Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-01
An Exciting Episode.


In the exciting times before the war No
was appointed justice of the peace nv
Gov Shannon. and once issued a warrant
for the arrest of Jacob Branson. A noted
free state outlaw. Branson was arrested
by mob representing the other party
and as a result Cameron was arrested b,-
Tree state mob and given the alternative
OF resignlng and apologiZing or going t.
prison. He refused to accede to the de-
mandS and was pretty roughly handled
Prior to going to Kansas Cameron was a
resident of the District of Columbia com
ing here from Perth, Fulton county n. Y.
where some claim he was born In 1919 he
was instructor IN mathematics in the Rit-
tenhouse Academy. and while thus engaged
formed the acquaintance of Gen. William
L. Chaplain one of the leading abolition
lists Of the time. Gen. Chaplain was eaugh;
in the act of abducting the body servants
slaves of Stevens and Toombs of Georgia
He had them in hack completely closed
which he was driving by way of the under
ground Maryland and Pennsylvania road
to the land of liberty Chaplain was caught
few miles outside the city and was
lodged in Jail to await a preliminary ex-
animation.
Cameron visited Chaplain in Jail as soon
as he heard of the arrest, and for this act
was dismissed from his position at the
academy and was mobbed on the streets
by the pro-slavery men. who regarded him
as an accomplish of the crime alleged
against tndpiam. Later, ihOmaS COrwin.
then Secretary of the Treasury appointed
him to clerkship but this was resigned
in few years, on account of IL health.
and the journey was made to Kansas, then
the scene of the great struggle to deter
mine whether the territory should be adj
mitted to the Union as a slave or free
state.
After the battle of Wilson's Creek. in
1861. Cameron enlisted as a private soldier,
served two years in the ID Kansas Regi-
ment as lieutenant and captain; was pro-
noted TO be lieutenant colonel and was
mustered out at La Grange, in 1865 after
four years of hard service. After the war
he was brevetted colonel and brieadier
general for meritorious services.
4 Love Affair.
II is said that in early youth he was
disappointed in a love affair, being Tilted by
the girl of his choice. after the naming of
the wedding day. The incident, it is said,
changed his whole life. He declared he
would never marry, and he never has He
declared he would never shave or cut his
hair, and he never has. He swore he would
work twenty hours day and sleep four
and never eat meat, and he Is said to have
kept his word. He arises at O'Clock every
morning. prepares his breakfast and puts
his cabin in order. after which time it Is
light enough to permit working out of
doors He continues his labors as long as
1t is light enough to see, stopping at noon
for his frugal meal of fruits and vegeta-
bles. At the conclusion of his manual la
Dor he remains indoors and deyotes his
time until midnight in reading and study
ing. The walls of his cabin are lined win
choice books. the accumulation of his life
time.
His reason for permitting his hair to
grow is that ne believes hair a great aid
to strength. His beard Is braided. as 10
his hair, and both are twined around his
reck- He claims that they furnish a NAT
urai electric current that invigorates and