The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1871-09-23
NO. 81.
How the Old Time COngreSsmen
vTOrk ed tia cir way home from
Washington.

A Cincinnati Commercial correspon-
dent has been overhauliDg the old set
lers aud papers left by Governor Thomas
Worthington of Ohio. He writes:
Here is letter from the father of DR..
r. j. Breckenridge and the grandfather
Of John G. Breckinridge, which illus
trates one Of the ways in which a United
States Senator worked his free passage
homeward at the close of a session. /
am sorry this cannot be placed by my
good friend Mr.. Miller In the river col
umn, where, as river news, it might
properly belong:
Ohio River, 10 miles from Limestone, J
March II, Sunday 1868 o'clock.
"MY DEAR SIR: I have given Gen.
eral Walton the trouble to rummage his
portmanteau for pen, ink, and paper, that
| might drop you line before left the
Ohio. and which l expect TO do in three
hours. We left Washington on Sunday,
10 or II o'clock, but found the road SO
excessively deep that by the time we
arrived at Old Town you were one day
ahead of US; and, to leave us no hope of
overtaking you, the little creek at. Cum
berland, in four hours after you crossed,
rose so high that we were detained a
whole day before we could get our horses
and baggage RATED over it. We splash
ed on through the mud and ice to Red
Stone, and reached there this day week,
so worried with the roads, and receiving
there such dreadful accounts of the deep
roads and high waters in the Ohio, that
the General and myself Immediately
walked down to the boat yard, bought
boat, got the tavern keeper to lay in our
supplies, and set out next day at IL
o'clock, and are now safely arrived with
in ten miles of Limestone. We have
had most unpleasant, fatiguing, and
hazardous journey. Luckily for us, we
admitted two travelling young men going
on to Kentucky, to take passage with
US, or we could not have made out. The
helm and oars have never been out of
our hands day or night, two of as work
ing three hours alternately. The water
after we passed Pittsburgh was so high
that we have never been able to go ashore,
except once when our boat was driven
on shore by the winds, where we lost
day in repairing some damage done to
our ship. We have some apprehensions
of being pestered in landing at Lime
stone, but l care not if the vessel is
stranded there. You will see me some
day or other in Chillicothe, but never on
my return from Congress. | will try il
some time or other on my way there.
d" Congress were to part on Sunday.
There was little to be done, as we passed
everything which was on our table when
you went away. There would be a scuf-
Ae on Sunday evening between the two
Houses about the amendment 20 the
bill paying Chase's witnesses, the House
Of Reps. opposing it with great clamor
by a very large majority, and the Senate
rather determined TO cling to the amend
ment. The President had sent mes.
sage to both Houses that he would take
The oath OF yofioa IA the Se~~ss Ch~-ah@-
bers were generally resolved to stay and
hear the speech.
Ny respectful compliments to Mrs.
w, and am sorry that l have been de
priyed Of the pleasure of shaking her by
the hand, as l expected.
Z" As L write this on the cushion Of
my chair, on my knees, and my boat
jostling my hand aud head, too (for the
rapidity Of the water has given me the
sea-sickness two or three times), you
must take time and exercise patience in
making it out.
Very sincerely, my dear sir, your
friend, u. BREcKINRIDoE.
Col. WoRTHINGToN."