The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-08-15
TBA77rHO[LIDY7g 8L7OG8 1 q
ASA VlEUX.
Special CorrespondenceJ

<
death in Chill Of Simon BatholdE' III my
carly DAVIS we were pleasantly associated
ord this announcement causes unfeigned
regret When the CONFUSION Of the civil
1,.or came on. a set Of young men, en-
Tracing both Batholdy and myself, broke
mn some adhering to Old Glory, while
others cast their fortunes with the flag
+bot berolded the birth of new nation.
After that l met Batholdy only once, but
heard that he subsequently spent some
wears in the employment of the Khedive
of Egypt. and then drifted to China, and
later went to Chill, where he married, be-
came prosperous and amassed great
wealth.
1t was in the summer of 1870 that our
paths crossed for the last time. l was
spending the summer at Smithvllle at the
mouth of the Cape Fear, where l had
taken a cottage for the season.
One June evening on my return from
a fishing expedition l noticed that ship
had anchored in the harbor-rather an
unusual circumstance, for although
many vessels passed in and out, but few
ever tarried in that roadstead.
Towards sunset, as / sat in front OF my
porch, as was the custom there, the ship
being in plain view, boat left her SIDE
for the wharf that lay under the sand
bluff on which my cottage was situated,
and it seemed to me that the stroke of the
oarsmen showed excellent training. and
when, the wharf being reached, two per-
sons landed, and the boat promptly re-
turned to the ship, my interest was ex-
cited. They mean to make night of 1t
was my mental ejaculation, and as they
were obliged to pass me to reach the only
tavern in the village, / regarded them
with a sensation bordering on curiosity.
Presently, having gained the narrow walk
that, following the brow of the hill,
passed my door, they approached rapidly
When within a few feet of me, discov-
cred that one of them was Batholdy, and
surprised and delighted, sprang forward
and. placing my nand on his shoulder and
peering into his face, addressed him by
name.
He bIanched somewhat, but on recover
ing his possession quickly recognized
me. During the moment of his hesitation
| noticed that his companion made rap
id stride toward me, at the same instant
apparently drawing a weapon, but when
Batholdy greeted me with warmth
equal to my own, he sought to cover his
movement by d pleasant remark.
After some conversation, / told them
that if they proposed passing the night at
the tavern, | would enter protest, for |
had spare rooms and Mrs. Vieux would
be delighted to have them under her roof.
Although they seemed to yield with re-
luctance to any change in their plans,
they came in, saying, however, that they
could not promise to accept Mrs. Vieux' :
hospitality for the night.
But after supper, when recollection
of our former intimacy had broken down
all barriers, Batholdy told me that he
had with him some forty experienced of.
fcers who had seen hard service during
the war and were on their way to joiT
the Cuban insurgents. He expected to re
ceive at Smithville a quantity Of ammuni
ton, and his business that night was t.
have an interview with the Cuban agent
We strolled to the tavern, but were dis
appointed by finding that the agent hat
not arrived and L may say in passing
that he never came, but a few days late
the vessel was seized by a United State
marshal on the charge of having violated
our neutrality laws, and although afte
a long trial the ship was released, tn
proposed expedition came to naught.
On returning to my house Batholdy Ell
gagged with zest in the pleasure Of enter
tanning and being entertained. Rem
niscences and stories succeeded eac
other rapidly. One I still recall.
'You remember Little Mac, don't you
inquired Batholdy. 81 met Goldy not Ion
since and he told me Of Macs death. III
died like hero in blowing up the Alb'
marle-and by the way, did you eve
hear Of the Darlington incident that hal
pened on his first cruise? He was mic
shipmans on the brig Somers, cruising
the Gulf. Old Phifer was the captain
You knew old Phifer, surely. / must tie
Mrs. Vieux about him. He was a tai
spare man ,ill-fayored to a degree, an
severe in conduct as in judgment. His Ii
tie head was connected with his squar
angular shoulders by an unusually Ion
neck, and to conceal a wen or deforn
ity on the back of it, he wore a wild
black stock or neck cloth coming up hig
behind and fitting close under the chil
and he had habit of carrying his hea
greatly to the right side. Altogether b
was an ungainly and uncouth figure. B,
sides, this wen, or whatever it wa
seemed to have been a source of morti1
cation to him, so that he avoided int
course with others, contracting no frien
ships and living apart, as a man to hin
self, in this world.
One Of the seamen had shipped und
the name of Tom Darlington, but ey
IDENTIFY he was a Norwegian. He was
short fellow, with bushy head and Thu
curly wh;skers, and heavy eyebrows pr
truding over his deep set, cavernous bl'
eyes. Darlington was quite an intel
gent man. Indeed no sailor on the for
castle was so handy as Tom, or more SIX
full either aloft or below. His intelligen
was superior to that of the other m
and he soon gained quite an ascenden
over them. But he had screw loo
somewhere, and there was a mystic
about him that not only added to /
consequence among his messmates, b