Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-04-28
Some Pertinent Scraps of History.


parties IN the contract, there is a grow
ing inquiry among the American pub
lie as to the historical pedigree OF
these two old worthless. In order, then,
to clearly answer several queries pro.
pounded by readers OF the STANDARD,
We will set forth in consecutive order
some scraps OF folklore history we'll
worthy OF preservation for future refer
encc.
First, as to the origin OF that iu>sy
old wight, Johnny Bull, We must take
our friends back into the mists OF
English history about two hundred
years ago. At the close OF the seven
teenth century, divers members of the
chronic, worm-eaten nobility that then
existed became targets OF public ridi-
Guile, and John Arbuthnot, a richly
lowered humorist, entered the lists
with other distinguished writer's of his
day.
Arbuthnot was born in London in
1878, and in his prime became an init
mate associate and acknowledged peer
of such men as Pope, Dean Swift, Gay,
Parnell, Prior and Gray.
In 1712, he wrote his masterpiece,
"The History of John Bull" a politi-
cal allegory, covertly making sport OF
the Duke of Marlborough. In this sa-
tire the French people were collec-
lively designated by the droll appella-
ton OF " Lewis Baboon," the Dutch by
Nicholas Frog; the English by
"John Bull" and so on with other
representative characters.
No better pen-and-ink picture of
Arbuthnot's "John Bull" can be given
than that graphic description of him
as set forth in the following words O.
our own Washington Irving:
Zone would think that in personify.
ing itself a nation would be apt to pic
ture something grand, heroic and impos-
ing; but it is characteristic of the pecu-
liar humor of the English, and of their
love for what is blunt, comic and famil-
lar, that they have embodied their ma.
tional oddities in the figure of a sturdy,
corpulent old fellow, with three-cor-
nered hat, red waistcoat, leather
breeches, and stout oaken cudgel. Thus
they have taken singular delight in
exhibiting their most private foibles in a
laughable point of view, and have been
SO successful in their Pdelineation, that
there is scarcely being in actual exist
ence more absolutely present to the pub.
lie mind than that eccentric parsonage,
John Bull"
Here, then, we have both the origin
and character of the Britisher's be-
loved John Bull.
The history OF "Uncle SAM" the
Yankees humorous appellative, is not
so elaborate as that of his cousin John,
and in setting forth the details of the
matter We are largely indebted to the
versatile American writer, Frost.
Soon after the breaking out OF the war
of 1872, between the United States and
Great Britain, an army contractor, of
New York, named Ebert Anderson,
went up to Troy, on the Hudson, and
purchased large amount of supplies
in the line of beef, pork, and other
staples. The inspectors of supplies at
that time and place were the brothers
Messrs. Ebenezer and Samuel Wilson,
the latter gentlemen being Familiarity
known throughout the sphere of his
extensive acquaintance As "Uncle
SAM" This man spent much of his
time personally experimenting the
gang of laborers who overhauled and
packed the supplies furnished by con.
tractors. The casks and boxes were
marked "E. A., U. 81; E. A. mean.
ing, of course, Ebert Anderson the
contractor, and U. S., being the init
ials OF the then young United States"
The workman who did the marking
was somewhat of a wag, and when
asked by an ignorant fellow laborer
what these letters stood for he coolly
replied, "Well, sir, don't know, un.
less they mean Ebert Anderson and
Uncle SAM" ostensibly abiding al
the moment to Uncle Samuel Wilson,
the inspector of supplies.
The joke was too good to die, and
the soldier boys took it up and bruited
it about the country to the no small
popularity of Mr.. Wilson who, during
his lifetime was jocularly identified
with the United States he so Loyalty
served. Since his demise, "Uncle
Sam" has become a worldwide syno-
nym for our beloved country.
"Brother Jonathan" is q much old.
er sobriquet for the United States than
Uncle Sam, but it is now so nearly if
not wholly supplanted by the latter
term that, in literary point of view,
it has for some time been consigned
to the effete list. The origin of the
expression, however, is we'll worthy of
being understood by every American,
since it was coined and first used by
no less a parsonage than General
Washington, and to this end
we will give the reader q few details
Regarding the matter.
1t is we'll known that when Wash.
ington went to Boston, to organize the
army over which Congress had ap.
pointed him commandments, he
found a scarcity of ammunition and
other necessary means for waging a
warfare with the powerful foe he was
destined to meet. During that most