The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1903-07-15
ISTORIEsOF MAJORPOND
His Experiences as a Manager
Of Celebrities.
TWICE ACTED PART OF GOOD ANGEL

n
lotte Cushman, the Actress-Pushed
Mark Twain In n Barrow TO "Keep
Him Moving" - Novel Experience
with Ian Maclaren.
The late Major James Burton Pond,
author, soldier, editor and the most re-
markable manager of celebrities the
worId has ever known, as boy assist
ed his father in aiding slaves to escape
northward, their house being station
FOR slaves, says the New York Ameri-
can.
After serving his apprenticeship in
Fond du Lac, Wis, Major Pond began
10 set type on the Herald Of Freedom
Rt Lawrence, Kan. There the "calF'
came to him as it had come to John
Brown, and he became one of those
Who made history that will live to the
end of time as a raider in the little
frontier town of Kansas. This was in
1856 AS a member of Browns band
he carried one of the Sharp's rifles
known as the Beecher Bible for the
reason that the guns were shipped
Major Pond was one Of the pioneers
to Denver and Pixies peak in 1889.
When the civil war broke out he en-
listed, rose from the ranks until he
Eyas made a major, and in 1863 was
one of the seventeen survivors of a
band of 11S Union cavalrymen who
yere attacked by Quantrell in the Bax-
49, 600
him in Utah, the proprietor Of the first
gentle paper there, the Salt Lake Trtb-
une.
When Ann Eliza Young apostatiZed,
Major Pond was delegated to go with
her to Washington, where she told her
story of Mormonism to congress. Then
the genius of the major as manager
became apparent. He at once saw the
possibilities Of making money with
Ann Eliza Young as a lecturer. He
yielded to the wishes of Denver and
Net her speak there first OF this ex-
tperience he said: 81 got the school
room. charged S150 a ticket sold 400
tickets and took in 5000 that evening.
j remember when she was to appear
in Denver went to the house and did
not know her. She was dressed up
and-well. she looked pretty. The lead
ing Methodist minister-she had been
converted by Methodist, and so they
claimed her-introduced her to one of
the largest audiences ever seen in Den
YER
81 have never found so earnest
talker," the major said afterward. II
have heard a great many too. She
had a cause She was in dead earnest
She was able in two years from that
time to leave. Utah with her children
and her family, and she never re-
turned
Major Pond was a good angel on two
notable occasions in the life Of Char
lotte Cushman. the great actress The
first was when from a tramp printer
he became a call boy in a St. Louis
ltheater at 81 a week. He began the
night Charlotte Cushman opened her
engagement as Lady Macbeth. She
had complained that the boy who car
ried the basket containing her jewels
had loitered. She needed some one she
could rely upon, who would walk faith
fully by her side with that precious
basket. To the little lad Pond fell the
honor.
$50 that night l walked home with
Charlotte Cushman, the great actress"
he writes. carrying her basket to her
room in the Planters House. l did
this until became i'll and was obliged
to send substitute, who brought the
basket on Saturday night. After the
play, when the lights were turned Oft
with the exception of the dressing
room, l heard Miss Cushman asking
for me. / replied, and she came across
Ahe stage to me, hoped l would not be
Ill and put a coin in my hands.
scratched about and got to where there
was sufficient light to discover that l
was the owner Of a twenty dollar gold
piece. / changed my lodging tnat
might"
Years passed before the call boy and
the actress again met. He was giving
entertainments in the Boston theater,
and they were meeting with great sue
cess. Suddenly he thought Of Char
dotte Cushman and offered her $1,000
If she would give a reading there.
When he gave her the certified check
for the amount it was with the re-
mark, Miss Cushman, that $1,000 is
the interest on $40 that you invested
with me in 1851" Then he told her Of
fhe incident.
OF Mark Twain he always had de-
aightful "reminiscences. He had pushed
the humorist in a wheelbarow when
the latter insisted that his contract
with Major Pond expressly stipulated
that he be kept moving"
"At little town in Minnesota we had
been waiting since o'clock in the
morning" said Major Pond, land Mark
got uneasy. He said: I am tired OF
this business. Pond contracted with
ane to travel, and here / am waiting
for late trains that never arrive
"Mrs Clemens said, My dear, are