The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1903-07-15

breadth or reach"
In his "Eccentrtcities of Genius"
which he published in 1900, the major
sums up his memoirs OF the famous
men and women with whom he had to
do in the course of his professional
career He describes Mark Twain as
an inimitable letter writer and gives
this specimen from Mr.. Clemens, sent
as an excuse for not writing letter:
Dear Pond-oh, b'gosh. can't. hate
writing. Ever thine, MARK.
One of the experiences of Ponds boy
hood days that were never forgotten
was his first meeting with the great
Charles Sumner. 1t stamped this fact
on his brain:
Charles Sumner was an aristocrat.
He was my fathers ideal. We walked
nine miles to hear him speak. Father
always spoke Of him as the Hon.
Charles Sumner, so great was his rev
erence of the man. He enjoyed the
speech immensely. / do not know
whether did or not. Father sat near,
with the intention of rushing up and
greeting him when he had finished, but
the Hon. Charles was too quick for
him. He had vanished.
Father said. James, the Hon.
Charles Sumner is going to Milwaukee
tomorrow morning, and we can ride
with him a part Of the way He was
In the drawing room car when we got
on the train. Father stepped up to
him and said:
1.-The Hon. Charles Sumner, 1 have
read your speeches. have felt 1t the
duty of every American to take you
by the hand. This Is my son. He has
returned from the Kansas conflict
Hon. Charles Sumner did not see
father or his son, but he saw the
brakeman and said, Can you get me
place where I will be undisturbedT
Fathers heart was almost broken"
While relating "reminiscences of his
acquaintance with notable people Ma
jor Pond once said to a reporter of the
Washington Post:
II never go to Iowa that don't have
a peculiar experience. shall never
forget taking Ian Maclaren Or. John
Watson) out there several years ago.
The time l speak Of we were going
from st. Paul to Des Moines. Down
in Iowa the conductor said the train
was half an hour late. Then he said 1t
was an hour late. We were due in
Des Moines at 7:15, and the lecture
was to begin at o'clock. DR.. Watson
became much worried and asked the
conductor the cause of the delay. The
heavy wind replied the Official 1t
was blowing a perfect hurricane that
night, just as had known it to blow
in Iowa and Wisconsin years before.
Why, surely said DR.. Watson, the
wind cannot be blowing hard enough
to impede the progress Of a train. A
great, big, heavy locomotive! My
dear fellow | said, I've seen the wind
out in this country blow a train right
off the track l have, too, at East st.
Louis, in q tornado.
1--WE finally arrived in Des Moines
at 8:15, and there was a committee to
meet US at the depot. DR.. Watson had
become very hungry, and there was
no diner ON and no wayside eating
house. Don't ever let this happen
again, major he said. Why, If any
thing should happen out here we might
starve to death Don't you worry
l said; If the train gets blown off the
track we will drop in at farmhouse
and eat and stay all night. You are in
q civilized country. inhabited by thou
sands Of people, and have no cause
TO become alarmed In Des MoineS
DR.. Watson insisted on going to the
hotel for something to eat before his
lecture.
livery sorry, but the dining room Is
closed, and we have no cafe," said the
hotel clerk.
"'Rut I'm nearly starved and want
food implored DR.. Watson.
"T can't help it Our rules will not
allow any one in the dining room after
the doors close.
"Just then Dr. Watson caught sight
of some one coming out Of the dining
room door. He rushed over and pushed
his way past the head waiter, who
vainly tried to stop him.
az want food! / want food! he
cried, rushing toward a table. Some
one had just finished eating and had
left a few pieces of bread and scraps
of other food DR.. Watson, despite the
importuning Of the head waiter, sat
down and ate those scraps as II he
never expected to get something to eat
again. The funny part Of it was that
he arrived at the theater a few minutes
before 9, delivered one Of the best lee
lures he ever made and rushed away
for the train which had kept waiting
twenty minutes"
Major Pond took Henry Ward Beech
er to England two or three times. He
woo oc,,aciollv DrOrd 0f these trims and