The Ely miner., 1935-04-05

for vice president had ridden with Paul Revere
in 1775 and to bring TO light the following poem
by Helen F. More, a New England writer OF
verse, which had appeared in the Youths Com
panion:
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
I am wandering, bitter shade;
Never of me hero made;
Poets have never sung my praise;
Nobody crowned my brow with bays;
And if you ask me the fatal cause
I answer only, My name was Dawes"
IT'S all very well for the children TO hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere;
But why should my name be quite forgot
Who rode as boldly and WELL God wot?
Why should ask? The reason is clear
My name was Dawes and his Revere.
When the lights from old North church flashed
out
Paul Revere was waiting about,
But 1 was already on my way.
The shadows of night fell cold and gray
AS / rode with never break or pause.
But what was the use when my name was Dawesi
History rings with his silvery name;
Closed to me are the portals of fame.
Had he been Dawes and Revere
No one had heard of him, fear.
No one has heard of me because
His name was Revere and mine was Dawes.
This poem was widely reprinted both during
the campaign and after General Dawes had be-
come vice president, and 1t did much to establish
in the minds of Americans that William E
Dawes as well as Paul Revere was heroic figure
in the events of April 1919. IT'S. His name be-
came even better known during the Lexington
and Concord Sesquicentennial celebration in 1925
In which his descendant, Vice President Dawes,
had prominent part. During this celebration
two bronze tablets honoring Dawes were un-
veiled-one marking the site of his home at IS
North street in Boston and one on the Brighton
end Of the Larz Anderson bridge marking the
spot where he crossed the Charles river ION his
way to alarm the country of the march of the
British to Concord"
As for the third of the midnight riders" DR..
Samuel Prescott, he is still pretty much -for-
gotten man. so far Americans generally are
concerned. Even in New England his recogni-
ton has been even more belated than was
Dawes. On April 10, 1890. the Boston Globe car
ried a special dispatch from Concord which said
in part:
'.Dr. Samuel Prescott" (impersonated by
Sergt Andrew G. Mcknight of Troop A. One
Hundred Tenth cavalry galloped into town at
two this afternoon, reined in his horse in front
of Wright's tavern TO notify the natives that
1.-The British are on the march"
'Dr Prescott presented the reproduction Of
his historic ride for the first time today and
it added much interest to Concord's observ-
ance of Patriots day
DR. PRESCOTT has waited some time for his
place in the limelight, but he found solace in
the fact that he was generally accredited with
being quite the handsomest and best-dressed
rider of the three.
When the original Revere and Dawes left
Lexington on that famous night In April 1775,
TO come TO Concord, they met Doctor Prescott
on the way. Doctor Prescott lived In Concord
and had been courting in Lexington that night.
The Boston committee on Patriots day and
the costumer who provided the Colonial dress
of the men who rode, naturally argued that If
Doctor Prescott had been 10 see his sweet
heart he must have been fairly well "doIled up
Thus, Charles L. Burrin of the Boston COM
mittee, explained to Concordians near Wrights
tavern. this afternoon the reason for the bro
caded costume. the white lace and other pref
ties worn by ~Dr. Prescott
Wrights tavern is the building at which the
men OF Concord and surrounding towns gath
cred at the call TO arms April 70, 1775.
Major Pitcairn of the British detachment which
reached Concord made the tavern his head
quarters, and il was here he made his famous
boast that ne would stir the Yankee blood
this day"
Not only is DR.. Samuel Prescott forgotten
man" so far as the average American is con-
cerned. but he is still pretty much of shadowy
figure in American history. You viii look for his
name in vain in any of the school book histories
or even in the cyclopedias of biography. But thar
he had an important part in the history making
events OF those two April days 160 years ago is
attested TO by a contemporary account Of no less
Importance than Paul Reveres own narrative
which says: