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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (March 28, 1935)
I .-• William Da we 5, Jr. Battle of Lexinqton, April 19, 1775 MOM CARLO DRAWING MAOC ArtW PAY* WATER. Paul Revere By ELMO SCOTT WATSON ISTEN, my children, and you ahnll hear Of the midnight ride of . . . No, not of Paul Revere—at least, not of him ns the only rider on thnt historic April night 100 years ago. For there were two others who nlso sped through the darkness as mes sengers of alarm nnd who also de serve to he remembered by their fel low-Amerlcnns. Rut they are not thus remembered. Why? How does it happen thnt Paul Revere is so famous while William Dawes, Jr., nnd Dr. Samuel Prescott are virtually “forgotten men”? There are several plausible rensons. One of them Is the lucky chance of his having a name which fitted well Into the swinging cadence of a poem hy one of America’s best loved poets. “William Dawes" and “Samuel Pres cott” are good, substantial American names. But somehow they lack the musical quality of “Paul Revere.” Another is the lucky chance (or perhnps It was shrewd foresight) of his having written out an account of his exploit nnd of this manuscript being preserved for posterity. Still another Is the fact thnt this midnight ride was only one Incident In the career of a man of extrnordinnry versatility. For Paul Revere was a silversmith, an engraver, a cartoonist, a publisher, a poet, a dentist, a merchant, an Inventor nnd a soldier nnd his accomplishments In any one of these occupations might easily have guaranteed more than transient fame for him. Recognition of these accomplishments did come to him In his lifetime but for the Immortality thnt Is his, he can thank Henry Wndsworth Longfellow and the poem “The Ride of Paul Revere,” first pub lished some 05 years ago nnd since then recited countless times by countless American school children. Recognition was longer In coming to William Dawes, Jr., even In his native New England. For mnny years April IP, the anniversary of the battles of Lexington nnd Concord, hns been ob served as Patriots' day and celebrated ns n holi day. In 1015 began the annual re-enactment of Paul Revere’s ride ns a pnrt of the celebration, but It was not until five years later thnt William Dawes was similarly honored. On April 17, 1020, the Boston Evening Transcript carried an article which said In pnrt; "Both William Dawes nnd Paul Revere will ride from Boston town to Lexington on Mon day. In these Twentieth century years, while Paul Revere hns repented his famous ride on each succeeding Patriots’ day, William Dawes has not, heretofore, ventured forth over the route which he followed on the nineteenth of April, century before Inst. But this year he will make the trip nnd will receive his share of the honors of the dny.” The story of the ride of William Dawes Is a generally forgotten Incident of the dawn of the Revolutionary struggle, yet he seems to have been entitled to an equul share with 1’aul Revere In the credit of a daring and dangerous enterprise. lie left Boston at the same time nnd carried the same message of warning nnd alarm to the Inhabitants of each outlying vil lage and hamlet. Dawes went under orders of the Committee of Safety as did Revere, but Dawes wns sent by the way of Roxbury, Brook line, Cambridge nnd Arlington to Lexington, Instead of the route followed by Revere through Charlestown, Somerville, Medford nnd Arling ton. The Idea was that the British were not likely to capture both riders nnd one of them was almost certain to get past the enemy. As a matter of fact, both overcame the difficulties and dangers nnd reached their common desti nation In safety. While the ride of William Dawes has been unknown to a majority of the general public, It has been by no means overlooked by the his torians. In connection with the present observ ance a brief account of the exploit ami some thing about Duwes himself has been prepared by W. K. Watkins, historian general of the Sons of the American Revolution. Mr. Watkins says: "William Dawes, Jr., a young tanner, was born In the North End In 1745. lie was an active patriot with Revere, Doctor Warren and others, a small group In watchful waiting, for n move of the British against the Americans. Warning of such a movement was given by William Jasper, un Englishman, who had mar ried Ann, sister of Robert Newman, the sex ton of Christ church. Jasi>er was a cutler and did work for the soldiers and so heard of the Intended expedition. "During the war Dawes removed with tils family to Worcester, where he was assistant commissary of issues at the magazine. After the war from 1782 to 1795 he kept a general Btore at 13 Dock square now numbered 21 to 30. He lived on Ann, now North street, where stood <he ‘Franklin House’ half a century ago. In 1795 he went to live on his farm In Marl boro where he died February 25, 1799. Ills body is buried In the King’s Chapel Ilurial ground.” But although Massachusetts thus in 1920 be gan to pay belated tribute to one of her heroes, It was not until four years later that Americans -■ - Retreat of the British From Concord rROM THi FAiM-riNb A'ff CMAPPfW generally became aware of the name nnd fame of William Dawes, Jr. That came about through a rather curious development during a political campaign. In 11)24 the Republican party nominated Gen. Charles