The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-04-28
A CONGRESSMAN's LUCK.
How . New Caueas Sian Member Was
Mistaken for . Negro.

mIbtoACn 1oE - NCSHVs
From the Washington Capital.
We came in possession, the other day,
of rather good story about a new men,
Der of the House that will bear publica-
ton.
He is q modest-no, not modest exactly,
but a shy sort of gentleman. 1t is as
tonishing how many perky members
elect at home sink into this uacomforta-
Bile state after being sworn IN From
being the first man of the village he
sinks into the last at Rome, and from
one extreme he naturally swings over to
the other. He finds himself lost in a
crowd and the eye of the speaker-that
blessed dispensation that lifts one from
obscurity-is monopolized by dozen
men no better than himself He feels
keenly his enforced obscurity, but accepts
the situation in shy awkward sort of q
way that is quite amusing to everybody.
Well, our sly .Solon attended the ses-
sion and worked in his committee. He
answered twenty letters day and ran
through the departments as agent for his
constituents, until he succombed to the
bad ventilation the paint and putty
architect. Clark, supplied the hall. Not
only was the Congressional throat
swollen and sore, but a strange irritating
eruption broke out over his law making
person. He sent for DR.. Garrett, and
Garnet not only put potI,ns in him, but
a lotion on him in his 1Garnett's) usual
heroic manner. And the Scion gradual
ly convalesced. One morning he deter
mined TO attend sitting of the honorable
BODY of whom he was q member.
He had not consulted his looking
too modest for that. Had he done so he
would have seen, to his wonder and dis
tress, that the lotion given by DR.. Gar
nett had turned his face to dusty cop
per color. He was other than what he
had been, but unaware of his transmogri.
fication, he approached the entrance to
the hall of the House. The door-keeper
hesitated. But the honorable member
moved forward 80 decided that the man,
half opening the door, asked:
Member, sir7"
"Of course" was the response, in some
wonder, tor the guardian of the portal
knew our friend we'll enough-that Ii, he
knew him before he was dyed.
"Memberl" quoth the doorkeeper as
the solon entered. "Humphl member
from Africa" ..-..
Our friend took his seat and was sort
ing over his mail, when q gentleman of
African descent approached, and, bend
ing over, said conhdentially, in an un.
dertone:
"Pinchback's defeated, sure"
"What2" asked our puzzled friend.
say Pinchback's lost his seat, sure"
"You don't say So" =.
"Ye., l does; de crisis is on US dis time,
an we mus stan shoulder to shoulder or
de cause is lost"
II am much obliged to you, my friend,
for this information; but Whist have to
do with the cause is more than l can
make OUT
"You-youl why you is de man all
eyes turn on; you is bein' talked of all
ODER de town. tell We dere's goin' 10 be
a serenadedis night, 80 you be prepared,
sab; yes, sahl
And before the bewildered member
could recover from his establishment, the
man was gone. What could the fool
mean BY Pinchback and the cause, and he
a Democrat from the South. The fellow
must be crazy.
1t was the wont Of our friend TO rise
from his seat every morning with fifty
others and shout, "Mr. Speaker, Mr.
Speaker" at the full pitch of bis lungs.
Why he or they did this no man could
tell, for the speaker never sees any one
of them. Perhaps it is considered
healthy exercise, or perhaps that is the
way TO be congressman. What the rea-
son may or may not be, our friend started
I'D on this occasion, and to |. astonlsh-
ment the speaker recognized l. m. He
had the eve of the speaker. Strange sem
sation; and stranger, the moment this
,ccorred dead silence fell upon
the House, and every face turned to
the amazed gentleman. He was equal
to the emergency, and then and
there ,ntr, duced his little measure and
made his little speech that he had been
rehearsing from the first day of the ses.
sion. Members gathered around and
listened attentively, and rs he resumed
his seat he enjoyed further surprise in
hearing q Democrat romark quite audi
bly,. HE speaks right pert for niger"
Feeling far from well after his late at
tack, he soon wended his way back to his
rooms. and on Pennsylvania avenue,
meeting a lady Of his acquaintance With
her escort he politely lifted his hat. The
two stared at him in queer way, and the
gentleman eecorting the fair dame hur-
ried into hat store, and evertaking our
colored NJ. G., said angrily:
How dare you insult that lady. you
skunk?"
The N. c had been i'll; he was yet
feeble, and although unaware of the fact
deeply colored; but his wrath was as
strong rs ever, and 90 he colided his
right law making fist on the nose Of his
ouestioner. A lively set.to followed, and
although the Scion used due diligence in
getting round and in on his adversary,
he would have been q badly damaged
par; { Congress but for the interference
of the police. As il was he found him.
self under arrest and would have been
walked of to the quod had he not 6shed
up a card and two or three envelopes adj
dressed to the NJ. G. The police Of
Washington know enough to be aware Of
the fact that member cannot be Ar
rested when on his way to and from the
capitol, and SO our friend was released
He was nursing an enlarged nose and
swollen lips IN his room that night, when
the noise Of brass band and the shouts
of q crowd aroused him. He listened to
the row, still bathing his nose, when the
servant entering, said:
"Dey'r serenadin' you, sab; deyswant
you TO crate, sab. 49,,
He was bewildered. He had made his
speech, but if insisted on be would make
another; %, stspping upon tho little BAL
cony shove the bay window he vas yet
more bothered % md . crowd ct negroes