The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-24
THOMAS Il. BENToN's VITALITY
His Daughter Explains How His Life
Was Prolonged.

His Daughter Explains How His Lift.
| Was Prolonged.
Qrom the indianapolis Press.)
| W. H. Lainaster's recent article in the
| Press on Thomas II. Benton has brought
out the following letter from Mrs. Jessie
Benton Fremont. daughter of the mar
who served Missouri SO long aad well as
its Senator. and his country long and vel
as one of its leading statesmen. The let
ter is addressed to Nj. Lancaster.
..g Los Angeles. May 20.
| NY Dear Sir: have reviewed several
| copies from Mr.. Harrison of your city oil
your appreciative paper on my father
| who, indeed. deserves all you say of his
| gie-hearted devotion to his country. He
! was a man without faint in all that in
| volved ana his unusual fearlessness came
10 his aid there.
You are as correct in your statements
as is possible for an outsider, taking an
outside view of character singularly re-
served-while seeming, and being equally
open and frank in matters he did not care
for. Two points l wish to call your atten-
ton to-his education and the care of his
health. His father, lawyer, had as init
mate friend, the Rev. John Meiklejohn;
an Edinburgh scholar, who was private
chaplain to Lord Tryon-the last of the
Royal Governors in North Carolina. Know
ing he must die of consumption, my grand
father asked of his friend to oversee his
boys education. Ny father was eight years
old when his father died, and Mr.. Meikle-
john redeemed his promise nobly. From
him my father had his Greek and Latin
also much supervision of his general
studies, until he was sixteen-the forma-
tive years in boys life.
My grandmother then decided to go tc
Tennessee. where her husband had &C
CURED a large land grant-i0.000 acres
just south of Nashville. She was the good
providence Of the property, building
church and schoolhouse and putting VI
cottages at nominal rent, SO that 1.-THE
Widow Benton's settlement" became a
nucleus of order and thrift and centre
of good influences.
Herself, she was an uncommon woman.
OF English birth-the niece of Sir William
Gooch, who was for twenty three years the
honored and beloved ruler of Virginia.
Anne Gooch, my grandmother, had the best
English traits and their fine health. She
lived to be eighty-four. From her hus-
bands library. which was a fine one, she
herself taught my father. Among other
valuable works were the great folos of
! the British State trials, which they read
through. He also went TO the Dillsboro
College later. so that his opportunities
were exceptionally good.
AT about twenty-five he began TO find in
himself the evidences of consumption-tho
| hacking cough, the low fever followed by
drenching night sweats. Three sisters and
! one brother had recently died from the
same illness.
Then, as my father has told me, seeing
my life was to end. / resolved to give ii
for purpose So he enlisted company
F, under Jackson for the threatened war Of
1872. He was chosen its lieutenant col
onel. Being accustomed to walking. he
gave up his horse 10 men less able to walk.
At the days close he found himself in
profuse perspiration, ana, having brought
few clothes, was rubbed down after a dip
in a brook. Then his servant gave him
good rubbing. and. rolling in q blanket
he slept in the open air. His vigorous
, exercise in the sun. the sleeping in the
| open air. the plain food and constant
rubbing down-massage-thou he did
not have the word, all Joined 10 an objec;
: in life-brought about such health that
never. during his whole life, did my father
/ discontinue 1t.
He had discovered for himself the car
! dinal points in the treatment for con-
sumption and never had any return; but
the most equable health, the most rejoic-
| ing strength, and his brushes were to i'm
| the elixir Of life. His flesh was as white
| and close grained as marble; he had
| never lost tooth he was a sound man,
mind and body. His death was caused br
railway accident-the crushing in of the
spinal column at its extreme end. This
produced cancer. He would not let his
physicians tell the truth. ''Fistula," they
called it. For said my father. my
daughters are all young women bearing
children: they must not have the long
agony of the inevitable
a more happy and united life cannot
well be thought of than my fathers, the
generals and my own. We three made
one.
i am seventy-six on the 3lst of May;
my health is very good, but my hands are
somewhat stiff from rheumatism, which
explains my irregular writing.
/ was sure you would like the facts l
have given you. for they explain the care
full training of mother and friend in boy
| hood, and the reasons why lifetime of
abstemious habits brought its reward in
Astounding health.
JESSIE BENTON FREMONT
p S.-As the war was delayed my
father accepted commission from the
President of lieutenant colonel, United
States Army tregularsl in the Thirty
! ninth Infantry. He was on duty at Que
bee at the time of the battle of New
Orleans. Peace being declared, he re-
| sumed his practice as lawyer
JESSIE BENTON FREMONT.