The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-01-13
AN ALABAMA CHARACTER.
sOne of the Most Distinguished
Men in Our State, SIR

Men i'm Our State, Sir"
huntsville. (Ala) Letter 30 the N Y. Times.
Many characters peculiar to the
South appear in the streets of Hunts
vile on "nigger day" While was
closely watching the operations of
loud mouthed auctioneer, who was
selling boots at exorbitant prices to
a crowd of halfidiotic negroes, l no.
ticed that was being as closely OBJ
served by a white was who stood
near by. He was a very fair speci-
men of class too often met with in
this part of the country. Tall and
commanding in figure, he was dress
ed in shabby clothes of a decided
military cut, short blue coat hung
carelessly on his shoulders, and over
this and under broad-brimmed, low
crowned hat hung mass Of greasy
uncombed hair. He had a pair of
rusty kid gloves upon his hands, and
on his feet top-boots, through which
could be seen pair of torn stock
ings. To the heel of his right boot
silver spur was attached. The man
had not been shaved for week. his
eye had that peculiar watery bright
ness which only strong drink can
give, and the unnatural redness OF
his nose proved beyond adoubt that
whisky was his favorite oc-
cupation. After staring at me for
fully five minutes, this gentleman
walked over to where | was standing,
and looking me straight in the eye,
touched his hat, and said very loud
ly: GOOD morning, sir. You are a
stranger in Huntsville p
Yes, sir, l am a stranger" was
my reply.
Travelling for a Northern house,
no dOubt?' said lie, nodding his head,
and looking at me in detective-like
was that was quite amusing.
"No," said l, very demu rely, am
a newspaper correspondent"
At this time my new acquaintance
became exceedingly familiar, and,
slapping me on the shoulder, ex-
claimed: There, could have sworn
it, sir! You have just the look of it.
Glad to meet you, sir-exceedingly
glad. | will be most happy to give
you every possible information about
our people. ( know them well-borR
and raised among them, sir; and as
for niggers. owned 200 before the
surrender" was about to express
my gratitude for this kink offer, when
the gentleman again commenced: :
"Apd | can give the dots in good
shape, too. sir. am writer myself,
sir, and of no mean ability, as have
been assured in this very place, sir
in this very place-by my lemented
friend. Prentice"
"Have you written much for the
American newspapers?" 1 asked.
Well, ah; no, SIR said he, hesi-
tating, and then quickly said, Most
Of my work has been for the French
press. sir, the French press"
''Oh, then, you doubtless speak
French" said L. addressing him in
that tongue. For one moment he
looked at me in dumb-founded sort
of way that was exceedingly laugha-
BILE, and thed, taking my arm, said,
''Oh by the way, L had forgotten,
suppose we 90 and have q dram"
Under the circumstances it was i'm
possible to refuse the invitation, and
| went with him. We entered one
of the numerous groggeries with
which every Southern town is sup
piled, and, after drinking, as he made
no move to pay the bar-keeper, was
about to do so, when he caught me
by the arm, and, with true dignity of
manner, said, stop, sir, beg you
Southern gentleman never allows 3
stranger TO pay for anything Then
turning to the bar-keeper. he contin-
ued, Charge those drinks to me-
after which he walked out of the sa-
loon with the air of an Austrian
Grand Duke. Arriving on the street.
he bowed and left mo. Subsequent
ly, while walking with one Of the
most extensive business men here,
met the man again. and a>ked my
friend who no was. / was exceed.
ingly astonished at the reply. 4" That
is Colonel Tom -" said the mer-
chant, sc little queer perhaps, but,
nevertheless, one Of the most distin-
gnisled 4s1en T7a oar Stttte," find that
the number of "mest distinguished
men who live in the country districts
of Alabama is amazingly large.