Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1901-01-23
A coLD-sEeKER'S ROMANCE.
Life Story of Ono Who Was Harrison.
in

Life Story of One Who Was Harrison's
Rival in Love.
Old Ben Jenkins Is dead, says Red
ding (Cal) special in the St. Louis Re-
public. The rollicking little old man.,
" years of age, who spent nearly half
a century hunting for Shasta county
gold, and cared nothing for it when he
found it, was found corpse in his
lonely wayside home on Reid's toll
road, rs miles from Redding, one
morning last week. He was sick sew
eral days, and a passerby wanted to
summon a physician, but jenkins
shook his head.
Many people knew old Ben Jenkins
as a generous-hearted miner, reckon.
ing little of consequences, and usual.
ly in his cups. What they did not
know, what only a very few knew,
was that the abandon of Ben Jenkins
nature came almost solely from a ro.
mantle disappointment Of his early
young manhood. The woman he loved
and who loved another became the
first lady of the land, and the sue
cessful rival of Ben Jenkins was Ben
jamin Harrison, afterward president
of the United States.
Broken-hearted, but resolved to bear
it manfully, Ben Jenkins crossed the
plains to California. and lost himself
in the mines. Educated beyond most
men, brilliant, energetic, capable of
great things, Ben jenkins had loved
and lost, and with the flaring out Of
the hope of his heart ambition, too,
had died.
Benjamin Anzie Babbit jenkins was
born in Pennsylvania of good family
and happily circumstanced. He grew
to young manhood, and was sent to
Princeton university to complete his
education. He made his mark at col
lege. AS a scholar he headed his class
es, and as an independent young AM
erican who chafed at restraints his
name was often heard at meetings Of
the faculty.
More than anything else, Ben Jen-
kins was Democrat, and opposed to
abolitionistic sentiment. Strangely en-
ough, his strong political ideas led him
unwillingy into tho romance which
changed the tenor of his whole life. At
Princeton was beautiful girl, whose
brilliancy commanded the admira-
tion of the young men of the univer-
sity. Her father was an abolitionist,
celebrated in his district. The daugh-
ter was like the father. At stu
dent gathering Ben Jenkins, leader Of
the young Democrats, was challenged.
He did not dare Pay his courtly re-
spects, they said, to beautiful Anna
Scott. Jenkins accepted the challenge.
He did pay his respects to Miss Scott.
He won her respect, though she hated
Democrats Then he lost his heart to
the girl ana the gallant dare was for
gotten in the earnestness with which
he pressed his suit. But Anna Scott
was coy through the months she re-
sisted him, and then Benjamin Harri-
son, grandson of a president Of the
United States, came to the college.
He saw Anna Scott, he loved her, and
he won her love. She promised to be
his wife.
Ben Jenkins graduated from Prince
ton early in the fifties disappointed
man. The gold fields Of the west Of
fered an asylum. He forgot his degree
and the opportunities OF the law, and
joined the westbound fortune hunters.
He began to mine on Trinity river.
Fate tried to recompense him with
fortune, and in few months he had
$4,000. Then he moved tonew scenes.
Fortune followed, but he cared little
for money 1t was diversion he
wanted.
Some years ago he established way
side inn on a. lonely road. He was host
and cook. Last week he came to Red
ding to the fair. Then he went home
to his death.