Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1876 — An Englishman’s Introduction to Sitting Bull. [ARTICLE]

An Englishman’s Introduction to Sitting Bull.

Those who have visited Washington have seen Greenough’s sitting statue of Washington in the east park of the Capitol grpunds. Most of those whose eyes have been so fortunate as never to have rested on it know that it is a colossal figure of George, sitting out in the sun and rain, without any hat or umbrella, In a marble chair, on top of a granite block. Of late they have wheeled this great stone image into the rear Immediately in front of the main porch of the Capitol. Standing here, in loose plaid walking coat and looser trousers, was a real John Bull, looking around with an eye-glass, the other morning, when his vision rested full on George. Turning to Maj. Ben Perley Poore, who happened to be near, the Englishman said: “ Aw, beg pardon, sir; but.what is that large marble figure ?’ ’ “That, sir,” replied the Major, with great gravity, “ is Bitting Bull.” “Aw! Really, now! Wonderfill! And you’ve got him up so soon! Aw, what an extraordinary people, to be sure!” With this he left the Major and started down the steps, and the last seen of this astonished Englishman he was walking around the granite base whereon Washington is seated, reading the inscription, which one full walk around is needed to complete: “ First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countiymen.” That inscription must have puzzled J. Bull considerably, and caused him to repeat with emphasis his former ejaculation: “ Aw, what an extraordinary people, to be sure.”— Washington Letter.

—The Cincinnati Commercial of a late date relates the following incident connected with the illness of the late George E. Pugh: “ Engineer Hoon, of the Fire Department who is an old acquaintance of Mr. Pugh, has been frequently attending him during his sickness. About three months before Mr. Pugh fell ill he was conversing with Hoon one day in regard to certain reminiscences of the Mexican war, and was in the act of relating an exciting incident when the conversation was interrupted by the entrance of a friend, and both the listener and the story-teller forgot all about it until last Friday night. It then happened that Mr. Pugh, reviving from a long stupor, beheld Mr. Hoon at his bedside, ana in his delirium immediately continued that story of the Mexican war, taking up the thread of the narrative from the point of interruption. Thus the tale was completed.” —Winslow, the forger, has written a sketch of his financial career for the Boston Herald. He says: “I shall not attempt to Justify any wrong act or course, nor seek excuse for any particular transgression. Wrong is ever wrong, and right isa duty, and must ever be so held in public estimation.” He acknowledges having taken the “ first false step,” but says . he did not realize it until too late, and that this false step was taken to save others, who had made loans to him in what he thought to be a regular but what proved to be an irregular way. -Ole Bull denies emphatically the slanders circulated through the press of this country upon his domestic relations.