Huntsville gazette., 1893-01-14

would cut OF AZ miles OF tne IiSoi ~
a canal only 174 yards long. 1t was 70
be forty-three yards wide at the top.
Work was begun Aug. 10, 1853, and was
pushed with spades, dredges and steam
pumps, most Of the wosk being done by
colored men, and though they we're
often exposed to fire the casualties were
few. Dec. 30, 1884, the digging was
completed and the remaining bulkhead
mined with 1900 pounds of powder:
New Years day, 1865, was celebrated
by the grand explosion. The debris was
not cleared out in time to make the
canal Of any service during the war, but
it has since been utilized.
In December, 1854, General Butler
ioined in the failure at Fort Fisher, !"
of which 80 much has recently been
said, and soon after was removed oy
General Grant.
General Buffers Romance.
In all the life Of the man there seems
to have been but one romance, but 1t
was deep and thrilling one. and. as Is
the case with most matter Of fact per
sons, 1t concerned his marriage. In the
autumn Of 1e43 he visited Cincinnati, to
find theater goers somewhat excited
over the announcement that lady OF
surprising beauty and many accom-
plishments would make her first APP
pearance at the new theater just opened
BY Dandy Foster and Ned Chippen-
dale. Butler went, saw and was en-
tranced The local report says:
"The house was packed. Some minor
actors and actresses appeared. They
were given faint applause. Finally a
hadsome lady appeared upon the stage:
She was dressed In flowing robe OF
white satin that melted away in soft
wavelets from the white throat. A
black ribbon on one shoulder heightened
the effect. For moment there was
intense silence. The young actress-it
was her f.st appearance-kept silent
for moment, gazing at the thousands
before her. Somebody began to ap-
plaud. Then it came thick and fast
with q mighty roar. The vast audience
rose in their seats and cheered. A
shower Of bouquets were flung at the
feet Of the young debutante. Finally,
when the applause had decreased some
what she sang Her pure innocent
young voice swelled high and clear and
penetrated the fatherest corners of the
theater. When she finished she was
encored repeatedly.
The young lawyer went to his hotel
in sort Of daze; but soon his practical
mind reasserted itsef and he secured an
introduction. She was the only and
petted daughter of a highly respected
minister named Hildreth. She had re-
ceived thorough education, but be-
came stage struck. When she snnoun-
ced her determination to 60 on the stage
her fond parent pleaded with her to re-
linQuish the idea. The little coaxer, by
4 free use Of kisses and embraces, how
ever, caused her father to give his con-
sent to her becoming An actress. For
two weeks ysung Ben nightly occupied
q box in the theater.
One night Ben waited until the cur
tain was run down. He then made his
way behind the scenes, as he was privi-
legged to do by the management. He
met Miss Hildreth as she was about
leaving the theater. He requested q
few moments conversation. They re-
tired to dressing room near by, where
he went down on his knees and made
an ardent profession of his love.
His wooing progressed rapidly TO q
favorable conclusion, and Mrs. Butler
remained devoted wife as long as she
lived.
Bntier's Political Life.
OF course no prominent American Of
the era since 1850 has been quite con-
sistent-events moved too rapidly for
that. But there Is higher kind Of con-
sistency-that Of always aiming at the
best results-which many can claim;
and General Butler always claimed for
himself that in each new situation that
developed he took that side which he
thought best for the iaboring millions.
From the first day Of his law practice to
the last he was ever ready to take the
case Of poor person who complained Of
oppression for a small fee or none.
Quite naturally, therefore, he began
his political life as an opponent Of the
somewhat aristocratic federalism then
prevalent in New England and soon
earned the reputation Of being 3 "level-
ing Democrat of the most vulgar type. /"
Only few years passed till the same
men who had been stigmatized asfinno-
vators and despised almost as much as
Chicago anarchists now are. were called
ESQ rapidly do American political parties
change ground) the stupidity conserva-
tive. opposed to all change, and in that
era Butler was stigmatized as an "Old
Hunker Democrat Of the worst sort"
As such he ran twice for governor Of
Massachusetts, and was overwhelmingly
defeated-it gave him control of the
federal patronage of the state, though
and in 1850, as delegate to the Charles
ton convention, he voted fifty-two times
for Jefferson Davis.
In 1865 he was elected to congress by
the Republicans, but though he strug-
gled long and earnestly for it they
would never give him the governorship.
In congress he was hard and success
full fighter till the Hayes administration
came in; then the issue on which he
had fought seemed to become obsolete
all at once. and on the new issues he
was singularly unfortunate. In 1882
there was gleam OF success; by COM
bination Of Democrats and Greenback-
ers he became governor of Massachu-
setts. His term as governor was pic
tnresque throughout. 1t is best remem-
bered. perhaps, by reason of the expo
sure of the abuses in the management
of the Tewksbury almshouse. The.next
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