The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1917-06-28

I'M land. He told me once with q
~ grave smile, that no man In the
world lived SO methodical a lie as he
"You know the boys say ! am the Iron
Mask, and o know how busy h
was" He said 1t did not do for any
one to try to read all the time more
than to do anything else ali the time,
but that he read just five hours a day.
Then" he said. Il keep up my note
books, writing I'm them at such and
such hours from what | have been
reading, and ! include in them my
scrapbooks." These were very curious
indeed. He had six or eight. OF differ
ent subjects. There was one OF his
tory, one Of natural science, one which
ne called odds and ends" Blu they
were not merely books Of extracts
from newspapers. They had bits Of
plants and ribbons, shells tied on and
carved scraps OF bone and wood. which
he had taught the men to cut for him.
and they were beautifully illustrated.
Till he grew very old. he always went
aloft a great deal. He always kept up
his exercise, and ! never heard that he
was Ill. Ii any other man was Ill he
was the kindest nurse in the world.
n he knew more than half the sur
geons do. Then If anybody was sick or
died. or IL the captain wanted him to
on any other occasion. he was always
ready to read prayers. | have remark
ed that he read beautifully.
My own acquaintance with Philip
Nolan began six or eight years after
the war, on my first voyage after
was appointed a midshipman. 1t was
in the first days after our slave trade
treaty, while the reigning house. which
was still the house OF Virginia, had
still a sort OF sentimenta!ism about the
suppression OF the horrors of the Mid
die Passage. and something was some
times done that way. | first came to
understand anything about the man
without a country" one day when We
overhauled a dirty little schooner
which had slaves on board. An officer
was SEN to take charge OF her, and
after a few minutes he sem back his
boat 10 ask that some one might be
sent him who could speak Portuguese.
We were all looking over the rail when
the message ame and we all wished
we could interpret when the captain
asked who spoke Portuguese. But none
Of the officers did, and Just as the cap
tain was sending forward TO ask IL any
OF the people could. Nolan stepped out
and said he should be glad to interpret
II the captain wished. as he understood
the language. The captain thanked
him. fitted cut another boat with him.
and In this boat 1t was my luck to go.
When We got there 1t was such a
scene as you seldom see and never
want to. Nastiness beyond account
and chaos loose In the midst of the
nastiness. The negroes were, most of
them. out Of the hold and swarming all
round the dirty deck. with a central
throng surrounding Vaughan and ad-
dressing him in every dialect and pa
tots Of a dialect. from the Zulu click up
TO the Partisan Of BeledeljereeG.
As we came on deck Vaughan looked
down from a hogshead on which he
had mounted in desperation and said
For Gods love. is there anybody
who can make these wretches under.
stand something"
Nolan said be could speak Portu.
guese and one or two fine looking
KrOomen were dragged out. who. as
1t had been found already. had worked
for the Portuguese at Fernando Pc.
Tell them they are free" said
Vaughan. land tell them that these
rascals are to be hanged as soon as we
can get rope enough"
Nolan explained 1t In such Portu-
guese as the Kroomen could under
stand and they in turn 10 such Of the
negroes as could understand them.
Then there was such a yell OF delight.
chnching Of fists. leaping and dancing.
kissing OF Nolan's feet and a general
rush made to the hogshead by way Of
spontaneous worship Of Vaughan as
the deus ex machina of the occasion.
Tell them" said Vaughan. well
pleased. that l will take them all to
Cape Palmas."
This did not answer so we'll. Cape
Palmas was practically as far from
the homes of most of them as New Or
leans or Rio Janeiro was-that is, they
would be eternally separated from
home there. And their interpreters. as
we could understand. instantly said,
'Ah, non Palmas." and began to pro-
nose Infinite other expedients In most
voluble language. Vaughan was
rather disappointed At this result Of
his Mberalty aud asked Nolan eagerly
what they said. The drops stood on
moor Nolan's white forehead a. be
hushed the men down. and said:
IA sam Not Palmas.' Ha aaza