Gates Dawes of Illinois as the running mate for Calvin Coolldge who had succeeded to the presidency after the death of President Harding. A few weeks later Senator Pat Har rison, "keynoter" at the Democratic convention called upon his party to give to the nation a "new Paul Revere” who should net as a mes senger of warning to the country of the dangers of continued Republican rule. That led a reader of the New York llerald-Trlbune to recall that the great-grandfather of the Republican nominee for vice president had ridden with Paul Revere In 177.1 nnd to bring to light the following poem by Helen F. More, a New England writer ot verse, which had appeared In the Y’outh’s Com panion : WHAT'S IN A NAME? I am a wandering, bitter shade; Never of me was a hero made; Poets have never sung my praise; Nobody crowned my brow with bnys; And if you ask me the fatal cause I answer only, “My name was Dawes,” ’Tis nil very well for the children to hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere; Rut why should my name be quite forgot Who rode ns boldly nnd well, God wot? Why should 1 ask? The reason Is clear— My name was Dawes and his Revere. When the lights from old North church flnshed out, Paul Revere was waiting about, Rut I was already on my way. The shadows of night fell cold nnd gray As I rode with never n break or pause, Rut w hat was the use when my name was Dawes! History rings with his silvery name; Closed to me are the portals of fame. Had he been Dawes nnd i Revere No one had henrd of him, 1 fear. No one has heard of me because His name was Revere nnd mine was Dawes. This poem was widely reprinted both during the campaign and after General Dawes had be come vice president, and It did much to establish In the minds of Americans that William E. Dawes as well ns Paul Revere w as a heroic figure In the events of April 18-19, 1775. Ills name be came even better known during the Lexington and Concord Sesqulcentennlnl celebration In 1925 In which Ills descendant. Vice President Dawes, had a prominent part. During this celebration two bronze tablets honoring Dawes were un veiled—one marking the site of his home at Id North street In Boston and one on the Brighton end of the I.arz Anderson bridge, marking the spot where he crossed the Charles river “on his way to alarm the country of the march of the British to Concord." As for the third of the "midnight riders," Dr. Samuel Prescott, he Is still pretty much a “for gotten man,” so far as Americans generally are concerned. Even In New England his recogni tion has l»een even more belated than was Dawes’. On April 19, 1980, the Boston Globe car ried a special dispatch from Concord which said in part: "Dr. Samuel Prescott” (Impersonated by Sergt. Andrew G. McKnlght of Troop A. One Hundred Tenth cavalry) galloped Into town at two this afternoon, reined In his horse In front of Wright's tavern to notify the natives that "the British are on the march." “Dr. Prescott” presented the reproduction of his historic ride for the first time today and it added much Interest to Concord's observ ance of Patriots' day. "Dr. Prescott" has waited some time for his place In the limelight, hut he found solace in the fact that he was generally accredited with being quite the handsomest and liest-dressed "rider" of the three. When the original Revere and Dawes left Islington on that famous night in April, 1775, to come to Concord, they met Doctor Prescott on the way. Doctor Prescott lived in Concord and had been courting In Lexington that night. Thus, Charles L. Purrill of the Poston com mittee, explained to Concordlans near Wright’s tavern, this afternoon, the reason for the bro caded costume, the white lace and other pret ties worn by “Dr. Prescott." Wright’s tavern is the building at which the men of Concord and surrounding towns gath ered at the call to arms on April 19, 1775. Major Pitcairn of the Pritish detachment which reached Concord made the tavern ids head quarters, and It was here he made his famous boast that he would “stir the Yankee blood this day." Not only is Dr. Samuel Prescott a “forgotten man’’ so far as the average American is con cerned, but he is still pretty much of a shadowy figure In American history. You will look for his name in vain in any of the school book histories or even In the cyclopedlus of biography. But that he had an Important part in the history-making events of those two April days ICO years ago is attested to by a contemporary account of no less importance than Paul ltevere's own narrative which says: "I set off upon a very good horse; it was . then about 11 o’clock, and very pleasant. In Medford I waked the captain of the Minute Men; and after that, I alarmed almost every house, till I got to Lexington. “After I had bfcen there about half an hour, Mr. Dawes arrived, who came from Boston, over the neck; we set off for Concord, and were overtaken by a young gentleman named Prescott, who belonged to Concord, and was going home; when we had got about half way from Lexington to Concord the other two stopped at a House to awake the man. I kept along, when I got about 2(K) yards ahead of them; I saw two officers as before, I called to my company to come up, saying here was two of them. In an instant I saw four of them, who rode up to me, with their pistols in their hands, said, ‘You stop, If you go an inch fur ther, you are a dead Man.’ Immediately, Mr. Prescott came up. We attempt to git thro’ them, hut they kept before us, and swore if we did not turn Into that pasture, they would blow our brains out (they had placed themselves op posite to a pair of Barrs and had taken the Barrs down). They forced us in, when we got In, Mr. Prescott snld, put on. He took to the left, I to the right, towards a wood at the bottom of the Pasture Intending, when I gained that, to Jump my Horse, and run afoot; Just ns I reached It, out started six officers, seized my bridal, put their pistols to my breast or dered me to dismount, which 1 did. One of them examined me and asked me what my name was. I told him. He asked me if I was an express. I answered in the affirmative. "He demanded what time 1 left Boston. I told him, and added that their troops had catched aground in passing the river, and that there would he f>00 Americans there in a stiort time, for I had alarmed the country all the way up. He immediately rode towards those who stopped us, when all five of them came down upon a full gallop. One of them clapped a pistol to my head and told rue he was going to ask me some questions, and If 1 did not give him true answers he would blow my brains out. He then asked the questions and ordered me to mount my horse. “When we got to the road they turned down toward Lexington. When we had got about one mile the major rode up to the officer that was leading me and told him to give me to the sergeant. The major enquired how far it was to Cambridge. Then lie asked the sergeant If his horse was tired and said “take that man’s horse.” 1 dismounted, and the sergeant mount ed my horse, and they all rode towards Lex ington meeting house." The Britisli then released ltevere, who went on to Reverend Clark’s house where he warned Hancock and Adams in time for them to tlee. in ttie meantime Doctor Prescott had safely made his escupe and soon readied Concord. As for what followed—“You know the rest. In hooks you have read . . £ by Western Newspaper Union. SEEN-'HEARD around the National Capital iTT ..— By CARTER FIELD-—Smm Washington.—It was just a coinci dence that Senator Couzens Intro duced his excess profits tax amend ment on the heels of another blast from Father Coughlin, who hap pens to he one of Couzens’ most prominent constituents. Couzens has always believed In high taxes on the rich. He has been attacked many times by those who said that he had his own fortune In tux ex empt government bonds, and was therefore not as unselfish ns It might appear In wanting the taxes on big Incomes ami corporation earnings. Curiously enough, Bernard M. Ba ruch, so bitterly assailed by Father Coughlin, and apparently with so little Information—about the only thing he had rigtit was as to the closeness between Oen. Hugh S. Johnson and Baruch—is also an advocate of high taxes on the rich, and on corporations. Baruch’s motive is slightly differ ent from that of Couzens. The financier is a fanatic on the subject of balancing the budget. He agrees more nearly with the economic and fiscal Ideas of Lewis W. Douglas, former director of the budget, than with anyone else in the New Deal. Incidentally, his advice on fiscal af fairs has never been taken, though several times asked, by the Roose velt administration. Just before inauguration, Bnruch, consulted as were many others about the inaugural address, plead ed with the President to stress two points and only two—stand by the gold standard and balance the budg et. The President gave a little lip service, for a few months, to the idea of balancing the budget, but he gave the hint that he would not worry about the gold standard in the words “an adequate but sound currency.” Then Went to Europe Baruch believed in cutting gov ernmental expenses, imposing high enough taxes so that receipts would equal total expenditures, and no “emergency budget.” He \yas pleased when his old friend and lieutenant, Johnson, was appointed at the head of NBA, but had noth ing to do with that appointment. As a matter of fact he immediately departed for Europe, so that it could not be said truthfully that Johnson was just a mouthpiece for Baruch, or just acting as his crea ture. This is not just supposition. Ba ruch told friends the chief reason he was getting out of the country for a while was to head off just such talk. And as a matter of fact it Is no secret that when he re turned to the United States he wTas not too well pleased with the way things had gone. Washington correspondents who have been observing the move ments of Baruch for these many years are rather intrigued at the amount of misinformation Father Coughlin had acquired about the financier. The two men differ vio lently on one tremendously impor tant issue—inflation. Baruch is desperately against it. Coughlin is enthusiastically for it. Roosevelt stands somewhere be tween the twb. Roosevelt Is against printing press money. He is for devaluation of the gold content of the dollar. He would like to see some international system for cur rency worked out—not now, but after commodity prices have reached the level he thinks proper. Cotton Situation Concern about the cotton situa tion continues to mount in adminis-. tration and New Deal circles. Of ail those speaking about it publicly, however, the only high official who really gives anything like the real picture is Daniel C. Roper, secre tary of