The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-05-26
TALL CORN.

The N. Y. "Courier and Enquirer" tells tht
following story. 1t is decidedly humorous
and may be true:- y
We grow "tall corn" in America: The
world is beginning to find it out. Every yeal
brings the fact more and more home to the
perceptive and digestive faculties of all civ
ilized humanity. Like all great truths, it dld
not gain credit ut once. True everybody sees
it here with his own eyes, but not SO on the
other side of the water. The first accounts
of the productiveness of our Western prairles
were read by our Buckinghamshre farmers
with about us much respect us the fish stories
of the Sailor Sinbad. 1t took even the high.
est dignitaries of the land long while to gel
fairly up to level with the actual fact. Even
at this day there is an ear of corn in the
British Museum which enjoys very "dis.
tinguished consideration" as curiosity. il
divides attention, we do not say equally, but
certainly fractionally, with the Nneveh Bull
and the great Kohinoor. 1t is perfect mar
WI to our good cousin John Bull; and yet il
has but very simple history, and 1t is not q
very extraordinary ear of corn after all. 1t
reached its present distinction something in
this wise.
In the month of January, ls47, at certain
dinner party in London, at which Lord John
Russell, Lord Morpeth and many other dis.
tinguished men were present, the conversa-
tion turned upon the Irish famine; and the
remark was made by Lord John, that he re-
joiced that so good a substitute for the native
breadstutf had been found rs Indian corn.-
Turning to Mr.. Bates, the American partner
in the house of Barring Brothers, his lordship
went on to say, "Why, Bates, some of the
cobs have t,celre or fourteen rows Of grain on
them" Mr.. Bates cooIly replied, ayes, my
lord, have seen from trenty to t,centy:four
rows on cob" "That is rare Yankee.isnl"
was the pleasant retort Of the Premier, and
the whole company shouted in approval. The
burst of incredulOus merriment over, "Nlr.
Bates bought his peace by a wager of din.
ner for the company all round that he could
produce such an ear" "Done," exclaimed Lord
John, and the bet was clinched.
The dinner passed off, Mr.. Bates return
ed home, but not entirely at ease. He had
done strange thing; for the first time in his
life he had made an engagement he was not
absolutely certain of his ability to fulfil. He
had misgivings that he had rashly pledged
the honor of his country. 1t had been long
since he had looked upon an American crib
and however patiently he winnowed the corn-
ucopia of his memory, he found that the cobs
of his early days had gone glimmering,
through the lapse of time, among the things
that were, and were now so far off that he
couldn't count the rows. Ne was, as Plutus
would say, redactus ad inritas-in Yankee
parlancc, 'hnrd up" But Fortune favors the
brave. 1t happened that friend of ours
dropped in the next day at the counting
house of the Barings. Mr. Bates, with bright
ening face, hailed him, and made known his
difficulty. "You are safe" was the response;
'if I live to get home, you shall have even
bigger ear than you have promised"
Our friend c. soon returned, and
straightw~~ ~rnta to Messrs. Rogers g. Rey-
noIds, Of Layfayette, Ind, telling the story,
and begging them, for the honor of their
country, to come to the rescue, and turn the
tables on Lord John, showing them what
Yankees could do. In the July following
Mr.. C. received by express from Lafay-
ette a nicely arranged box containing six ears
of hOrse.tOoth corn, two Of which had twcn-
ty-nine rows, two thirty.onc, and two thirty
two. The box was forthwith addressed to
81. Bates, Esq, care of Messrs. Barring, Bro.
e. Co., ship, by Black Ball Line, care Of the
Liverpool House." 1t reached its destination,
and Lord John Russell, first Lord Of the
Treasury, third son of the late Duke of Bed
ford by the second daughter of George Wis.
count Torington, and lincal descendant OF
Lord William Russell, the martyr of liberty,
"acknowledged The corn." The dinner was
won. Joshua Bates did not perpetrate a
"Yankee-ism," and the British Museum holds
the trophy. Vire Ia Republique!