Year: 1875




Have you ever, my boy, taken a trip over the


Pennsylvania Central Railroad 1t is beau
tiful ride in summer, grand and stern in win


ter-as you swiftly glide past fertile farms,
and quaint stone farm houses, and large stone
barns, and across the broad Susquehanna


through the lovely valley of the Juniata, and


over the lofty peaks of the Alleghanies. When


you make the Horse Shoe Curve, try and get
in the middle car, where you can see your rear


car chased by your engine.


The last time | came over the road, / came
II am almost ashamed to confess) over the AL
leghanies in the night. 1t does indeed seem a
sin to be whirled over these grand mountains,
and through these wild ravines, a dull cod
insensible to all the beauty around you. But
as / was determined to do the wrong it only
remained for me, like other sinners, to do it in


as elegant and luxurious manner as possible
So l took passage from Pittsburg in a sleeping


once, when the passengers from Baltimore got
off at Harrisburg. When l turned out of my


berth, found the train gliding through the
rich and fertile farm lands that lie between


Reading and Easton. The highly cultivated
farms, excellent fences, improved stock, am
Pile barns. and home like dwellings one sees
here from the car window, make the traveller
think the appellation England of America .
we'll merited.


The gentleman who shared my seat was a
man of large and athletic frame, whose dress
and appearance spoke of the city and of wealth


and influence while something told as well Of
an early life more familiar with hardship than
the luxury and refinement of the circle to
which he now evidently belonged. We chat
ted along, gliding from one topic to another,
until we finally settled down on our late civil
war and its generals, when he related the fol-
lowing story, which give in his own words
Said he:


"Both my parents died when I was very
Young and left me destitute and miserably
poor. The man to whom 1 was bound out
never gave me months schooling, and cloth


ed me in the cast-of rags of the family. My


great trial was to pass the district schoolhouse.


MY forlorn appearance was to the boys good


Joke, and I was fine victim for their coarse


and ribald jests; and finding they could i'm


pose upon me with impunity, they lost no op-


portunity of doing so. The school of expert


ence and stout arm, however, finally made


me expert in self-defence, so that l was more


than a match for any one of them singly.


cone noon l had got into an alteration


with three boys, who were pounding me un-


mercifully Suddenly a loud, manly voice


cried out, "Hold there, boys enough For


shame-three to one!" A determined arm took


off two of my prosecutors, and now said the


same voice to the remaining one: Lick him


if you can" He tried to get off, but the same


voice and arm that had saved me from the


peltngs of the combined three forced the one


to his unwilling task l soon finished him.
Each of the others was then made to take his
turn. When all three had skulked away, we'll
pounded, the handsome, we'll dressed, we'll
bred young man took me, the ragged, dirty
outcast, by the hand, and shaking it, said,
You'll do; you're clear grit; like fellow
that can take his own part!' and walked away
with an easy, rollcking air, whistling as he
went. l can see him now for years | saw him
every day as plainly as that noon.


"The words of commentator he gave me
were sweet. l felt that must have something
in me, to have gained the favor Of such young
man. The schoolboys troubled me no more
Some of them, after Joe Hooker's having acted
as my champion, even became friendly. l
began to unlearn a lesson that had early
learned, namely, that my own kind were my
enemies, and from the day Joe Hooker took my
part, began slowly but surely to coup. OBJ
| tanned, through my own exertons, fair edu-
cation, taught district school while, then
came to New York, got into business in a small
way, and am now independent.


"After the war came on, you may be sure
carefully watched Joe Hooker with almost
painful interest. l watched his course from


battle to battle, campaign to campaign, for
felt sure he was my Joe Hooker. When lie


came to New York called upon him. At first
he did not remember, but soon his face lighted
up, a 5 taking me by the hand, he said Yes
l remember; you were clear grit; wish had
| regiment like you"


| Boys, possibly that kindly action and those
kindly words made man OF an outcast boy


that would otherwise have grown up to become


criminal When you are tempted to make


game of the poor and the friendless, or are spec.
| tators to the brutality of others, remem bel
| Fighting Joe Hooker.