Evening star., 1909-04-16
O|ANSCAUGHTSC SCOTT
Boyhood Experience. Of West
a.. =. L
Virginia Senator
ON WAY TO GOLD FIELDS
Bound Him Hand and Foot and Tied
Him to Tree.
COMRADES CAME TO RESCUE
Became an Expert at Panning Ore.
Many Adventures Happen in
Statesman's Youth.
COMRADES CANE TO RESCUE
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Written for The Star aud the Chicago Record
Herald
Fifty years ago, April 16 1880, Nathan
Bay Scott. then boy OF sixteen. was
captured by the Indians on the plains Of
Kansas and tied UP to cottonwood tree
for torture.
1t was the amiable custom of the noble
red man on such occasions to amuse a
captive by throwing knives and toma-
hawks at him. as he stood bound and
helpless. and to conclude the entertain
ment by kindling a fire of dry brush
around his feet. This did not happen in
Senator Scotts case, for reasons that
will be explained.
The entertainment was interrupted, or
he would not be today one Of the most
popular and influential members of the
United States Senate; and somebody else
would be demanding the protection Of
coal and glass.
/ do not remember any other statesman
who was ever tied UP to. tree by saw
ages for stngle-act massacre, but Sena-
tor Scott has had many and varied ex-
periences since, both agreeable and dis
agreeable. He has had perhaps greater
variety of ups and downs and episodes
than any .other member Of the Senate,
and when his friends can persuade him
to relate them. he gives them great
pleasure. :,
- Native Of Ohio.
Senator Scott was horn at the village
of Wildwood, Guernsey county. Ohio His
grandfather was Scotchman. from
County Donegal North of Ireland. The
Bays. his mothers family. from whom he
gets his middle name. were from Scot
land. although she was born In Mary
land His father and mother were mar
ried at the village. of Middlebourne. IN
a farm lying half way between that vii
large and Millwood. The father was a
Lutheran, and the mother Methodist.
and they attended the services Of either
church which happened to be most con-
venient. t-t
1t takes tact and patience to. get sena-
tor Scott started. You have to coax him
a little. and: lead. him along gently until
he gets interested. himself, and then ne
talks with a great deal Of unconscious
dramatic force. The other day he showed
me a photograph of the log cabin at
Wildwood in which he was born. but
wouldn't allow rne to print 1T. because he
doesn't like to play the poor boy act"
That cabin was standing until few
years ago.. It looks very much like the
cabin Of Thomas Lincoln In Kentucky.
and that in which Jefferson Davis was
born.
Being the youngest child of a large
family, when he was nine years old
Senator Scott left his fathers home and
went to live with Joseph G. Webster. a
Quaker storekeeper and farmer. at Mill
wood, not exactly as bound boy, but
by an agreement was to work for Web
ster until he was sixteen years old. when
he was to have $3.50 In cash. In the
meantime Mr.. Webster was to give him
his board and clothes. and send him to
school for four months every year.
Inherited Mothers Mind.
Il lived all those days within seven
miles Of my fathers house," said Sena-
tor Scott. land saw my mother and the
rest Of the family quite frequently. She
was a remarkable woman. with the best
brain quality / ever knew, and whatever
brains have I inherited from her.
But we always differed in politics She
was a democrat up to the day Of her
death.
My mother once did a great public
service. but her part in 1t has never
been known to the beneficiaries and will
never be. In 1874 her father entered
farm half way between Millwood and
Middlebourne, and up to 1885 people were
taking up land in similar manner all
through the west. at what was called "a
Icvcn penny DIT I'll acre. Out LO6y HdQ
to occupy the land continuously for two
years. If they left it their titles would
be forfeited.
This was considered great injustice,
and when Nathaniel p. Banks of Massa-
chusetts was Speaker of the House of
Representatives in 1856. my mother wrote
to him explaining the hardshps of the
system and reciting several cases of In
justice which had been suffered by her
acquaintances because of that law. Speak
er Banks took the matter up, ordered an
investigation and the law was amended.
MY mother was wise woman, and
her admonitions have kept me straight
many a time. She always told me never
to do anything that | wouldn't be willing
to have her know all about. Mr.. Web
ster was a good man, too, a wise, pru-
dent, shrewd Quaker, and one Of the
greatest mathematicians l have ever
known. He was a perfect genius with
figures. He had a farm and a country
store in which he had everything for sale
that anybody wanted, from quinine pills
to artificial flowers and thrashing ma
chimes. From the time l was nine years
old until l was sixteen / used to sell
goods over his counter and weigh out tea
and sugar and measure calico after school
hours in the winter and help on the farm
during the summer.