The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-22
SOME INTERESTING INCIDENTS.

Senator Vance spent his early child
hood where the town OF Marshall, Madi-
son county, is now located AT that time
a great many horse drovers, stage drivers
and hog drivers passed along the old State
road beside the French Broad river.
These classes OF persons were noted for
the use of profane language. Little Zeb
acquired this bad habit. His mother re-
monstrated with him, but to no purpose.
Finally she decided to punish him, and
she had taken him out in the back yard
and was using the birch freely. His
grandmother came out and placed her
homespun apron over little Zeb's should
ers to protect him from the force of the
blows, and he called out, Let her alone,
dandma; d-n it to h-ll. she tan't till
me-" Mrs. Vance realized the futility of
the course she was pursuing, and went in
the house and wept bitterly.
Another story. After the death of
Senator Vances father he spent great
deal of his time at the home of Mr..
Nehemiah Blackstoek, a prominent citi
zen living in the northern part of Bun
eombe county. Mr. Blackstock was known
as Uncle Miah." Uncle Miah" knew
Senator Vance as perhaps no other man
in the State knew him. During one Of
the. great political controversies in which
Senator Vance was engaged in the post
bellum period Senator Vance made one
statement about a certain matter ana
another prominent citizen of the State
made another. Uncle Miah,' hearing
of this, asked the person to whom he was
speaking if Zeb Vance made his statement
about the matter seriously and of his
own knowledge. He was told that ne Odd
Uncle Miah said, "Then it is the truth,
because / raised Zeb Vance and | know
him, and while he was one of the most
mischievous, viyacious boys | ever knew,
he would not only never tell falsehood,
but he would not evade the truth in the
slightest degree, even to avoid corporeal
punishment, or for any other cause" This
was a great tribute to Vance from a
good and pure man, who knew the very
warp and wcrof of which Vance was made
Another anecdote. A short time be-
fore Senator Vance died he came TO Ashe-
vile as a witness in the celebrated case CT
Brown VS. Cranberry Iron Co Judge Dick
was presiding at the trial. AS is we'll
known, Judge Dick was a teetotaler, and
a pious Presbyterian elder. The parties
plaintiff and defendant were represented
by able counsel, and there had been
long debate upon the admissibility of GER
tain testimony. The question involved
was vital to the case. After the close OF
the argument on the question of admissi-
bility of the evidence, Judge Dick stated
from the bench that he desired to retire
to the judges room and indulge in some
reflection before he decided the point.
Senator Vance was sitting between the
Judges desk and the door of the Judges
room, and as Judge Dick passed him he
whispered to him, Judge, do you take
your reflections straight or with little
sugar and water?'
We are told by Emerson that great men
are like mountain peaks. They rise above
the plane of humanity and converse with
each other across the ages. Senator Vance
was the Mt Mitchell among all the men
North Carolina has produced. OF giant
frame, imposing physique, commanding
carriage, bright of brain, big of heart,
broad in charity. catholic, in sympathes
he was very man of very man, king
amongst MS fellows.