Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1879 — PERSONAL AND LITERARY. [ARTICLE]

PERSONAL AND LITERARY.

—The curiosity of the clerks in the Post-Office Department in Washington was piqued by a letter from Roswell Beardsley, postmaster at North Lansing, N. Y., who said that he has held that office for over fifty-one years, and thev began to look over the records to find out the oldest postmaster. Mr. Beardsley proved to be the man, for he was commiasioned on June 28, 1828. Edward Stabler, now postmaster at Sandy Springs, Md., was appointed by Andrew Jackson in 1830. —The verb “to buck,” whether of Western origin or not, certainly has a comprehensive and what might be termed a striking meaning. It signifies to resist determined opposition, and to resist it with pertinacity. A man bocks against the law when he appeals his case to higher and higher courts; bucks against religion when he is unmoved by a sturdy “revival;” bucks at faro when he sits down and gambles all night; bucks ores when he crushes their tough lumps and hard grains until they slide between his thumb and finger like flour. —Good Company. —A friend of Chief-Justice Chase attributes his death to the fact that he had not practiced law for twenty years when he became Chief Justice, so that when he came to, preside over so learned and experienced a body of lawyers he naturally felt his inferiority, and those profound old judges, while apparently paying the most punctilious respect to their presiding officer, never let an opportunity pass when there was a chance to make Mr. Chase feel that, though he may once have been a very good lawyer, yet twenty years in politics had impaired his legal education and astuteness. Mr. Chase was a proud man, and chafed under the implied inferiority. He studied day and night to remedy his defects and bring himself up to the fit standard, and under this mental strain he broke down.

—At Leadville the other night, a barber named Carl Bockhouse, while returning from his work, was stopped by three foot-pads and commanded to throw up his hands, the usual summons received by wayfarers out late. He immediately did so, having a self-cocking pistol in his hands, with which he instantly killed one and shot another in the arm and captured him. Next afternoon Bockhouse was borne through all the principal streets in a chair on the baclts of men, followed by a large procession of men bearing a banner inscribed on one side the words “ Footpad Exterminator,” and on the other side “ Terror to Robbers.” There was considerable excitement, and there were threats of lynching the wounded foot-pad, now in jail, but it has somewhat subsided and doubtless will blow over. A purse of over SI,OOO has been raised by citizens, and when further collections are made it will be presented to Bockhouse, as will also a gold watch and chain. —Father Scully, whose course on the school question is attracting so much attention in Eastern Massachusetts, was Chaplain of the Ninth Massachusetts regiment' in the civil war. He was especially opppsed to gaming. One day half a dozen of the officers were having a game of poker, and as the stake amounted to $9.75 there was considerable excitement as to the winner. Just as the question was decided Father Scully sprang in under the tent flap, grabbed the stakes and put them in his breast pocket, with the remark, “There it is, and there it will stay!” No remonstrance was offered, and he walked off with the currmicy. In a little while pay-day came rotmd, and the usual collection was taken up for the Chaplain. Father Scully was soon informed of the amount, and sat in his tent waiting for it to be brought to him. In a short time the officer who had taken the collection—and he was one of those who had been disturbed at the game a few days before—approached with the money, which he nanded over. The Chaplain counted it and then turned sharply on the messenger with the question, “Where’s the other $9.76!” The officer had been waiting for this moment of triumph, and drawing himself up he slapped his hand on the breast of bis coat and answered, “ There it is, and there it’ll stay; that was my pot you took.”— N. ¥. Evening Post. —“ The teeth of time” are not false teeth. —Yonkers Gazette ,