American citizen., 1875-02-27

little incident occurred, IuU1crOus
enough in it's nature to admit of it's re-
production.
One of the members of the House had,
on the Monday preceding the day on
which MIR. johnson was elected, changed
his vote in favor of Mr.. johnson, and on
that same evening had gone home to rest
secure for the night in the bosom of his
dear family and to take on more hog and
hOminy and johnson backbone His
mind was made up to stick to MIR. John
son as long as the everlasting cedars of
Lebanon themselves should stand, and it
SO happened that no one was better ad-
vised of this fact than certain shrewd
railroad conductor, who had charge of the
train which was to bring the honorable
Solon back to the Capitol in time to vote
on the opening ballot of Tuesday This
same railroad man was opposed to Mr..
johnson, and since the change had
taken place in the mind of the represent
ative our railroader's mind began to
wonder whether it would not be neces-
sary for his train to leave for Nashville
next morning little earlier than usual.
Well, morning came. The aforesaid
railroader had spent q restless night, as
his mind had been burdened with the
weight of a temporary change of sched-
ule
On the other hand, the honorable So
depot ere yet the fires of the depot
stoves had been kindled; he stood on one
foot and shiveIed. Looking at his watch,
he discovered that it was half an hour
still before time for the train to start.
Suddenly the railroader hustled in, and
was just about to cry out "all aboard" !"
when his anti-J Johnson optic fell on the
unlocked for and altogether unhoped for
presence of the johnson member, and,
thereupOn, it was determined that the
contemplated temporary change of
schedule should not occur on that morn
ing. On the contrary, something else
should be done, and done quickly. Not
long was a new plan in being perfected
A second party was initiated, who was
known to be an ardent advocate of a
law for the protection of such birds as
quails, pheasants, etc., and who was
also known, by the way, to be opposed
to Mr.. johnson. This worthy constituent
invited the Solon to step to one side
with him, that he might warm the blood
in his honorable veins with kindling
charity for the defenseless birds of the
land Already had the Solon's heart
been touched so far that he had prom
ised to have the protecting arm of the
State of Tennessee lifted high and
far over his county, in order
that the ruthless huntsman might
not invade the haunts of the gregarious
quail and pheasant at improper seasons
of the year. Having enlisted his en-
ergies in behalf of the quail and
pheasant he was proceeding to attack
the Soion's heart in behalf of woodpeck-
ers, grouse and other game when 10! a
brief rumbling was heard and, stepping
from behind the depot, they beheld the
train for Nashville moving out promptly
ON its way. The Solon yelled and at
tracted the attention of the railrOader,
who seemed to think that Solon was
only wishing to say gOOd-by and so
he made very courteous and profound
bow, and gave the signal to the en-
gineer to quicken up. wide open went
the thrOttle-valve, on whirled the train,
and Solon-where, oh, where was he.
There he stood, some thirty miles from
the halls where he was SO anxious to hear
his voice send out the name of the Com
moner. The train had fed with never SO
much as q note of warning. Our anti
johnson manager had approached the
life of the legislator, and this is about
the language which was used to the en-
ginecr:
Look here; don't you see Mrs. Til
ler's mare yonder? She is awful scarey-
monstrous 'fraid of an engine-and I'm
afraid she'll throw that poor old creature
and hurt her when we 60 to start"
(Mrs- Tiller was sitting on the mare that
she had ridden for twenty-five years.)
Now" continued the conductor to the
engineer, 81 want you to steal out for the
first fifty yards without making any
noise, and then l want you to let her go
like blazes, SO that that fiery young ami
NAL won't know where the noise comes
from. l won't yell out all aboard this
morning."
We have seen how the plan worked, SO
far as leaving the legislator. He tore
his honorable hair for a moment and
then tore away from the depot for a
livery-stable TO see if he could make it
by . horse. The ivery-stable man took
IN the situation very speedily, and told
him he might have his best horse and
kill him if necessary On he went on
the fastfying Bucephalus. Every time
he rose in his saddle he gave him the
spur and when he lowered his mount he
gave the steed the lash. The ride of
John Gilpiu was an absolute failure COM
hOcked to the doors along the route as
the heels of the horseman's gallant gray
ratified over the stony pike. Swifter
than the east wind and wilder than q
tempest, on and on he dashed.
In vain did an aged matron, with tears
in her eyes (from the wind which he
raised in his fight plead with him to
know Il there was any trouble in his
family. He spoke not a word. No
bsnner with the strange device" moved
above his stream of legislative books,
but " excelsior was written on that rigid
and turbid brow. He was bent on max
ing the best time ever made. On and on
he sped. His palfrey had gone some ten
miles when, as though he had outrun the
very wind, there was none of it left in
his body Our gallant knight would
know NO word outside of the bright lexi-
con Of youth and chivalry; SO "failure"
WAS speedily put away to his back again.
He took forcible possession of the first
horse he met, and mounting, Ui ct armis,
on he dashed, laughing in his success at
the shouts of "robber" and ''horse-
thief which fell on his departing ears
He teiegraphed before mounting, at first,
the following words:
am coming, Uncle Andy; send re-
lays by pike" Getting within eight
miles of town he was met by a swift
footed trotting nag already in harness
and champing the bit. Into the buggy
he jumped from his foaming steed and
reached Nashville in time for the first
roll.
The railroad man was up in the gallery.
He had gone there to hear, with his own
good ears, the rollcall. A mild smile lit
up his features as the call proceeded
through the Senate. The smile broad
ened into benignant grin as Neil Brown
began the roll of the House. Presently
the name OF the left legislator was
reached johnson" he sang out in re-
markably clear notes, and-they say the
railroad man never did tell the gentleman