River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1899-08-10
HERO OF THE WINGS
An Incident in the Career of the
First Popular Dewey.
He sawed President Jackson's Graz
Mum from the FiSurehend OF
the Glorious Frigafe Com
stitution.
Especial washington Letter.

Every body knows that Admiral
George Dewey is coming home; but
very few people know that Capt. Sam
uel w. Dewey has gone to his
long home. Admiral George Dewey is
coming to his own country TO be re-
ceived by the plaudits of upwards of
10000, o0oof patriotic people. Capt. Sam
uel w. Dewey has gone beyond the pale
of life, to that land where all distinc-
tons are leveled, and the shepherds
crook is laid beside the scepter.
You probably never heard of Capt.
Dewey before, although you have read
many columns about Admiral Dewey.
They were second cousins. Capt. Dewey
was 90 years of age, when he recently
died in Philadelphia. He was as strong
and robust as any average man of so,
and he was well known in the national
capital and all along the Atlantic coast.
Indeed there was a time when his name
was in all of the newspapers. 1t is an
interesting story.
The old frigate Constitution was
revered by our people. Political condi-
tons were such that many people re-
scented every deed done which would
change any part of the old sea fighter.
But during her remodeling the figure
head of Andrew jackson was placed
upon her bow. What storm of po-
litical indignation arose over that little
circumstance! There is where Capt.
Samuel w. Dewey comes into the
story.
1880. That is a long way back in the
past, isn't it? But to understand the
story of Capt. Dewey we must go back
TO that almost 20 years ago, for then it
was that Capt. Dewey was in his prime
physically, as well as mentally. He was
the embodiment of yirility in every
thought and action.
He is the man who cut the figurehead
of Andrew jackson from the prov of
the frigate Constitution, and that deed
made him famous with the wings and
notorious with the federalists; so that
politicians, big and little, of both par
ties throughout the country discussed
Capt. Dewey; and his name was uttered
on every stump in the following cam
paigns.
II was Il uttu WHICH Oli OIt manu- set
the wings wild with delight and made
the federalists, who just at this time
were beginning tocallthemselves by the
new and popular title of Jeffersonian
democrats, equally wild with anger.
Nothing at the time demonstrated more
clearly the popularity of Jackson, and
for this reason the affair, not known
20 thiC ion, nd FOR of hic-
tory even to the generation before, has
q peculiar interest.
To understand the story completely
1t is necessary to go back at least to
the year 1880. Then a report appeared
in the Boston Advertiser that the ma
val authorities had decided to destroy
the Constitution, together with num-
Der of other old ships of the war of
1912. Their planlls had become rotten
and the ships were dangerous to their
crews. Little did the naval authorities,
however, appreciate the sentimental
glamour which hung around the Con-
stitution; and when, two days after the
announcement, Oliver Wendell Holmes.
then 81 years old, flung the poem of
"Old Ironsides" to the world and with
the stirring lines beginning: AYE, tear
her tattered ensign down. struck the
popular chord full and strong, the ship,
as it afterward appeared, was saved.
No one could help thrilling with indig-
nation at those lines:
The harpies of the shore shall pluck
The eagle of the seal
and the navy department acquiesced
to the popular demand. 1t was some
time after this that it was found that