Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-05-29
An Illinois Legislator.

Among the carly settlers of southern Illinois
was Gen. Peter Warren of Shelby county, a
warm-hearted, generous man-quite an original
character, Of considerable natural ability and
force of will, but destitute Of education and even
OF general knowledge. He served in the leeis-
lature number of terms, and was in the state
senate at an early day. He was naturally i'm
pulsive, and when excited by passion, or stimu-
cd like a wild man.
Previous to the construction of any railway
in Illinois, discussion arose in the senate on
an application for charter incorporating rail-
road company. This was new thing in a state
now eXeelling every other in the Union for the
length OF its railroads by hundreds of miles.
Few at that time here, it must be remembered,
nad ever seen railway, or even had correct
ldea OF the structure. Even as late as July
lS41, the Hon. Edward Bates OF Missouri, then
president of the harbor and river convention
Mt Chicago, stated from the stand, in his elo-
quent speech before the convention, that he had
never seen railway. 1t is not wonderful, then,
that Peter Warren supposed, with his un-
Informed neighborS, that a railroad was con-
structed of rails and small logs laid cross wise
on path to secure a safe passage over swampy
ground.
In the course of the discussion before the
senate, Gen Warren became much excited and
ayailing himself of the first opportunity, sprang
TO the hoor and got off the following harangue
Mr.. President-l rise, sir, to give YOU nv
opinion OF this railroad business. am opposed
to railroads as much as any man on the yearth
and have good reason to be; for il You had been
Jolted and iounced TO death on a railroad as |
have been on that one from New Haven to Car
mi, You would hate um too You know Hoev
don't you, Mr. President? / only wish You had
hearn Hoey cuss and swear when he broke his
wagon all to smash on that tarnal railroad !!
Why, sir, my constituents have lost a little for
tune IN having their eggs smashed on that rail-
ROAD lou know Scott, don't you, Mr. Presi-
that hat ~.
and raal fust rate tavern It's tool Yes, sir a
raal chicken tiXen tavern TO be sure; none of
your Springfield greaseys But still, arter all,
s'pose in the mater of things, must mind my
constituents, who are all for railroads, and so
must go for um. While Pm up Mr. President
III give you my views on the Wolf bill. Uncle
Peter, what's the name of your Wolf bill {?
There the president called the senator TO order
aud reminded him that the Wolf bill was not
before the senate, aud that its merits could not
then be discussedl. You're mistaken in your
man, Mr.. President, Pm no cussin' character;
and if war, I'd be right down mighty sorry to
cuss that Wolf bill what 90 for teeth and toe
nailsl MIR. PreSident-(here the president again
called the senator to order). Are you in raal
yearnest, MIR. President? for if you be, you're
into into me about feet. There the president said
The senator will take his Seat.") Mr.. Presi-
dent = as that two-headed gentleman from
Shamrock county said tother day-Pye got
rights what shan't be trodden on, nor treated
with dlsc0neern. These are my feelins, sir"
The same senator, on another OCCASION and
in like excited condition, rose in his place in
the senate, and spoke on the propriety of declar-
ing the river Big Muddy navigable stream:
MIR. President-The members here may de-
clare long and loud that Big Muddy is a navg-
able stream-yes, an awful ryer-but this won't
make it so in fact. What they're trying to do
here is all false, all wrong. True, Mr. Presi-
dent, in time of food, you may possibly float
a broad horn boat of corn on the river, but that
don't make it anavigable stream. The Almighty
didn't see 1t to make it SIGH, and think this
senate can't oyer.do him nor change his work.
Why, MIR. President, did you ever see that river
after the spring rains war little over and the
ground water had run off? Look at that river
in the summer Alr. President and neither you
nor any other man of sense and truth can call it
anything but mud hole. Why, Mr.. President,
Eve saw it in the summer, VIXEN war getting
over bust, and felt then that could drink it
all dry myself alone; aud with all respect for
your worship, Mr.. President, I'll saylI feel just
about so now. But, Mr.. President, this is free
country, and there's no law agin folly, therefore
let those what wish to declare that old puddle,
which scarcely runs half the year, Havigable
stream, do so. We all know the whole thing is
cussed humbug.-The Record.