The National tribune., 1902-09-04

l am inclined to the belief that our over
loaded craft would have 'gpnei to the bot
tom of the Potomac. aSfil
The Potomac River isia noble stream,
and wide at points below 1.-THE Capital,
while from Belle Plain IBantiing, at the
mouth of Aqua Creek. Ito its confluence
with the Chesapeake, itiiis more like an
estuary than a river, being from three to
eight miles in width. Along the sunny
shore of this historic stream it is said
that Washington. in the days of his young
manhood, was wont to pass his leisure
hours in throwing dollars (hot bills but
coin) across its wide expanSe. This was
before the days of the Revolution, when
he was getting in practice ITO make the
great throw of his life. Washington was
not only peeler, but he was thrower
also of no mean repute. whose sinewy arm
eclipsed the fame of the most renowned
athlete of olden time. Even David with
his sling-who. later. became the great
warriorking of his time-could not COM
pare with our George, who became the
great warrior-president of all time. The
most vigorous throw on record, to David s
credit, is where he threw a stone across
the valley of Elah, in his set-tO with Go
Hath of Gath-not nearly as far as George
often threw a dollar for fun. and when he
made the effort of his life, in his great
contest with George of England and
strove. in the earnestness of his soul. as
David did. he threw sovereign across
the Atlantic Ocean. That was a demon
stration for all time of the superiority of
Presidents over Kings.
1t may be contended that David was
handicapped. as n dollar very naturally,
will go farther than a stone; but If Da-
vid had no dollar or sovereign to throw,
Saul would have gladly supplied him with
silver talent had he desired it, which
fn fnyt thor oft
was not compelled to throw stones nor
restricted in his choice Of projectiles. In
this respect he stood on an equal footing
with George.
Probably n dollar would go farther in
Colonial times than it will in our day,
and sovereign always would go farther
than n dollar, but. just the same. it re-
quired nerve and soul wherein burned
the fire of sublime patriotism to throw the
one across the Potomac or the other across
the sea, even in the days of Washington.
This great historical fact that Washing
ton could and did throw n sovereign
across the Atlantic with the same or
greater ease than he threw a dollar across
the Potomac serves to furnish the gold
bugs with their best argument in demon
stration of the superiority of gold over
silver coin as circulating medium. On
the other hand. the silver-bugs find in the
fact that the Father of his Country threw
his last sovereign so far away beyond
the sea positive proof that he intended
thereby to discard forever the gold-stand
ard on the American continent. We re-
joice. however. that both parties and all
parties agree that Washington. when he
made that god-like throw. intended that
all the world should know that he and
his America had no use for that or any
other sovereign coined in the European
mint.
SUNDAY DANCING.
Yea, verify, the Potomac is noble
stream, and as we steamed away to the
northward upon her majestic bosom, she
impressed me as a type Of the Nation
founded and established by Washington
and his compatriOts, whOseD,existence we
were even then banded together to main
tain, but which should, finally, with ire
sistible power sweep OnwarditO victory as
the Potomac sweeps onwardI to the Chesa-
peake. nD 9I
1t was Sunday, but we seemed to have
forgotten it. l rememberriit now after
these many years, from the fact that we
were reminded of it in q manner to fix it
forever in my memory,ia The wind blew
fierce and cold from the northwest, COM
pelling us to seek shelter on the leeward
of the little cabin and .smoke-stack, thus
by our united weight qareening the craft
until she was in actual danger of sinking,
when the captain rushed on deck, shout
ing: Go round to windward, some of
you, quick; you'll sink the b8at in less than
10 minutes at this rate;g but the boys re-
piled in reckless soldier fashion: "Oh, let
her sink; the old tub is of no account;
who cares if she does go to the bottom"
Then the Captain rushed to the
on deck and equalize the ballast, as the
soldiers would not regard his orders, even
if the ship were to sink the next minute.
Then Col. Fairchild appeared on deck
and quietly gave the command: Soldiers,
right up the ship. We are too far out to
wade ashore" On the instant half the
men passed around to windward and the
ship righted.
1t was a cold day anywhere on deck,
and especially cold where the wind had
full sweep, and in order to keep our blood
in circulation we jumped, hoped and
danced around that steamboat deck with
utter disregard of the Sabbath. Now.
there was among the contrabands an old
white-haired plantation negro, who had
not forgotten that it was Sunday, and he
reminded US of the wickedness of our
ways with tears in his eyes-there were
tears in our eyes also, for the northwester
was built just right to touch our sym
pathetic hearts. Then we invited the old
man to preach us u sermon, which invi-
tatiOn he seemed desirOus of accepting, but
expressed fear that "de Cap'n" would OBJ
ject. Thereupon one of the boys hunted
up the Sergeant Of the Pioneer Corps.
whom he introduced to our colored friend
and brother as ''the Captain" and, the
Sergeant having stated to him that there
was no objection whatever to sermon,
the old man barred his gray head to the
stinging Northwestern and taking For his
text, "the wickedness of Sunday dancing"
he talked to us for probably half an hour,
in an earnest, humble and GOd-fearing
spirit. He did not object to dancing, but
drew the line at Sunday dancing and the
desecratiOn of "de Lords day." Never
was rObed priest, mitred cardinal, or POM
pous pope listened to with more respect
full attention than was that poor and hum
BILE plantation negro just escaped from
slavery. When the "amen" was spoken,
however, and the preacher had donned his
hat the wild antics which the poor, sim
ple-minded black man misinterpreted as a
wantOn desecration of the holy Sabbath,
went on again, just the same, or probably
Il little livelier than before, for standing
at attention for half an hour ON a steam
the temperature of our blood that in
creased exercise was necessary to quicken
its circulation.
THE CoLoNEL's HAMS.
In storing the meats we had gathered
from the WestmorelandI9 County smoke
houses within the hold of our ship, the
hams were separated from the bacon and
piled by themselves. These were desig-
mated the "Coloners HAMS" from the fact
that we all knew that nOtia ham of them