The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-04-07
When Dewey Was a Boy.
The Future Admiral Showed on More than one
Occasion That He Was M ade Of the
Fl ght Material

ma acqairei habits OF ecJnom,
tha' Gu Z 10 ham through life.
After ais marriege an1 establish
me IN Monsp .lier large family
cun .ec'inD LIVING in his native town,
BE l IL m,l,s distant, fell into u
wy, wnen b.Is'ness called them to
the cap "i, Of stopping with their
tes 'ns ut his hou-e. The doctor stood
1t fIr a time in silence, but on a GER
~ market day his patience suddenly
G'Wt "Hy, and meeting his guests At
'e eaie he directed them to hotel
Ill al adjacent square. where he AS
snrcd thsm they would fnd batter ac
comoWiatious than lac cuo!d furnish
and ut current rates"
From tnis incident, which he fre.
qle e,tiy related, he dated his prosper.
ty. lie had always high sense of
his religious obligations, however, and
was, indeed, the founder of Christ
Protestant Episcopal church, in
M,ntepelier, where his distinguished
son was baptized, attended sunday
school and which WAS coItitmed, and
which became the ecclesiastical home
OF the family. The house which he oc-
cupied, and in which all of his chill
dren were born, was originally exceed
ingly small, but was several times add
cd to-
Within the last two or three years,
wishing to replace this modest struc-
ture with handsomer, more modern
editice, Edward Dewey, the second
son, sold the dwelling and barn
(ret:ining the grounds) for $50.
Three days afterwards the building
were resoid for S400, the last pur-
chaser, who paid the cost Of removal
placing them on lot on STATE street.
Since the battle of Manila this
house, as the birihplacs and early
home of its hero, has beeu al ohjscs
of interest to tourists and relic hun.
ters. The latter, indeed, have threat
ened to carry 1t away piecemeal, a
souvenir ii nd in one instance wrench.
log off silver plated faucet, and
leaving the water running in the bath
loom with the pressure Of the tull sys-
tenn Of 15S pounds.
ANECDOTES OF THE ADMIRAL.
Of characteristic stories of Dewey
many are preserved in the mental arch.
ives Of those who were his companions
in the boyish escapades Of which he
was the instigator, aud in which he al
ways played a prominent part. An
incident in his earliest boyhood, gra.
phically portrayed by one of these,
brings vividly before US IL delightful
tragic. comedy with the dramatis per-
sonac and stage setting of front yard
and vine-clad cottage.
AS the two children were at play
one morning lady, with the indubi
table toothache sypmtoms Of swollen
face and hand pressed to check, s!ight
ed from a vehicle before the gate and
asked to see the doctor. Deciding to
apply the only intAllible remedy, and
wishing to get the best light upon his
patient, that gentleman asked that
she would take her seat in the front
doorway, resting her feet on the upper
step. But here new difficulty arose.
The improvised dental chair provided
no support for the head. and summon
ing the little visitor the operator di.
rected him to stand behind her, put
his hand on either side of her face
and let her brace herself against his
shoulder.
IL did as I was told," continued the
narrator, "but at the first twist of the
oldfashioned turnkey the patient Ut
tered yell which, never having
heard an Iudian war whoop, thrilled
me with horror, and, deserting my
post, | fled in dismay. In an instant
George was i'll my place, and l can
zee now the set look of determination
upon his face and the resolute pose of
his sturdy little figure as, with the
lady's head pillowed upon his breast,
he grasped AL ear firmly with either
small hand.
"When the tooth was out aud We
were again alone he eudeavored to
convince me that 'woman's screams
couldn't hart but | had my own
opinion on the subject, which logic
failed to alter
On another occasion when the two
boys had come into possession of a
bottle of maple syrup they agreed to
to 60 to the school house, where fire
still burned in the stove. aad "sugar
it." Upon their arrival they happen
ed to try the door leading to an upper
room, and finding it fast, although
there was no lock upon it, they con-
cluded that il WAS beinp held nv