commerce. He is one of the few who openly concede that the government has tried to maintain the [trice of cot ton at too higli n level—that if held there It is only n question of time until the rest of the world either finds an acceptable substitute, or a new cotton growing area. He is one of the few who has had the temer ity to talk openly about the menace of tin* new development In Brazil, one known result of which already is that certain important English cotton mills have altered their looms—a most expensive operation, hence indicating permanence—so as to handle Brazilian Instead of Amer ican cotton. Secretary of Agriculture Wallace, while denying vigorously that any change in the cotton program is an ticipated. did not attempt to prediet that the amount of money tiie gov ernment would loan on a bale of cotton in 1935 would lie as great as it has been. The amount tlie government will loan will be cut. In other words, ttie government has slowly but sure ly been driven to what it now knows is tfie necessity of pegging tin price of cotton lower than it lias been. One of the most convincing points in driving the administration to this position — not yet officially an nounced—is not the fear of a sub stitute, or of the future develop ment of a new area, though both of these are recognized as being real enough. It is the fact that the rest of the world Is not now buying any thing like the normal amount of cotton from the United States. More Trade Treaties Coming right on the heels of the collapse of the effort to barter half a million bales of cotton In a deal with Germany—mostly for blocked marks which would have had to be expended inside Germany for ex . ports—the falling off in American cotton exports has given a decided boost to the pressure for more re ciprocal trade treaties. Manufacturers of this country have been warned by Secretary Itoper that—in this drive to provide exchange in this country for foreign countries which might buy our cot ton, and other products—they must stand ready to submit to foreign competition. It is not enough, lie warned, to reduce duties on foreign goods, which do not compete with American factories.. It is neces sary to admit a very large volume of goods, which do compete with ours—or else give up all hope of selling our own goods abroad. Underneath all this pressure is one particular necessity—to provide a foreign market for American cot ton. This does not mean that the gov ernment hopes to continue the pres ent price of cotton by obtaining ad ditional foreign buying. It now ac cepts as a fact that it must reduce the price as part of what Is neces sary to induce foreign buying; that —and provide In some way for for eign purchasing power. The last, of course, is why the government Is now pressing for reciprocal trade agreements looking to American purchases of more foreign goods. The situation has not been much discussed because it is so unpleas ant. Nobody is expected to be hap py about it. Not the southern cot ton growers, for they must look for ward to lower prices for their sta ple. Not the manufacturers, for they must look forward to keener competition, and to sacrificing part of the American market to their foreign competitors. Return of prosperity, with great er purchasing power in America, will help the manufacturers. For the cotton planters, however, it would probably spell higher prices for everything they buy. Business Salvage Right under the smoke screen provided by Senator Huey Long and Father Coughlin, business has eased into Washington and run off with more salvage than it had thought possible two months ago— or even two weeks ago. For instance—due to an amazing flood of propaganda—repeal of the pink slip publicity for income taxes provision seems assured. Also—the death sentence of util ity holding companies has been re prieved to life imprisonment—or at least discretion to do so will be re posed in government agencies. Also—contractors, scheduled trr be left high and dry whenever pos sible in the four-billion dollar work relief expenditures, now find them selves in such satisfactory shape that the construction industry, and Michael McDonough, of the build ing trades unions, join in a state ment singing the praises of the Presidential program. While an other big group of contractors, the road builders, are giving a good imi tation of a cat with cream on its whiskers. And that would not be ail, if a few more Industries wake up to the situation and realize what they have to do to be saved. Though so far not many have shown indication of so doing. F'or example, the railroads, with an army of security holders almost ns large ns the utilities, have not thought of making a mass attack on individual senators and repre sentatives for what they really want—regulation of trucks and busses, but especially trucks. They have been very discreet, stating their case in pompous argu ments, and leaning over backward lest they be suspected of speaking in self-interest. If they would get their stockholders writing in to the senators and representatives in whose stntes and districts the se curity holders vote, there might be action very quickly. • How to Get Results What tlie railroads should learn, and what a good many other lines of business should learn, is a very simple fact about how to get re sults In Washington. It is a fact that was appreciated to tlie utmost by the