Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 April 1897 — WIDOWS OF THE REVOLUTION. [ARTICLE]

WIDOWS OF THE REVOLUTION.

Seven Pensioners Whose Hnsbands Serve! Under Washington. “Seven women are still drawing pensions as the widows of men who saw active service in the war of the revolution: women whose husbands served under Washington more than a hundred and twenty years ago,” writes Clifford Howard In the Ladies’ Home Journal. “The eldest of these surviving widows of the revolution is living at Los Angeles, California. She is Mrs. Lovey Aldrich, now In the ninety-eighth year of her age. Her husband was Private Caleb Aldrich, who was born In the year 1763, and served as a soldier boy in the New England campaigns of the war. Mrs. Nancy Jones, of Jonesborough, Tenn., whose husband was Darling Jones, a private in one of the North Carolina regiments, is the youngest of the revolutionary widows, being now about 83 years of age. The other five are Nancy Cloud, who is living at Chum, Virginia, and is the widow of Sergeant William Cloud, of Captain Christian’s Virginia line; Esther S. Damon, of Plymouth Union, Vermont, whose husband was Private Noah Damon, of Massachusetts; Mary Snead, living at Parksley, Virginia, widow of Private Bowdoin Snead; Nancy A. Weatherman, who lives at Elk Mills, Tennessee, and whose first husband was Robert Glascock, a lifer in one of the Virginia regiments; and Rebecca Mayo, living at Newbern, Virginia, widow of Stephen Mayo, a soldier from Virginia. That these women can be 4 be widows of revolutionary soldiers is readily understood In view of the fact that their husbands were well on In yearis when they married. As, for example, when Esther Sumner married Noah Damon in the year 1835—fifty-two years after the close of the war—she was but twentyone, while he was seventy-six. The last revolutionary widow pensioner who had married prior to the close of the war, and had therefore actually lived during revolutionary times, was Nancy Serena, widow of Daniel F. Bakeman. She died about twenty-seven years ago, only a year or two after her husband, who was the last of the revolutionary soldiers on the pension roll.”

The Worst of It. President Lincoln’s reputation as a humorist rests largely upon the good stories he could tell, or invent, to illustrate a point. Sometimes, nsvertheless, he exhibits himself as a joker In another way, as In this anecdote narrated by Harper’s Round Table: One day Lincoln and a certain judge, an iptlmate friend, were bantering each other about horses, a favorite topic. Finally, Lincoln said: “TVell, look here, judge, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll make a horse-trade with you, only It must be upon these stipulations: Neither party shall see the other’s horse until It Is produced here in the courtyard of the hotel, and both parties must trade horses. If either party backs out of the agreement he does so under a forfeiture of twenty-five dollars.” “Agreed,” cried the Judge, and both he and Lincoln went In search of their respective animals. A crowd gathered, anticipating some fun, and when the judge returned first the laugh was uproarious. He led, or rather dragged, at the end of a baiter the meanest, boniest rib-staring quadruped, blind in both eyes, that ever pressed turf; but presently Lincoln came along carrying over his shoulder a carpenter’s horse. Then the mirth of the crowd was furious. Lincoln solemnly set his horse down, and silently surveyed the judge’s animal with a comical look of infinite -llsgusr. “Well, judge,” he finally said, “this is the first time I ever got the worst of It In a horse-trade.” Scientists’ Wives. Apropos of the droll surprises that await the woman who marries a man addicted to practical science, the following anecdote is related: On the Palisades a cottage had been erected, containing a laboratory for the development of untold scientific mysteries. One day the unscientific bride observed a water-bug (which had apparently materialized for the occasion) endeavoring unsuccessfully to climb out of a deep tub. Not having a fondness for bugs, she called to her husband to come and seize him and put him to death. The husband gallantly rushed to the rescue, but becoming Interested In the scientific aspect of the creature, slowly replied: “No, I’ll not kill him. I’ll take his weight, and the angle at which he invariably slips back into the tub, and then we shall have his coefficient of adhesion.” Whereat the amazed lady became speechless; marveling greatly at the resources of the scientific masculine mind.

Baronness Hirsch’s Liberality. Since the death of Baron Hi each fate widow has been making lavish gifts to various charities in France, England and Austria. Besides the 2,000,000 francs which she has given for the building of a laboratory for the Pasteur Institute, she has recently given 2,000,000 francs for the pension sung of the Oriental railroads, In building which Barpn Hirsch laid the foundation of his collossal fortune. Beside* this, she has given 1,000,000 francs for the foundation of a hospital in London, and several beneficent institutions in Paris have just received large sums from her. It is estimated that within the last two months Baroness Hirsch has distributed 12,000,000 francs in charity. Turned Over. “There is too much system in this school business,” growled Tommy. “Just because I snickered a Httle the monitor turned me over to the teacher, the teacher turned me over to the principal, and the principal turned me over to paw." “Was that all?” j “No. Paw turned me over bis knee."