Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-08-20
To-

For some time past that distinguished iniunc-
ZIONIST and legal light, Mr.. j. Coombs has felt
that his talents were net sufficiently recognized
ly his fellow-sorehead-, ard while the names of
Boswell, Ordway, LeBarnes, Crane, Seyerson,
keddy WEIGH and William H. Philip have been
brought forward as suitable men to represent
the ant-imprOyement party in Congress, no
body has said Coombs, once. This was too bad.
and intolerable, and not to be endured: so MIR.
Coombs concluded that II would be q good plan
TO give hint TO the party, in the right direction
by having himself called upon to deliver a lee
tuTe against the District government. So he
drew up q call to that effect, In which the sign
ers were sudde My impressed with an ardent aud
unquenehsble desire TO 90 to Odd Fellows Hall
on a Monday night in August, with the Their
mometer at "a, and hear Mr.. j. j. Coombs read
fOrty-fve cap pages of manuscript on the Dis
tIict government. For, argued Mr.. j. j. c., If
there are such things as spontaneous, serenade
Welcome Homes" there can be such things
as spontaneous and unquenchable demands for
a lecture OF forty-fye cap pages on q
lot night in August by the public's
humble servant, Mr.. j. j. Coombs. Said
Mir. Coombs to himself: "TheSe fellows
Urdway, LeBarnes, Philip, and the rest of them
have been cutting IL rather fat with their spon-
famous outbursts, their champagne-lunch-con-
yentions, their cultivation OF the celored sisters,
and their electioneeriDg yarns about the Board
of Public Works sending negro repeaters to
North Carolina and New Hampshire. Now
my boy well show them q trick worth two Of
theirs. Well bring Mr.. j. j. Coombs out by
popular call 10 deliver a lecture, that's what we
will do" And the call was written and signed
and delivered, and an astonisheder man than
COombs was when he received IL you don't often
find. But be yielded to the popular call. His
health, he said, was dreadful poor, and he sup
ICsed, in justice to himself, he oughtnt to do 1t,
but considerations of public duty were always
paramount in the COMBS heart and he would
be there. He vas. But alas for the vanity of
human hopes, the audience wasn't. The report
tells Us there were about fifty present. not nearly
a man TO bench in the spacious hall. Sad.
There he was with his immense lecture and
pitcher of ice water, ready TO blaze away at the
District Government and nobody there to listen.
To be sure the Patriot says ''the address was de-
hyered before large audience composed Of the
most respectable and influential citizens and
taxpayers, &c." Now II the public would only
believe the Patriot! II they only would But
Coombs knows they won't, and that bis rivals
Tor Congressional honors-Le Barnes, Boswell,
OrdWsy, ReGdy WEIGH, Philip and the rest-are
chuek!ing in their sleeves at his lecture-fzzle
per popular call. Sam weller's great magni-
lying glass OF forty million power couldn't con-
vert sprinkling Of fifty, made up of John HI.
Crane, "blOody" Marcellus West, b. Severson,
Sammy Ceas, Jim Bowen, ct al. into ga large
audience composed OF the most respectable and
influential citizens and Taxpayers Loves
labor lost, Mir. j. j. Coombs!