The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-10-27

1t was one Of Corwin's campaign
wears. way back in the ffties, or may
be the forties, and be bad been max
ing the circuit of the State in behal
of the Wing ticket. He bad gon'
through the southern and middle
counties. and had been assigned Il
the Reserve to wake up the Yankees
as he said, and so had lighted dowI
at Painesville. The meeting was
morning one, after the old fashion
and the farmers FROM all around the
country had come to town to heal
"tbe great Mr.. Corwine." as they
called him, make q speech. Wher
the organization had been effected
and the speaker introduced, be fell
that he must do something worthy
of bis reputation as "the great Mr.
Corwine." " He laid down his stock
Of facts and figures in systematic or
der, building from them an argument
that be thought irresistible, working
at it patiently until be thought the
structure complete; but upon looking
into the faces of his auditors was IN
able to catch a single responsive
look There they sat, bolt upright
before him, dignifed and quiet-so
silent, indeed, that Tom could hear
the ticking of the old clock at the
far end of the room. There wasn't
ripple of applause though, nor a
smile nor a clap of hand.
This discouraged Corwin little,
but be thought he could wake them
up with some Of his oratOry. So be
sailed in with some of his impassiOn-
ed flights of rhetoric, and no orator
that America has produced had q
more glowing fancy or could utter
more eloquent things than be. Still
there was no response. There his
audience still sat, upright, unmoved
as so many gate posts. Then he con-
cluded be would try the virtue of his
funny stories, and told a string Of
his funny stories. aud told q string Of
them as only Tom Corwin could tell
a story. Selecting a particularly dig
nifed old fellow in front of him. he
directed his budget of side splitting
yarns at him, but ne'er smile broke
from his lips or those of any one pre-
sent. Then be went to making faces
at them-the funniest faces that ever
a man made, faces such as only Tom
Corwin could make. Still rot a
smile, not hint even that anybody
enjoyed the performance There they
sat before him, giving that dignifed
attention which they thought the oe-
casion required; but no one opened
his mouth or moved hand or foot in
the way Of response. Finally Mr
Corwin sat down disgusted.
Then a tall, lank, cadaverous look
ing individual, sitting off in one cor
ner of the room, slowly rose to bis
feet, and, clearing. his throat very
leisurely, said:
Mr.. Chairman, IN view of the
fact that we have had the great Mr.
Corwine here with Us to day greatly
to our ediication, | therefore move
you, sir, that we now proceed 10 give
Mr. COrwine three cheers. So say.
ing, he sat down.
Then another lank, eadaverous in-
dividaal, on the other side of the
room, rose to his feet slowly as the
other, and said:
"Mr. Chairman, | second that mo-
tion." And be sat down.
Then the chairman with due So
lemnity assumed a perpendicular to
put the question. "Fellow citizens" !"
said he, ''it has been moved and duly
seconded that this town meeting pro-
ceed to give three cheers to the Hon
orable Mr.. COrwine for the able and
mastery address be had delivered in
our presence to-day. All who are in
favor of that motion will signify the
same by saying ave" 4 dozen or
more voted in the Affirmative "Those
of a contrary mind will say no"-
There were none. 1.-THE motion is
adopted" Then be sat down, and
silence again reigned.
Presently little, dried up, weazen
faced old man in the back part of the
hall got up, and in cracked voice
called ous, "Mr. Chairman, hooray
for Mr.. Corwine.r And he took his
seat.
And then the dignifed party in the
middle of the audience, at whom the
Jokes had been directed, rose in his
seat, cleared out his throat, and, in
digniied tones, said: "Mr Chair
man, hooray for the great Mr. Cor
wine" and sat down again.
Finally, an old gray haired veter-
en-, who sat up in the amen corner,
got on his legs, and, leaning on his
cane, called out, in the querulous
voice Of age, "Mr. Chairman, hooray
for Mr.. Corwine"
The three cheers having been thus
given for the speaker, the meeting ad-
journed with due solemnity, aud Cor
win went to bis room at the hotel.
vowing that he'd never make snoth-
er speech in the Reserve. And be
didn't. Still" said be, Il never
blamed them much That was their
way of showing enthusiasm. They'd
never had any missionary among
them"