The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-04-04

II IAN i not VI fIlIH us the only FHpT OH that
E4xR& historic April night 100 years ago.
Ht+AK 4 For there were two others who also
~ l sped through the darkness as mes
Al1ha sengers of alarm and who also de-
&M fh2% serve to be remembered by their fell
EfHQAT1 low-Americans.
But they are not thus remembered.
Why? How does 1t happen that Paul Revere
is so famous while William Dawes Jr.. and Or.
Samuel Prescott virtually forgotten men,?
There several plausible reasons.
Cine of them is the lucky chance Of his having
a name which fitted well into the swinging
cadence Of a poem BY one of Americas hest
loved poets civilian Dawes and Samuel Pres
colt good substantial American names But
somehow they lack the musical quality Of Paul
Revere"
Another Is the lucky chance Tor perhaps 1t
was shrewd foresight1 Of his having written out
an account of his exploit and of this manuscript
being preserved for posterty Still another Is
the fact that this midnight ride was only one
incident In the career of man of extraordinary
versatility. For Paul Revere was siIversmlth,
an engraver. A cartoonist publisher poet,
dentist a merchant an inventor and soldier
and his accomplishments In any one Of these
occupations might easily have guaranteed more
than transient fame for him. Recognition of
these accomplishments did come to him In his
lifetime but foU the Immortality TINT Is his. he
can thank Henry WadsWorth Longfellow and
the poem "The Ride of Paul Revere" first pub
lished some 81 years ago and since then rected
countless times by countless American school
children
Recognition was longer In coming to William
Dawes, IT., even In his native New, England
For many years April 10, the anniversary Of the
battles Of Lexington and Concord has been OBJ
served as Patriots day and celebrated as holi-
day. In 1915 began the annual reenacment OF
Paul keveres ride as Il part of the celebration,
but II was not until five years later that William
Dawes was similarly honored On. April II. 1920,
the Boston Evening Transcript carried an article
which said In part:
Both William Dawes and Paul Revere will
ride from Boston town to Lexington on Mon
day. In these Twentieth century years. while
Paul Revere has repeated his famous ride on
each succeeding Patriots day William Dawes
has not, heretofore. yentured forth over the
route which he followed on the nineteenth Of
April. century before last Bnt this year he
will make the trip and will receive his share
of the honors Of the day."
The story of the ride of William Dawes Is Il
generally forgotten incident of the dawn Of the
Revolutionary struggle yet he seems to have
been entitled to an equal share with Paul
Revere in the credit of daring and dangerous
enterprise He left Boston al the same time
and carried the same message of warning and
alarm to the inhabitants Of each outlying vii
lage and hamlet Dawes went under orders OF
the Committee Of Safety as did Revere but
Dawes was sent by the way of Koxbury, Brook
line, Cambridge and Arlington to Lexington
instead of the route followed by Revere through
dharlestown. Someryille Medford and Airing
ton. The idea that the British were not
likely to capture both riders and one of them
was almost certain to get past the enemy AS
matter Of fact, both overcame the difficulties
and dangers and reached their common dest-
nation in safety
While the ride Of William Dawes has been
unknown to majority Of the general public lt
has been by means overlooked by the his
forians. In connection with the present observ-
ance brief account of the exploit and some
thing about Dawes himself has been prepared
by w. X. Watkins. historian general of the
Sons of the American Revolution. Mr.. Watkins
says
william Dawes, IT., young tanner, was
born In the North END In 1745 He was an
active patriot with Revere. Doctor Warren and
Others, small group In watchful waiting, for
move of the British against the Americans.
Warming OF such Il movement was given by
William Jasper, an Engshman, who had mar
ried Ann, sister of Robert Newman the sex
ton OF Christ church jasper was cutter and
did work for the soldiers and SO heard OF the
intended expedition.
During the war Dawes removed with his
family to Worcester, where he was assistant
commssary of issues at the magazine After
the from 1882 to 1905 he kept a general
store at 13 Dock square numbered q to
30. He lived on Ann. now North street. where
stood the Franklin House half century ago
In 1895 he went to live on his farm In MARI
horo where he died February 25, 1909 His
body Is buried In the Kings Chapel Burial
ground
But although Massachusetts thus In 1920 be-
gan to pay belated tribute to one OF her heroes
1t was not until four years later that Americans