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OUT Among The PEOPLE
Pro VOX
COLONEL John J. Carew, of the
United States Army in Australia,
recalled the other day. when we
were talking about the Revolution.
that the opening skirmish between '?
the rebels and the redcoats near I
Concord was re-enacted in pagean-!
try by the citizens of Concord in
1938.
The part of the officer command-
Ing the British regulars was given
to Colonel Carew, and he: played
it almost to perfection. Local
tradition bad it that toe CO of the ?
British company visited a tavern;
on the march to Concord and be
came "plastered-" This. Colonel
Carew declined to do!
They, must nave* been hard
drinkers in those dan. for another
local story in Middlesex county is
that Paul Revere (mentioned in
this column yesterday) never actu
ally completed that epic ride of
song and story. A tale handed
down among Middlesex residests is
that Revere also had a "f?w too
many," and broke a leg when*, after
leaving an *?*? he shinned up one
side of bis horse, and crashed to
the ground on the other.
The story goes that he never
reached Lexington with his warn
ing of the approaching, British,
but that two other residents, rid
ing in turn, completed the journey,
and the task of rousing the citi
zenry.
I still like Longfellow's version
of the ride.
Colonel Carew said that a com
pany he has commanded since the
war Is proud of its history, tha*
goes back to 1636. in which time it
was, of course, a British colonial
regiment. It took part in the con
quest of Canada.
YOU'D probably remember Colo
nel Carew for bis highly interest
ing and somewhat moving broad
| cast through 5 AD a few weeks ago.
when he sent a message to bis wife
{and family in the OS.
| GOOD OLD PNCLE SAM
!l CORRESPONDENT, recalling
the visit of the US fleet to Western
Australia in 1908. says that WA's
greatest poet, the late 'Dryblower"
Murphy, wrote the following lines,
which are applicable today:—
'We've got a big brother in America,
I Uncle Sam, Uncle Sam.
The same old blood, the same old
speech.
The same old songs, are good
enough for each.
We'll all stick together, boys.
If the foe wants a flutter or a
fuss,'
And we're hanging out the sign.
From the Leeuwin to the line.
This bit of the world belongs to us.
HOW IT STARTED
THE United States Government is
usually typified under the name
of '"Uncle Sam." The name has a
very curious origin, unknown even
to most Americans. Mr. W. J.
Denny, who extensively toured
America, told me that the name
arose from the circumstance that
the initials "US" marked on cer
tain provisions at Troy, NY, pur
chased for the American Army in
the war of 1812, were facetiously
interpreted as standing for Uncle
Sam. the local nickname of Mr.
Samuel Wilson, a Government In
spector of that place. Fancy a very
obscure official securing such en
viable notoriety.
GILBERT MANT
WHEN Mr. Gilbert Mant, the new
State publicity censor, who be
gan his duties yesterday, was in
Malaya fighting with the ATF his
wife carried on his Job of Austra
lian news editor for Reuters. Mr.
Mant, who has had- wide experi
ence in newspaper work, likes the
way she did that Job. Mr. Mant
himself is one of those keen, re
sourceful Australians who have the
knack of doing most- things well.
He was bom in Sydney, the son of
the late Mr. W. H. Mant, a Sydney
solicitor, and educated at Sydney
Grammar School.
After five years on the Sydney
?Daily Telegraph" Mr. Mant went
to Fleet street in 1930 where he
free-lanced for a year, afterwards
joining Reuters as a cable sub
editor. He came to Australia
with the 1932-33 MCC cricket team
for Reuters He was Reuters
news editor in Canada from 1934 to
1936. and then came to Australia
with the 1936-37 Test team. After
another turn in England he re
turned to Australia as Reuters
news editor, but enlisted with the
ATT In July, 1040. He was dis
charged in September the follow
ing year, when he rejoined Reu
ters.
HORROCKS'S EXPEDITION
SOME watercolors of the ill-fated
Horrocks's expedition to the
north-west of South Australia in
1846 were shown to me yesterday
by Mr. Arthur Horrocks, of Gil-
berton, together with some refer-
ences to the expedition in the
"South Australian" of Friday, July
3, 1846; 96 years ago today. John
Ainsworth Horrocks was Arthur's
great-uncle.
Gill, who was apparently J. A.
Horrocks's friend, accompanied
the expedition, making a pictorial
record of outstanding incidents.
Horrocks's Pass was discovered and
named on this trip.
When loading a camel, Horrocks
accidentally discharged a loosely
slung gun, a charge of shot entering
his face.
John Ainsworth Horrocks ar-
rived in South Australia on his 21st
birthday in 1839. He was only 28
when he died.
His efforts to enlist Government
support for his northern venture
were recorded and supported by
the "South Australian," which, in
a leader, reproached the Govern-
ment of the day for its apathy on
the matter, and called on the pub-
lic to give financial aid.
Young Horrocks, incidentally,
founded the village of Pen-
wortham, and built St. Mark's
Church, in that place.
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