The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-08-15
GbansbiIls paiIg sournaI.
a Poiiaes; Canvas. IN 1926.

lowing account of his adventures:
have sketched the most iulportan
trials that were had, during my tive
years circuit as Prosecuting Attorney
| which ended the spring term o
1926, when became q candidate fol
Congress and resigned: Amos Lane was
appointed my successor. The most o.
the sketches that viii! yet be given are
Of after occurrences. sDgssa 5nn
My competitor for Congress in 1926,
the Hon. John Test, was one of the frs.
men in the State, had been on the court
bench, was fine lawyer, good speaker
and had represented the district three
full terms. The contest on my part
looked at first almost hopeless. Stump
speaking was just coming in fashion,
The people met our appointments by
thousands. TIE Judge had his high
character to aid him, and / brought to
my aid strong voice, reaching TO the
very extremes of the largest crowds
The Judge went for the graduation of
public lands, ard | went for home gifts
to actual settlers. My position was the
most acceptable to the masses. We met
in Allenville, Switzerland county On one
occasion. I he whole country was there
The Judge was speaking, aud for the
first time introduced the new subject
Of railroads.. He awowed himself in ia
vor of them, and said he had voted for
the Buffalo and New Orleans road, and
then rising TO the top Of his voice, 81 tell
you, fellow citizens, that in England they
run the cars thirty miles an hour and
they will yet be run at a higher speed in
America" That was enough. The
crowd set up loud laugh at the ex-
pense of the Judge. An old fellow,
standing by me, hawled out: "You are
Grassy, or do you think we are all fools;
a man could not live a moment at that
speed" The day was mine. The
Judge had ruined his prospects by tell
ing such an Improbable story at that
day. On another occasion the Judge
was speaking in favor of the tariff in the
highest terms. The people knew but
little about it, but what they had heard
was decidedly against it; few knew the
meaning Of the word. and fewer what it
was like. One old fellow said he had
never seen one, but he believed '.it was
hard on Sheep"
Perils Of q Congressional Campaign.
There was fun in those days. We
had no parties then, and there was sope
life in contes.-yery different from after
times, when the candidates had to le en-
grated into party stocks. and drew all
their life and strength from the party to
which they belonged
The question was between Jackson
aud Clay, and not between myself and
as to who should 60 to Con.
grcss, with the old man then. The con-
test grew warm and more and more
doubtful. My stock was rising, and
with it my spirits. My district covered
one third of the State. had not, as yet,
visited the county Of Allen, some hum
dred miles north Of Randolph. There
was no roads, nothing but Indian paths,
to travel at that day through the wilder
ness. In tie early part of May ! turned
the head Of my pony north for Fort
Wayne. The sire ims were high and the |
path for miles under water in places. /
rode in that campaign a small brown In |
dian pony, good swimmer, an easy
PAGER and fine traveller The first day |
after left the settlements at the Missis-
sinewa, | reached the Indian Station at |
Francis Godfroy's. The chief was from
honle, bat one OF his wives came out at |
In opening in the picketing, and pointed
coward Fort Wayne, the chief was there.
She could not speak word OF English.
pointed to the stable. then to my horse,
then TO my mouth, then laid my head
upon my hand, shut my eyes and COM
nenced snoring. She seized the reins
If the bride: dismounted and passed
through the pcketing into the house.
Ny faithful pony was fed. Night came
IN at length; supper was announced BY
corn bread, venison. and sassa
ras tea, bear skin on the floor for bed
md sound sleeping followed. Breakfast
# the same over, and | was about start
ng alone, when there came up an Indian
Who could speak little broken English.
agreed with him for q guide for two dol
ars for dav to get nee over the Salmo-
,ia and the Wabash rivers. We were
'ery soon on our horses, and off went
nv guide at full speed on his pony, and
vas soon out Of sight. l overlook him,
however, at the Salmonia. In we went
,e leading. The ponies swan beautiful
v; and away we started for the Wabash.
rha poth vvound around tho r;d0ac uDtil
he river came full in sight. II was
ligh, clear over The hank, and the cur
ent very rapid. The sun was some
hree hours high. the day warm and not
unpleasant. had neglected to provide
ny food, or even knife for defense
rhe moment we reached the bank the
ndlan jumped down an pealed some
ark from a hickory sapling and spancel
ed the forelegs of our ponies. / sat
own on the hank. The Indian was out
{ sight in moment, in the woods. and
saw nothing more of him for an hour,
rhen he returned with the bark OF
ickory tree about twelve feet long and
hree fee. in diameter. The bark was :
into a round bottomed
indian canoe. The sun was about an
our high. The canoe was launched;
ny saddle, saddle-bags. and blanket
laced in one end and ! got into the J
ther. With my weight the edges were I
bout an inch from the water. ! took )
ne paddle. and. by using the current 2
Inded safely on the other shore. The .
indian SWAN the horses over and held a