The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-25

recite a church hymn, many of which I knew by heart, and be- gan with all the impressiveness I could muster:
 From Greenland's icy mountains, From India's coral strand;
 Where Africa's sunny fountains Roll down their golden sand. From many an ancient plain, They call us to deliver
 Their land from errors chain. What though the spicy breezes Blow soft OCT Ceylon's isle;
 Though every prospect pleases, And only man is vile?
 In vain with lavish kindness
 The gifts of God are strewn; The heather in his blindness Bows down to wood and stone.
 "As I proceeded I gained con- fidence and sensed the meaning of the words, involuntarily put ting emphasis where 1t belonged, and when I saw the effect on the children and the encouraging smile on my teachers face, I waxed eloquent and flung out a couple of gestures. Daniel Web- ster or Henry Clay couldn't have been happier over the applause they were getting those days that little Wales Porter was that par- ticular day in a Waterbury school house."
 When I asked MT. Porter about the Waterbury girls of his boy hood days his face illuminated and his lips asserted their charm and beauty. And when I inquired about his own first love affair, he said that it started out all right, but didn't turn out so good. was infatuated and bestowed upon her many presents and buggy rides, and we corresponded for few months after went into the war, when a letter came that cooled my ardor. She asked me to as- sign my pay in the army to her. the letter was never answered and my presents and buggy rides were a total loss."
 Among the many interesting stories MT. Porter told me was a railroad incident after the war when he was baggage-master on a train running between Waterbury and Bridgeport. The train had stopped on street crossing in Bridgeport and was holding up the street traffic. T was stand ing at the open side door of the baggage car when handsome turnout came up close to me with P. T. Barnum driving and the famous editor of the New York Tribune, Horace Greeley. sitting beside him. Just then a paSscn- ger came along and stood beside me. He was Well-knoWn char acter of that time. George Beck with, publisher of 'Beckwith's Almanac, and he wore white stove-pipc hat like Horace Greeleys. Beckwith balled out so loud that everybody within a block could hear, Say, MT. Bar numl Whats that you've got? Another Humbug'?"
 Then speaking of the Civil War and Memorial day, MT. Por- ter told how a Waterbury boy was killed right beside him: "In an engagement where we were on the firing line, kneeling and load ing and firing at the enemy on hill opposite, shell blew my comrade all to pieces, scattering his blood and brains over me and hurling jagged piece of his skull with such force that it tore away the jaw of another comrade."
 Terrible? Yes. But by such courage and sacrifice we, today, owe our liberties and opportuni- ties. THEY WERE FIGHTING UNDER GOD AND ABRAHAM LINCOLN TO SAVE THE UNION AND TO LIBERATE FOUR MIL LIONS OF SLAVES!
 ALL HONOR TO THE AMERI- CAN SOLDIERS FROM WASH INGTON AND THE CONTINEN- TAIL ARMY ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH OUR HIS- TORY!
 ON MEMORIAL DAY WALES PORTER WILL BE REMEMBER INC