The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1852-06-10
Eleettoneering Aneedote.

ElecttOneering Hnecdote.
Few must have ever possessed 4 greater know
lere of human nature and greater skill in cleo
toneering than Hon. Il. P. Letcher, of kentuc-
XIV. the present Minister to Mexico. Such was
his success in this line that all the traditionary
tales of stump speeches, all instances of uncom-
mon adroitness, have by common consent been
fathered upon him.
1t is said, that in one canvass for the Legisla-
ture, about the commencement of his career,
he had a very shrewd opponent-a man by no
means his equal in eloquence but possessed of
winning ways with the people. Letchers friends
told him with evident apprehension of his COM
petitors immense success in the outskirts of
the country, how that by treating, logrolling,
fattering the women and kissing all the child
ren he was carrying all before him. By chance
the two candidates met at the house of a very
influential farmer whose support each felt would
be almost certain to decide the election. Both
desired therefore to get into his good graces.-
As frequently happens, 1.-The gray mare was the
better horse" and the would-be legislators saw
that the wife must be won. After supper they
were assiduous in their endeavors TO amuse their
host and hostess; both exertcd themselves to
the utmost, and as far as appearances went,
neither seemed to have any decided advantage
The children, cattle, sheep, cows. &C., were all
talked of, and the pride of the farmer and his
wife duly fattered.
Bed time came, and the candidates went to
bed in different apartments. Letcher's oppon-
cnt secretly determined to assist the good wom-
m in her mornings milking. That he thought
would be polite stroke, for Letcher a lazy
lawyer as he supposed, would sleep soundly till
breakfast. He arose in pretty good season and
went to the yard, felicitng himself on his shrewd-
ness, when the first glance at the state of of af-
fairs gave him electric shock, and tumbling
ms air castle into ruin over his head. There
were two pals already filed with foaming milk,
and the last COW was undergoing the operation !;
as she had young calf, and was rather restive,
Letcher was making himself useful by holding
away the calf with one hand while with the 9TH
er he prevented the cows bushy tail from swee-
ping the good woman's face The late candi-
date saw that he was a ''goner," and after a
few spirtless observations saddled his horse un-
der plea of urgent business, and rode off be-
fore breakfast 1t is needless to add that Letch-
er Came off victorious. -
On another occasion, his claims 60 Office were
contested by a man, who in addition to various
other qualifications, was an accomplished fiddler.
There was social gathering among the hills.
and dancing, whiskey, and some quisi-amatory
episodes among the younger people, were the
principal amusements. Letcher could dance,
tell story, to perfection, or iatter a mountain
belle to the complexion of boiled lobstert but
he could not fiddle but his rivals really excel
lent muse was so glorious in contrast with the
scratching Of ground fddles and strumming Of
banjoes, that the hill tigers were hugely delgh-
ted. Letcher meditated, a thought occurred to
Aim, and in few moments. by some artful sug-
eesuons, his counter-plot was laid and eommen-
cei
The happy fiddler was drawing his long and
graceful bow in supreme good humor, when a
-a- party Of the roughest tigers came up
II lAllgh they would speak % him. He laid
'1A has bow, and was just opening his mouth
leeost them, when their spokesman broke
-'S stranger, your music is good, but you
~ 90 better; you've gin US enough Of your
hand hddin' now gin us a touch Of your
-. -. hand music, same as yerdo down in Lank-
me musical candidate vowed that he could
- pay With his right hand, that he was born
len handed
NO, Gog-on ye. folks has seen yer fddlin'
snt handed in the city, and they say yer mus
= huckleberry above the persimmon that
laink is good enough for the hills. Blast
:St runie shirt chaps, say! Give us as good
ger give them, or by that horn spoon your
r'a1 gonrd II go to heat the whiskey toddy bla-
m II was of no use to reitterate his denials.-
le crowd, with their natural jealousy of the
bnH iolks were determined to decide agains
nm. nm. his fddling was broken up, and save hi:
tsuument from the Vandals, he had to beat {
eat' Letcher remained in undisturbed pos
WESTON Of the field.