The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-05-03
BILL ARP TELLS ABOUT a HERO
Had tho Young Confederate Soldier
Lived in Ancient Times His Name
Would be eImmOrtaliIcd


Would be eImm0rtaliZcd.
When we were school boys one OF tn,
questions that was discussed in our dc
| batting society was, Is There Such s
ThiEg as Disinterested Benevolencc p
The affirmative side generally gained
the victory, and ought to, though ii
must be admitted that selshness is al
the bottom Of many acts OF charity apC
pretended friendship. lldccd, disin
terested benevolence is SO rare that
when u we'll authe nticated case occurs
1T is talked about and gets in the news
papers. In the olden times it became
matter OF history and has come down
to us like the parable Of the good
Samaritan and the story OF Damon and
'ythias. Indeed, If our lamcntcd sol.
der boy, Sam Davis, who died rather
than bctray friend, had lived in 10.
man times, he, too, would have come
down to US as n sainted hero. There
are Knights OF Damon and knights OF
Pythias and there ought to be knights
OF Sam Davis. Parental love, fratcr.
nal love, conjugal love are not TO be
countcd in these historic incidents.
Such love is to be expected from those
relations. That goodness OF heart
which prompts q man to befricnd those
he expects no reward is dsinterested
banevolcnco.
Samuel Davis was the highest type
OF loyalty to friendship that history
makes any record Of. Pythias WAS
condemned by Dionysius 10 suffer death
for a crime Of which he was guilty. He
begged for short respite to go home
aud arrange his family affairs, aud
Damon took his place ia prison and
agreed to die for him If he failed to
return But he did return, and Diony-
sius WAS so impressed with admiration
for their love for each other that he
pardoned Pythias and became the
friend OF both. But Samuel Davis had
no friend TO take his place, nor was the
Federal officer VINO condemned him as
mcrciful rs Dionysiu$. He died to save
the life OF q Federal officer who might
have saved him, but did not, That
soldier kept his Own secret and keeps
it yet if he is alive. What sn oppor-
tunity he had to save his friend and
immortalize himself. No doubt he,
too, would have been pardoned as
Pythias was. Mr.. Lincoln would have
pardoned Sam Davis il he had known
Of it.
wish that every boy in the South
land knew Of tho sad and glorious
death Of this Pulaski hero. Tennessee
has State history, | know, but | do
not knnw WIN ether the story is in it or
not. II it is not it should be recorded
there in the next edition. My good
friend, Sumner Cunningh Am, has done
all he could to make it historical in
The Veteran and to have anoble monu
ment erected to his memory. 1t is Il
comfort to know that many Federal
soldiers and many big hearted people
from the North have contri ibutcd
largely to it
Goldsmith's Hermit in his sore dis.
appointment asks:
"What is friendship but n name.
a charm that luls to Sleep
Bt when his Angelina found him he
sang different song. True friendship
is like the love OF God. 1t is an cmana-
ton from divinity. Is ndncss OF heart.
whether TO man or beast, brings its
own reward. The pretty story OF An
drOclus aud the lion has come down tC
US through nineteen centuries. Much
ado Is being made over abstruse theo
logical questions, but tho fourth chap
ter OF the first epistlc OF John is creed
enough for all mankind. Sclishncss il
so much tho sin OF the world that i,
has come to be proverb, "Every man
for himself and the devil take the
hindmost." "On Lord, bless me and
and my wife, my con John and his wife,
us four and no mOre.' Is the common
prayer. The ostentatious charities of
the milliOnaires are nothing in the
sight OF GOd--nothing compared with
the widows mite. Their accumulations
came 10 drops from the sweat Of the
people and for every gallon they get
they pour back half a gill in the Jug
aud are satisfied. The rest they keep
for the succession and the succession
goes TO law TO escape the inheritance
tax. My son John and lis wife want
it all.
No, there are thousands Of acts OF
disintercsted kindness, but they are
generally among the humble, common
people. Laws grind the poor, and
rich men rule the law wrote Gold.
smith $50 years ago, and it is the same
way ye:, but still the common people
are able to live in this blessed countr,
and to help one another in distress
Wherever we go we witness " little
deeds OF kindncss-little acts Of love
While travelling in Florida not long
ago an Old lady was carefully helped
onto the train by the conductor. She
was timid and feeble, aul said she
wanted to go to sec her daughter q
Wildwood, who was very sick. /" Yor
wont carry me by, will you?" she ask &C
in IL pleading tone. No, ma'am,
will not" he said. 1" | will surely stOi
the train and help you OF. Don't bl
be alarmed at all. | will take goot
care Of YOU" And he did. Every little
while he went to her and qujctCd hel
fears. When VIC reached the junction
where the train backs to Silver Spring:
he came to me and another veteran ant
invited us to walk back to the rear .
the next car and see the beautiful coun
try and the springs that we were near
ing. We did 80, and then he politely
helped us down and onto the platform
that 0verlooks the beautiful spring, anC
| then conducted Us back to the car. Ht
did not know us, and am sure his ci
Witty came from his reverence for az,
and his natural Kindness OF heart. Jus
| before wo reached Oaala inquired hi
name, and he said: "My name is Beck
! ham 80 Q0vprpor nj RopfnpE1 90 ooi6