Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-12
WARTIME DODGERS.
POLITICAL cARlcATuRES NOW IN A
PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM.

Comic and Uncompiimentary AlIusions to
Abraham Observation-Disclosures Hearing
on the Coufederaoy-Cse of the Expres-
sion Up Salt River"
Enshrined in several huge scrapbooks,
and III the custody Of Stewart Culin of
the University museum, PHILADELPHIA,
is the valuable collection of political
documents owned by, the Numismatic
and Antiquarian society Of Philadel-
phia. They relate TO the period Of the
civil war and that directly preceding it,
and include election posters, campaign
documents, political brochures, carica-
lures, together with an exceedingly in
teresting set of envelopes with patriotic
devices, such as were used during war
times.
There is also a lot of "Salt river tick
cts, " these, indeed, although Of little
historical Importance, forming to the
casual observer one of the most enter
tanning divisions of the collection.
There have been several explanations
given Of the origin of the slang political
phrase, up Salt river" as applied to q
defeated candidate fer election. One of
the most likely of these is found in a
story that was told Of Henry Clay dur
ing his presidential candidacy i'll 1882.
Clay, 1t is said. was to speak one even
ing at Louisville, Ky, and in order to
reach his destination hired a boatman
to row him up the Ohio river. The lat
ter, however, happened to be jackson
Democrat, and, pretending to lose his
way, stcorcd the orator up Salt river, as
continent stream was called, and so
spoiled the meeting. Since that time
up Salt river" has become "a synonym
for defeat, and it used to be considered
. pleasantly to give a political opponent
"a pass up Salt river as q prediction of
political Oblivion.
These tickets were freely used by both
parties and proved a boon to the Job
printers, who, with great impar;iality.
printed the cards for each side and sold
them on the streets for q cent apiece.
Some of the designs are indescrihably
coarse. some are witty, some are vulgar,
and the majority Of them are crudely
Printed.
The oldest in the collection dates from
ticket ornamcntCd witt! rude wood
cut Of u steamboat and bears the an
EoaIccmcnt that the dilapidatcd steam.
cr OppoSition-Captain Fremont, Pilot
Fillmorc-will leave this day for the
head of Saline waters
, ~ Il little later period Salt river was
varied to Saline springs, and in 1863
the steamer Coppcrhead was pictured as
Il snake. Tho same year pseudo rail
road ticket was printed which invited
the holder to accompany the peacemak-
cr's excursion TO u quiet retreat OH Salt
marsh, which was described as Il place
well adapted for copperhcads, but no
other kind of snakes"
Tho Democrats, too, used like de-
vices, and some very severe caricatures
were directed against Lincoln. A crude
design of this character represents
Columbia, looking not unlike a wooden
jointed doll. kicking Lincoln, bag and
baggage on board black steamer about
the same size as himself, which is about
tn set sail on stream Of printers ink
flowing up hill To the upper left hand
corner of TIE card. This bears the date
Of Nov. 10, 1864. and the motto in
scribcd upon it is: For Salt river on
the steamer Abolition; King Abraham,
captain; \. Johnson, pilot. The fate of
Abe, homcward bound via Salt river"
Another card issued in opposition to
Lincoln, which does not properly be.
long tn this category, but is classified
with it in the collection, is got up like
. business card, which announces:
A. LINCOLN,