Anti-Saloon league. It is a fact which has been appreciated for the first time this session by the utilities. And a fact spectacu larly demonstrated by the forces fighting now for repeal of income tax publicity. The fact is that the average sen ator and representative can be af fected only by backfires from his own state or district. The average senator, for example, is no more In terested in a referendum by the Na tional Chamber of Commerce on some piece of legislation than he is in a treatise on why the ancient Assyrians did not drink whisky in stead of wine. Probably not so much. Hut he does cnre, and tremen dously, if half a dozen of the very manufacturers who voted in that referendum send him strong per sonal letters and wires—if the manufacturers in question live in that senator’s state. And if they induce a lot of their friends to Join the clamor, the senator seeks light, as a result, very quickly. Copyright.—WNU Servlcg BRISBANE THIS WEEK Suddenly Polite Why? He Is Prepared Thought for Atheists Strange Hangings IIow politely Germany Is treated, suddenly, by the "victorious allies”! Recently Germany was kicked around. , all her money taken by the allies, French and English sol diers camping on her territory at her expense, the Ver sailles treaty stern ly enforced. What a change now! England sends a clever statesman to talk it over with Hitler the moment he throws the Ver Arthur Rri.tone sail,es treaty oa to the rubbish heap. France is almost polite in messages to Germany. No more threats; no more “Do as we say!” You know what causes this. Hitler lets it be known that he has beeu preparing for a war in case anybody wants one; that Germany has a well drilled army of half a million men and an enormous fleet of commercial air planes that could drop explosive bombs and poison gas most conveniently. In other words, Germauy is pre pared, willing, ready and able to tight if anybody insists on it. So nobody insists. There may be a lesson there for this country, that, if attacked, could only throw a few lumps of gold at tho enemy and plead: “Please be nice.” Flying is like human life in this, you do not see what it is that pulls you along through the upper air. You look at the three engines, stick ing out into space ahead of you, and see no sign of power, nothing to ex plain the speed and climbing power or what it is that keeps you aloft. The propellers move at a speed that makes them invisible. You know that you move, but do not see what moves you. A clergyman might find a text for atheists in that. Your athe ist, or gentleman from Senegam bla, would say: “Do not talk to me of a trinity of propellers that haul mo to my destination and my destiny. If there were uny such propeller* I should see them.” In Austria, Nazis are supposed to have murdered the Austrian chancel- < lor, Dollfuss. Now the government that succeeds Dollfuss will hung IT Nazis as a start. There is nothing novel in that. Where you have dicta torship you have wholesale killings. They go together. The interesting thing is the method of hanging in Austria. .They have no “drop” which causes the criminal to break his neck by the jerk of his own weight. A noose is put around the criminal’s neck, and as he hangs “as sistant executioners" pull at his feet until he chokes to death. It must he a disagreeable spectacle, even for the "assistant executioners." Learned professors tell you the say ing “beautiful but dumb” is silly, un true. On the contrary, beauty and in telligence go together. Also, there is no intelligence that is not beautiful in itself. Follow intelligence up through the animal kingdom. Youi female gorilla is a horribly ugly creature. The chim panzee, more intelligent, is less ugly. The lowest female savage, horrible to look at, Is less atrociously ugly than the female chimpanzee, and so on alt the way up. Convicts at work in a California! county road camp, in Elizabeth can yon, rebelled “because they had no hashed-brown potatoes” for breakfast. It was a substantial breakfast—prunes, cereal, griddle cakes, but no hashed brown potatoes. Men change. When Parmentier, for whom the excellent potato soup, pot age Parmeutier, is named, brought the first potatoes to France nobody would eat them. An intelligent king ordered the noble® at court to wear potato blossoms in their buttonholes in the spring. Imme diately the common people said. “Pota toes must be good” and ate them. The name suggested for a new state, that would be number forty-nine, is “Absaroka,” a name and state to be created by putting together western . North Dakota, the northern third of * Wyoming and one row of counties along the southern border of Montana. That dreadful name chosen for this forty-ninth state, “Absaroka,” is the name of the Crow Indian nation. As long as it is to be one of the United States, why not select a United States name, Lincoln, Edison, or some other with a meaning? Two Americans, Mr. and Mrs. Switz from East Orange. N. J., with twenty ^ alleged accomplices, accused of spying for Russia, will be tried In Paris within a few days. The Switzes and others are accused of informing “a foreign power” of French secrets concerning high ‘explosives, planes built to fly through the stratosphere and across the Atlantic in six hours, and “chemi cal warfare secrets,” which means rec ipes for more deadly gases. ®. Kinsr Features Syndicate, laa. WNU Service.
