Person:Augustus Waddington (1)

WRITTEN FOR THE DAILY NEWS

NEBRASKA CITY, NEBRASKA

I was born in the town of Usk, Monmouthshire, South Wales on the 15th day of November, 1840.

Usk is situated on a river of the same name, and in the center of the county. The Usk is celebrated for it's trout and salmon fishing and the fisherman use, to this day, the very ancient "Coracle", handed down to them from the days my forebears painted their bodies with "woad", "ing", the son of, "ton", town, Waddington, See?

I was sent to school at Newport when I was five years old, then to Lucton, in Herefordshire; Llandovery College, Caermarthenshire; and lastly at a Naval Academy at Portsmouth.

I was now nearly 15 years old, and as William Thomas of Llanover, who was with me at Llandovery, was going on his second voyage in the W. S. Lindsey, I shipped as midshipman on the 6th day of August, 1855. Our ship was full rigged, with an auxiliary screw, and oh! that screw and the smell of oil, Whew! The W.S. Lindsay was engaged by the Sardinian Government and we took a cargo of provisions for their army in the Crimea. We called at Gibraltar, Malta, and Constantinople for water and coal, and then made for Balaclava, in the Black Sea. Somehow or other we got off our course, and were off Sebastopol the night and morning the Russians evacuated the South Side. September the 8th and 9th, 1855. It was a terrific sight.

We had two passengers on board, who were mighty anxious to get ashore. I think they must have been newspaper correspondents, and this may account for our getting off our course, as we had no business off Sebastopol.

The next day, we entered the harbor of Balaclava. On the Sunday following, the 16th, Thomas and I walked over to Sebastopol; not a roof on any house, such a scene of desolation. An enterprising Frenchman and his wife had started a wine shop, and such wine! Perhaps the cannonading had soured it.

On the way over we passed through several camps, and the celebrated "Redan", also "the valley of the shadow of death". On the 23rd we went over again to Sebastopol, this time to the harbor. Both sides were firing occasional shots, and the Russians would fire a shell up in the air, over our heads, then send several rifle shots among us. Innocent spectators! This was at Port Paul, which the Russians had blown up before their retreat. We were promptly ordered away by a sentry.

After unloading we went to Sinope, in the Asiatic Turkey, for coal, then back to Constantinople. Captain Western, who by the way, was a Commodore in the Royal Navy, made me his Aide-de- Camp, and took me all over the places where we landed, so that I saw all the sights. (For description of which, see "Anybody's Travelogues.")

We were now chartered by the Turkish Government as a Transport, and we made several trips between Constantinople, and Kertch, in the Sea of Azof. We were frozen in there during the winter of 1855. When peace was proclaimed, we were engaged as a Troop Ship by the English Government, and we brought the 10th Hussars from Kertch to Izmid, where they relieved the 17th Lancers, Captain Morgan of Monmouthshire, being in charge.

The Commander of the 10th Hussars, was the Duke of Clarence, and a fine fellow he was; not a bit stuck up for a man in his position. I remember one of the men had a little dog which they had taught several tricks, and the Duke would just laugh and laugh at his antics.

From Constantinople, we took the 4th Light Dragoons to Portsmouth, where we landed them the day Peace Rejoicings, the 29th day of May, 1856. (Oak Apple Day) After landing there we anchored at Spithead, surrounded by Men of War, three deckers, two deckers, frigates, etc. and that evening I saw a sight no one will ever see again, that was the illumination of the Fleet. I will mention here that the 4th Light Dragoons and the 17th Lancers were both in that celebrated charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava.

My second voyage was in one of Greens East Indiamen, the Anglessey, Captain Thorne, bound for Melborne, Australia. We left London on the 16th of August, 1856. On the way out, we passed the Cape of Good Hope, and on the voyage back we passed around Cape Horn, thus accomplishing the circumference of the world. We arrived in London on the return voyage in April 1857.

My third voyage was on a Danish barque, the Frigga, Captain Christensen. We left Newport in 1857, bound for St. Thomas in the West Indies, now the Virgin Isles of the United States, with coal. From there we sailed under ballast for Laguna-di-terminos, in Mexico, where we took a cargo of log wood, which we delivered at Hamburg, Germany in January, 1858. At Laguna, all hands were laid up with yellow fever; we lost six of our men.

