The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-03-23
Familiar Sayings and Their Origin

Phrases that we use in everyday
conversation sometime have an ORR
gin of which We are totally ignorant,
and tho initial meaning was
oftentimes quite different from the
sense which we now attach to the
words.
He is a brick" is a phrase that
most, people imagine to be purely
American and somehow it's terseness
and expressiveness give them reason
for their belief, for most American
ism are blunt to the point. Yet this
|phrase, which, every American boy
uses almost daily, had it's origin long
before America was thought of for
history tells that an ambassador
from Epirus visited the king of Spar
ia and was shown by him over the
capital city. Considering the repu-
tation and power Of Sparta and the
warlike rule of it's king, the ambas-
sador had expected to find cities sur
rounded by massive walls and towers
of defense. Finally he said to the
monarch: 81 have visited most of
your principal towns, and l find no
walls reared for their defense. Why
is this?
The king smiled and assured him
that he must have looked the Spar
tan towns over carelessly. ''Tomor-
row." he said, Il myself will take
you about and show you the walls
of Sparta"
On the following morning the
king escorted the ambassador out
to a plain beyond the city, where
the Spartan army was drawn up in
full battle array. There, he said
thou beholdest the walls of Sparta
ten thousand men, and every man
La brick"
"Save your bacon, is phrase
that is pure American origin for it
started in circulation as the result
of an episode on the Mississippi riv-
err some years ago when races be-
tween rival boats were of frequent
occurrence. On those exciting oc-
casions it was not unusual for the
fittings of the cabin or part of the
cargo to be used as fuel in order to
keep the fires at top heat and sur
pass the rival steamboat.
1t is related that on one such con-
test there was woman on board
one of the boats, who was going to
New Orleans with a shipment of ba-
con, which she had cured herself,
and upon which she expected to re-
alize substantial profit. AS the
race between the rival craft pro-
crossed and she saw the deckhands
throwing into the fires everything
on board that would burn, she went
to the captain and told him she
wanted to save her bacon, and was
promised that it should be spared.
This was frequently repeated, and
she reminded the captain so often
in the words, you know l want to
save my bacon, that the passengers
took the phrase up, and afterwards
it spread all over the country. How
she became as excited as any one
else, and, seeking the captain in
stead of using the customary warn
ing she SAID, Captain are you going
to let that craft beats u.s."
eve are, unless we can get some
more fuel" replied that official.
"You want to save your bacon, don't
you?"
Her interest got the better of her
prudence and waving her shawl at
him, she cried out: Captain, you
throw in my bacon and beat that
other boat" Unknowingly she in
vented a saying that has survived
ever since.
Don't give up the ship is a say
ing that has been attributed to Cap
tain Lawrence of the United States
navy, who was commander of the
Chesapeake.
The battle between the Chesa-
peake and the Shannon took place
off the coast of Massachusetts, and
a sailor carried to Boston the news
of the battle and the death of Cap
tain Lawrence. This news the sea-
men took to the officers of the Bos-
ton Sentinel, of which Major Ben
jamin Russell was the editor: What
were Ldwrence's last words?" asked
the editor.
II don't know, said the sailor.
Didn't he say don't give up the
ship?'" asked Russell.
I'm blessed if l know" replied
the sailor who had not seen his cap
tain's death and was simply carrying
the message he had been told to
convey.
"Well, I'll make him say it any
way, said Major Russell, and he
did, and to this Boston editor we are
indebted for this soul stirring say
ing.
Hold the Fort, for I am Coming"
which was made familiar through
the evangelistic song which utilities
these words for refrain, was really
never said nor was it "wigwagged"
by any signal waving in the sky,
as the lines of the song intimate.
Instead, at the time of the battle
of Altoona Pass in the civil war,
General Sherman sent a plain ordi-
nary dispatch to General Corse,
reading : Hold Altoona and l will
assist you" OF course, Altoona
would be hard word to make mu-
sically forceful, and so the incident
was twisted to suit the necessities
of the occasion.
Notice of Appointment of Adminis-
frofnw