Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1893-02-07

MIR. Blaine's Wonderful Mem-
CRY.
Gen. Joshua z. Queens NarratfVe Of a
College Incident IPhich Occur
red Back IN the Forttes.
LFrom Az lYashington obseryer.l

! met Gen Joshua Il. Owen at the Con-
tinental Hotel. After inquiriDg for
the McDaniels, Browns, Ritchies aud
many others about Canonsburg he
related several incidents of his col
4 Iege days at Jefferson. Among
others was this anecdote: Along
about 1874 or 1915 the students con-
cluded 10 celebrate Washington s
birthday by a masquerade. Accord
ingly they worked up all sorts of de-
signs for costumes, rich, variegated,
odd and ugly. The affair was such
| an immenee success indeed that the
boys readily accepted the suggestion
that they go up to Washington and
parade on horse back before Miss
Fosters Seminary. Then there was
a skirmish for horses. We had over
two hundred students at old Jefferson
then, if my memory serves me right,
and the livery men could not furnish
animals for one-fourth of our number.
We called on our farmer friends for
three miles around and hired or hor-
rowed every horse or mule they
would let us have, Ny! but we did
go up to Washington in great style.
The display was really fine one and
it was enough to make the lovers
among the Washington students rage
the way the girls at the seminary APP
: plauded US. Some of the roughs
among them attacked our procession
but they soon got the worst of it.
My roommate was John t. Gibson
of Virginia, afterward Colonel in
the Confederate army. Glib. was a
fire eater and he rode rough shod
over the disturbers, who really had
no sympathy from the better class of
Washington students or spectators.
Well, after the parade was owe
most of our fellows went right home.
, 1 had made the acquaintance of sew
eraI nice Washington girls, so Glib.
spent the evening calling. 1t was
late when we started for the stable
to get our nags. AS we turned
down the alley We met half dozen
| Washington students. " Here 3 the
very fellow" they cried and with
that they tackled Glib. and began to
pummel him. He fought fiercely but
they were to many for him and soon
used him up. 1 jumped in to help
him when some big fellow knocked
me down and another piled on me
and began to balabor me without
mercy. yelled out that they were
towards and that would fight any
one of them fair. just then some
body pulled the big fellow off me
and said, " boys, these fellows must
have fair play"
got up then and L tell you my
Welsh blood was up too. 1 told
them to pick out any young man /;
they picked a fellow named Brandy
Koontz, just abont my size, and we
went at it. The fellow who had in
terfered said he would see fair play
and he did. No one touched me but
Koontz. We had it hot and heavy.
We were pretty well matched and
kept at it for some time. Finally
Koontz grabbed me and threw me
down. He punched me pretty Sc
verely for minute or two then by a
great effort / turned him over and
returned the compliment with usuri-
Gus interest. then gave it TO him
hard and quick and fast I'LL he hol-
lowed enough.
After l got my breath looked
around for the fellow who had inter
fered. He went with us to the stable
for our horses. He was an over
grown, ugly fellow, rather shabbily
dressed. Well, to make long story
short that fellow was "Nosey''
Blaine, James G., of Maine. 1 saw
him once or twice afterwards while
at college, and liked him. L gradu-
ated in As, came here to Philade!-
phia and soon forgot Blaine entirely.
He slipped out of my head com
pleteIy. 1 had not thought of him
for nearly twenty years till one day
during the latter part of the Rebel
lion, Secretary Stanton summoned
me to the War Department. l left
our army, and went up to Washing
ton and direct. to the Secretary's
room. After our interview as l was
coming away 1 met Milton S. Lath-
am, Senator from California, who
was cIass-mate at jefferson. He
invited me to go up to the Capitol
and l accepted. We visited the
l CCtlulC anu NlSll "GIS ONNL W llG
House. l had on the full uniform of
Major General, which YOU know is
rather gaudy. We had scarcely en-
tered the House till a big fellow
came up and slapping me on the
shoulders said, Josh Owen, how
are you" / did not know the man
and told him so. :" Why" said he
have you forgotten the night you
licked Brandy Koontz.', 1 knew
then it was d" Nosey'' Blaine. A
thought of him had not entered my
head for years. His memory had
faded from my recollection. He was
serving his firstterm in Congress and
not yet distinguished outside his
adopted State. If ] had heard of the
Maine Congressman. 1 had never
identified him in my mind with the
Wash. student who demanded fair
play for us twenty years before
That ennobling spirit has never left
him. His twenty years history is
the most Impartial record of events
ever chonicled by a contemporary
actor therein. He distorted nothing !;
but treated friend and foe fairly and
decently. He has given every man
who helped TO form our political his
Il tow, Fo;, y1lor N IiS ,.Larmin0 booly