On the 25th of January, 1858, in London, I was out seeing the procession on the occasion of the marriage of the Princess Royal to Frederick, the Crown Prince of Germany. The crowd was so great, I climbed a tree in Gree Park and had a good view of the newly married couple. In the evening, my friends, the Kerrs, took me out in a carriage to see illuminated London.

In August, 1858, I was offered a position in Ceylon by Captain Byrde, on one of his coffee plantations. I left Guernsey in the Conqueror, Captain David, and arrived at Ceylon in November. I stayed there for eleven years, and thus gained my K.C.B. (Knight of the Coffee Berry). Then the wanderlust took me again, this time to India, and I got a place as assistant Station Master on the "Delhi and Punjab" Railway.

Then in 1870, having severe attacks of ague and fever, I left the railway and worked my way home to England.

After a rest of about three months, I tossed up which I should take up next, the diamond fields of Natal, or a homestead in Nebraska, and the homestead won, only I have not yet acquired it.

I landed in November, 1870, in Nebraska City, and one of the first men I met was William Bishot, whom I notice, has lately passed away. He was a good man.

I had to get work, so I went out to Palmyra, and got a job with Edwin Brown; my first work was hauling manure.

Palmyra was then a town of eight houses. 1. Richard Oakley, Dry Goods. 2. Hurt & Foster, the same. 3. W. B. Ronald, Hardware. 4. John Harris, Meat Market, (meat once a week) 5. Mrs. Viola Campbell, Boarding House. 7. Emma Kinney, Milliner's Shop. 8. Dr. J. Wilson Dopp, Homeopath.

In 1873, I was married to Mary H. Garnett, and have 4 children all born in Nebraska City. I have seven grand-children.

I was Deputy County Clerk, under Maccuaig Stevenson and Dunn. I also worked for some time for the Missouri River Commission. I was also a clerk to the Superintendent, George Wilcox, of the new Post Office building.

In 1889, I left Nebraska City for Kansas City, Missouri. There I worked some time as Deputy City and County Assessor. I also was in the Auditor's office in Emery, Bird, Thayer, & Co.'s store for seven years.

In 1900, I left Kansas City and came to Chicago. In 1907 I went to Seattle, and in 1909, returned to Chicago.

This autobiography would not be complete without some reference to my musical leanings. So far back as I can remember, I used to sing at home with my brothers, and sisters. Our favorite was "The Minstrel Boy". I have always sung in the Church Choir, wherever I was. At one time, in Ceylon, I led the musical part of the services on my concertina. In Palmyra, I was a member of both the Hall's and Morgan's singing schools. I shall never forget Prof. Wilmot's Concert. He asked me to get up some music for it. For my orchestra I had Al Dray, cornet, myself, first violin, Al Bales, second violin, Stover, flute, and George Tryne, bass.

Well, the night of the concert, Al Bates never turned up. A messenger took my flute-player away account of a sick wife, and so my stringed orchestra was composed of a cornet, a violin, and a B flat bass horn!I went behind the scenes and told the Professor my dilemma, he came out in front, and made a few remarks as to the orchestra, which were well received by the audience, and I don't believe that I ever played better in my life! I was mad clear through.

The English Concertina, I still think a wonderful instrument. I have often been playing, passers-by said that at one time it sounded like a flute, or a violin, or a cornet. I remember the "Daily News" said about my musical abilities, that I played a dozen different instruments, and did it all on the concertina!

I could fill out several columns on my musical history, but forebear.

I belong to several "Orders". I was one of the Charter members of the Nuckells Lodge, No. 7, A.O.U.W. and organized the Select Knight Branch of the A.O.U.W. in Nebraska, and at the meeting at Omaha when the Grand Legion was organized, August 18, 1887, was elected Past Grand Commander, and was a delegate to the Supreme Legion at their meeting at St. Paul, Minnesota.

I have received nearly all the degrees in Masonry, but of late have dropped all except the Blue Lodge.

signed: Augustus Waddington