escaped from prison were
literally torn into doublets by blood honnds
set upon their trail, and then left like
beasts to die unattended He also told
how the darkies occasionally provided
prisoners with cayenne pepper to sprinkle
in their tracks, which served to throw the
hounds off their trail after they had es-
capped from the pen. The one circam-
stance related, how the 4th of July was
celebrated in prison. was truly amusing,
and showed what patriotism welled up in
the hearts of those in confinement in
loathsome den. The various committees
on program got along very we'll until it
came to the one on flag. There were
plenty of stars and stripes in the vicinity
but they were ander rebel lock and key.
One inventive genius conceived an idea
worthy the cause and he straightway car
ried it into execution. Finding fellow
prisoner who wore red shirt, and another
blue and another one whose garment had
once been white, he was not long in COM
bining the colors and hosting the impro-
vised MISUNDERSTANDING emblem to the
breeze 1t was not long, however, before
the rebel guard tore it down, but this did
not deter the brave boys from continuing
their celebration. Three or four days
later news came that Grant had taken
Vicksburg, and the JOY felt over this news
knew no bounds. 1t was the proudest
moment of the lives of those 6, oeo captives
to know that when the American flag was
being pulled down from the staff on Libby
Prison, Grant was performing the same
act with the rebel flag that waved over
Vicksburg.
We might go on indefinitely relating the
incidents pictured by Mr.. McCabe, but
space will not permit His peroration was
something sublime and his words address
ed to the old soldiers were cheered to the
echo
At the conclusion the Chaplain said
that the committee on entertainment of
the Methodist Conference were behind in
expenses and he wanted to raise $3.50 to
help them out, and through his persuasive
and persistent efforts he did so. The
White brothers gave two or three more
songs, and the exercises closed
1t was an evening full of interest and
those who attended will ever remember the
Bright Side of Life in Libby Prison." as
related by Chaplain McCabe.
Gone for Good.
IT is to be hoped that the barbarOus hustle