The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-11-28
BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON

| BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON
! ! ! ! !. ! / |; I
f%71 HE names of Thaddeus
I'll Kosciusko and Casimir
III Pulaski, the two Polish
It'll soldiers who fought in the
IN Revolution, are familiar to
Mf most citizens of the Unit
MI ed States, but it is doubt
I'LL full if the name of another
It'll Pole, Haym Salo m o n,
! means anything to more
than one out of a thousand Americans.
Yet his contribution to the cause Of
American liberty may in some respects
be considered infinitely greater than
those Of the other two combined.
The invaluable services Of this Po-
lish Jew, whose financial genius was
so vital to the Revolutions success,
have always been known to the schol-
airs Of that struggle, but the difficulties
Of obtaining reliable information have
kept this inspiring story from the pub
Lie and the efforts which have been
made to pay appropriate tribute to
his memory have, for some unknown
reason-unless it can be attributed to
the proverbial ingratitude Of republics
which so easily forget their debts to
some who labored nightly in their
cause-been defeated for more than
century.
Fortunately for the cause of Truth
thnrA hoe hfnn-
raphy Of this man which enables us
to see him in his true stature as one
of the really great figures of the Rev
Olution. It Is the book "Haym Salo-
mon and the Revolution" written by
Charles Edward Russell and published
by the Cosmopolitan Book corporation.
Solomon was born at LISA in Po-
land in 1740. At the age of thirty he
joined in the fight to resist Russian
domination Of Poland, was associated
with Kosciusko and Pulaski in their
heroic but futile effort and like those
two, was forced to flee from the coun-
try. He first made his way to Eng
land but soon left there and came to
America, arriving in New York in 1772.
Solomon had had considerable training
in business before leaving Poland and
he quickly established himself as a
broker and commission merchant in
New York city. The opportunity lay
at hand for him to make great for
tune but he hindered his chances for
that by one act. For the freedom-lov-
ing Pole almost Immediately allied
himself in the strongly Royalist
colony Of New York with a dis
reputable and discredited' organiza-
tion, called the Sons of Liberty, who as
early as 1884 had banded together to
resist oppressive acts by the British
crown.
He was worker in their cause at
the outbreak of the Revolution, and
late In 1776 he was one Of a number
Of the Sons who were imprisoned by
the British, accused Of having started
the fire which swept New York soon
after the defeat of Washington's army
on Long Island led to the occupation
Of that city by Lord Howe. Solomon
was lodged in the Provost and to be
held there meant certain death for
many patriot during the reign of
Cunningham, the brutal master of the
British prisons in New York.
Among the British troops were thou
sands of Hessian mercenaries who
could not speak a word of English.
When it became known that Solomon
could speak German Che was also a
master of French, Polish, Russian and
Italian), he was put lin better quar-
tiers and used as an interpreter to the
Hessians by the British. Eventually
he was released on parole. Even
while prisoner he was working in
the patriots cause for, unknown to
the British, in his talks with the Hes
SLAMS he was urging them to desert
and pointing out to them the bound
less opportunities which lay in the new
country for them when the war was
over. More than that he was taking
advantage of the fact that was regard
ed as ''trusty" by the British, pass
ing by their sentries freely and going
pretty much where he pleased, to aid
in the escape of American prisoners.
After his parole, he was able again to
engage in business, using this as well
as his interpreter duties for the Brit
ish, as cloak for his activity in be-
Chalf Of the patriots.
For two years Solomon led a SEEM
ingly peaceful existence. although
there wss never a moment when his
LIE was not In danger of being ended