The National tribune., 1903-10-29

mento. This phrase "Runs up the river"
reminds me of very old story. The
somewhat eccentric Amos Kendall, whose
fame once filled this country, was Post
master-General under President Jackson,
and desiring to know something about the
geography of Alabama. wrote to the Post
master of little town.
Dear Sir: This Department desires to
know how far the Tombisbee River runs
up above your place"
To which the free-thinking. independent
American citizen who handled the mails
replied: 1.-The Department is respectful
ly informed that the Tombig6ee River does
not run up at all. 1t runs down"
And Amos Kendall sent by return mail:
"Sir: Your reply is so wanting in re-
spect to this Department that you are
hereby dismissed from your Office, and You
will turn over its effects to your succes-
sor."
The Independent Postmaster replied:
Hon. Amos Kendall, POstmaster-Gieneral.
Sir: Yours received and noted AS the
receipts of this office for the past year
were $3.50. while the actual expenditures
were $3.50, you can. as soon us you re-
NIT the balance due me. take your old of
flee and go TO bazes with it."
The reply so amused Amos Kendall that
he determined to retain so intelligent and
valuable Il servant i'll the public employ.
HOME OF THE "BENICIA Roy
Across the CarquineZ Strait is Bcnicia.
one of the earlier capitals of California.
probably the best known To our older read
ers as the home of John {. IIeenGn. once
leading aspirant for the pugiistic
championship, and whose fight with John
MOrrisSey, afterwards member of Con
gress from New York. for the champion
ship of the United States became politi-
cal issue: while that with Tom Savers.
the champion of England. for the champ
| iOnship OF the world. threatened to become
an international question. That was iii
| the elder and better days of puGilism. when
the opponents of the noble art Of Self-de
Tense differed from those of to-day in fight
ing great deal and talking very little.
There was a great deal Of fighting in the
blood of orr revercd fathers and grand
fathers. and the very best Of them were
disposed to give little aduiation to the
man of marked physical superiority. The
prize ring had not suffered the degradation
it has in later years ut the hands Of pro-
fcssional thugs. toughs. gamblers. and
other 'iewd fellows Of the baser sort 1t
was quite the gentlpmanly thing to take
interest III prize fighting. and our full
blooded ancestors always had Il healthy
appetite for n scrap of any kind. IIeenan
was n native-bGrn American. and into his
championship entered much of the old
Know Nothing feeling, because his oppO-
ncnt, John M0rrisSey, was an IriShman and
representative of the element out of
which grew the present Tammany. Nor
rissey was the leader in the fac
ton which finally overthrow the domina-
ton of the Americans in New York
City and substituted that of 1.-THE
Irish for it,, Consequently lie was not
beloved by Americans. Whether Heenan
whipped M0rrissey at the celebrated fight
at Long Point Or Morrisscy whipped Hee
nan depended entirely upon your point of
view. If All Eishman, Won believed that
Morrissey proved himself the better man;
if an American, that Heenan was the vic
tor Hecnan went to England and chal-
lenged Tom Savers, who had long been
the John l.. Sullivan of the Island, and
again ones views as to which won de
pended on his nationality. Every Ameri-
can from the President down was sure
that Heenan whipped Savers. and was
cheated out of his victory by English
trickery. Every EnGliShman from the
Queen down was quite sure that Savers
had knocked the 'bloOdy Yankee ont in
a most conclusive manner. Heenan came
back to this country to wear an aureola
=
ger in the world. He became one of the
husbands of Ada Isaacs Menken. the first
of our poetesses of passion: became boun-
cer-n-chief for Fernando Wood and other
Democratic bosses, and ran gambling
house in opposition to his oldtime rival,
John Morrissey.
Benicia is now little town of about
1000 or more, having for its principal
buildings the United States Arsenal, a
Dominican Monastery and 4 convent.
THE WONDERFUL SACRAMENTO VALLEY.
We entered the wonderful Sacramento
Valley. / did think that my acquaintances
from Los Angeles and San Francisco had
exhausted the praise of California but
here l struck new enthusiast, to whom
Southern California and San Francisco
were as a beggarly 80 cents to the royal
magnificence of the true Eden of Cali
fornia, the Sacramento Valley. Nothing
could be said of Southern California or
the rest of the State but what was found
incomparably better in the Sacramento
Valley. They had more sunshine Of bet
ter quality than in the most favored part
of the south of the State, and they were
free from fogs and the piercing winds of
the country about San Francisco. The
rest of the State had to take any old kind
of water and be satisfied with what they
could get, while the Sacramento Valley
was rlcn Ill pure ulStlilauOnS from tne
heavens, rilling down through living
granite from the eternal SHOWS which
crown the lofty mountains on every side
of the valley. Southern California had
parching suns and blazing, arid plains and
peaks. San Francisco had bone piercing
mists and winds, while an eternal fresh,
inspiring, invigorating, soul-lifting May
sun shone over the fertile, fowery meads
of the Sacramento Valley.
Last year." said the Sacramento en-
thusiast, I'VE had an official record of 800
cloudless days in the year. Where in the
| world can you find such another exhibit
coincidng with moisture i'll the soil with
out the aid of irrigation sufficient to raise