The Monmouth inquirer., 1926-04-15
oUK FAMlLlAR eAYINoa


which we now attach to the words.
"He's trick" IL q phrase that mcst
people imagine to be purely Ameri-
| can, and somehow it's terseness and
/ expressiveness give them reason for
their belief, for most Americanisms
are blunt and to the point. Yet this
phrase, which every American boy
uses almost daily. had its origin long
before America was thought Of, for
/ history tells that an ambassador from
Epurus visited the King II Sparta and
was shown by him over his capital
city. Considering the reputation and
power of Sparta and the warlike rule
of its king, the ambassador had ex-
pected to find cities surrounded by
massive walls and towers of defense.
Finally he said to the monarch: II
have visited most of your principal
towns and find no walls reared fer
their defense. Why is this?"
The king smiled and assured him
that he must have looked the Spartan
towns over very carelessly. ITO
morrow he said, II myself will take
you about anl 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
behoIdest the walls of Sparta ten
thousand men. and every man
brickI"
"Save your bacon" however is.
phrase that is of pure American ORR
gin, for it started in circulation as
the result Of ! n episode on the Missis-
sippi River some years ago when
races between rival boats were OF
frequent occurrence. On those ex-
citing occasions it was not unusual for
the fittings of the cabins 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 in one such con-
test there was a woman on board one
Of the boats who was going to New
Orleans with shipment of bacon
which she had cured herself, and up
on which she expected tJ realize a
substantial profit. AS the race be.
tween the rival craft progressed, 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 1t
should be spared. This was FREE
Quently repeated, and she reminded
the captain SO often in the words,
you know want to save my bacon"
that the passengers took the phrase
up, and afterware it spread all over
the country. However, on the third
day Of the race she became as ex-
cited as any one else. and, seeking
the captain, instead OF using the
customary warning, she said: cap
tain, are you going to let that craft
beat us?|
eve are, unless we can get some
more fuel" Ieplied 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 il my bacon and beat that
other boat!" Unlznowingly she in
vented saving that has survived
ever since,
HDon't give up the ship" is a say
ing that has been attributed to Can.
tain Lawrence of the United states
Navy, who was commanders of the
Chesapeake. In fact, some of our
encyclopedias state in so many words
that His last words were Don't
give up the Ship"
The battle between The Chesapeake
gna the Shannon too place off the 8
coast of Massachusetts, and sailor
carried to Boston the news Of the
battle and Of the death Of Captain
Lawrence, This news the seaman
took to the Offices Of the Boston
eenhnel, Of which Major Benjamin
Russell was the editor. "WAat were
Lawrence's last weFdsgs asked the
editor.
Il don't know" said the sailor,
Didn't he say don't giya up the
sh:p2'" asked Russell,
4kl1 P1SSSSu * AAAOW3 Heplleu lue
sailor, who had not seen his captains
death and was simply CARRYING the
message he had been told to convey.
swell, I'LL make him say 1t any
way" said Major Russell. and he did,
and to this Boston yeditor we are in
debted for this soul-stiFring saying:
Hold the Fort. for l Am Coming"
which was made familiar through the
evangelistic ing which utilized these
words as refrain, waa really never
said por was tt 'swig-waggeds by any
signal ewaVing in the skys as the
lines Of the song intimate,
instead, at the time OF the battle Of
Allatoona Pass. in the civil war, Sen.
eral Sherman sent plain. ordinary
dispatch to General serse readings
FHo.d AIlatoona and / will assist you.H
OF course Allateena would be a hard
xvard "a 4natxr, xeN4nufaa1fu foraaf,4I ora