Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-02-28
The Member from AiIIrasorviIle.

: Inc Member from AilIgafOrYille.
Mr.. ]. w. DeForest. whose experis
enee as an Army officer has given him
an insight into SOuthern life as it is,
mas most amusing sketch In the
Galaxy for March Of the eharaeteris-
tics ofa new class of legislators who
have been introduced to public life bv
the Fifteenth Amenduent. The an
pearance of 1.-THE colored member, at
a public supper given by the Governor
Is thus described /: -l--s.sla
Pompey had never before drunk
champagne, but his lifelong studies in
whisky enabled him to master the
secret at the first jump, and he ire
trfevably damaged q quart bottle OF
Mumm's Imperial. The result was
that he soon became such a. cheerful
man and brother that il all the other
Inhabitants Of this footstOOl had been
in the same condition it would have
been the jolliest footstool tnder the
canopy. He had some such exhilara-
ting sensations as II every curl in his
woof-were a jewsharp, and all these
Jewsharps were combined in an or
ehestra which played simultaneously
every jig in creation Things went
on in his brain in q cross-oYer-and-
dOwn-the-middle style, as If it were
the dance room Of a sailor boarding
house, and the crew of q frigate had
just been paid Of in the neighborhOod.
His tongue was loosed, like that Of
Balaam's ass. and be talked as glibly
as that quadruped, though less wisely.
He whistled, and showed or q step or
two of his fayorite breakdown, and
slapped perfectly unknown laWgivers
on the shoulder, and laughed like
seven thunders nttering their voices.
At last his two million or 50 Of jews
harps revealed to him G message TO
the effect that he ought TO walk with
white lady. The Speakers wife
was that evening flirting miseella-
neously with the colored members,
for the sake Of securing her husbands
reelection to his honorable and luela-
tive position. So for half minute
Pompey Howard promeDaded among
the stars with the whi5e kid glove Of
goddess Of fashion Just touching the
sleeve Of his slop-shep, coat. --.
Have you been presented to the
Governor ?n asked the Speakers wife,
who had sOrrowfully acquired knack
OF getting rid Of people, and who was
determined 10 get rid of the member
from Alligat0rYille, if she had to push
his out Of a window. -frr,
"No. Whar is he s' answered Pom
pey, falling into the trap, though lie
wanted to walk more with the white
lady. .-
So the Speakers wife introduced
himto the Governor rho shook hands
with him and Deamed on him as il
he loved him, and then as quick rs
lightning introduced him TO q particu-
lar friend of his, W hose business it was
Co tote or colOred members and dpmp
them at a distance, as if they were 50
many loads OF gal bage.
Just IS Pompey found himself
dumped, the doors Of the supper-room
were thrown open. Immediately
there was such q rush as there used to
be into the dining halls of American
holels, in the good old times when the
gentlemanly proprietor always set
half a dozen chairs less than were ne
eessary to seat his guests. The white
members and the eoiered all ran and
rampaged together, as IL It were un-
derstoOd that the devil had claim on
the hindmOst IL was like q dam
breaking away, and carrying with it
an ice flood. The supper room was
packed before the first man could
swallow e picked oyster, and the
crush, particularly around the tables,
was enOugh 10 make dough Of 8 rhi-
nOceros. Every lawgiVer took his
brother by the collar, and thrust his
elbow under his fifth nib, and did for
him. ug
Then came such a laying on of
hands and such devouring, as If all
the hungry giants OF nursery rhyme
had been let loose on His Exeellen-
ey'sfeed. Honorable gentlemen ladled
up jellies and rakedin cakes and oFan-
ges, sifthsy were spading rice swamp
mud or hoeiDg sweet potatoes. lee
cream went like the snowflake on the
river, q moment white, then gone
forever. Saueers OF floating island
struggled to and fro in the air, their
contents stopping over headsaDd coat
tails and into sleeves, as the sacred oil
ran down AarOnis beard and vest
ments. One white dignitary had just
filed n plate with luxuries for his
wife when a dusky hand of destiny
descended upon it like hawk upon
June-bug, and removed it from his
sight. 1t was considered
I good Joke by some Legislators (nO
iOubt as being symbolieal Of the way
shings went in pOlities) to abstract
he bananas from dishes which other
legislators were bearing away. The
statesman who had made a levy on
he cigar box was Justly punished for
MS malversation by losing q whole
)asketful of sugar plums, over which
MS mouth was already watering.
Into this melee Pompey Howard
plunged with the eOmmingled joy of
strong man who knows bis strength,
md OF hungry man who sees his
upper. More than one Caucasian
'orn had reason to rue the hour when
{ madeacqUaintanee with the weighty
md Widespread hoOf of the member
rom AlIigatorviile. 1t was an unex-
,eeted opportunity. but one perfectly
dapted to his pOwe-- of avengiDg the
wrongs and seOrns of centuries. Ina
general way eolOred muscle WIS tri-
Imphant in the combat, easily bring
ng Indo-EurOpean muscle to grief,
nd thereby nourishing itself with
reat liberality, though at an expense
f much china POmpey, for instance
mashed two plates and a goblet in
be process of devouring a peck Of
Oodies and drinking half bottle Of
f--