Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-04-25
"1'HE g ENTL EMAN FROM ca ~
ERON HAS \ HE FLOOR"

relates the effort in this way: "The
lower branch of the Legislature pre-
senls, from time TO time, every p!he@..
of dramatic situation, from high trage.
dy down through the several roles Of
genteel comedy, low comedy and farce
Yesterday afternoon a genuine treat
was enjoyed in the line OF farce, one
that seldom, il ever, was cclipsed on
any stage. The local option bill was
under discussion, and several members
favorable to the measure had prepared
elaborate addresses for the occasion,
and the House was becoming rather
ennuied thereat, and in no mood to be
further addressed upon the subject,
but were seeking such modes of enter
tainment as are usually resortcd to BY
Legislators when it becomes necessary
to while away an hour or so of unin,
teresting debate. Wad.throwing had
lost its novelty-topics of conversation
had run out-pin-sticking and tying
tags to each others coat tails had be-
come monotonous-still the speaking
went on amid the hum.buzz Of conver.
sation and the rattle.crackle Of desk
lids and tipping of chairs, when Mr.,
Brooks, of Cameron, began to read his
address. Now Mr.. Brooks is tall,
elderly member, sort of John Brown,
with stiff up black hair, long white
beard, elongated visage, and weak
voice, He had prepared two speeches,
from which he purposed to make a
choice when the bill came up, in ac.
cordance with the direction which the
debate might take, and having select.
cd the more suitable effort, began, as
above stated, to deliver himself hold.
ing one speech in his hand and laying
the other upon his desk. The manu-
script consisted of loose leaves, and us
he completed the reading Of each page,
laid it down upon the desk with the
sheets of the other speech, BY and
by he hesitated, seeming either to have
lost the connection or mistaken the
page. Seeing his difficulty, and in or,
der to help the gentleman along, one
of the clerks beng IN his vicinity, vol.
untcered to use his better sight in sc.
Letting the sheets, and soon got the
gentleman going again. Not being
aware of the duplicate speech, and
guided solely by the numbers on the
pages, the clerk inadvertently handed
him the leaves of the wrong speech,
which fact the dcliverer did not realize
until his attention was called to the
evidence of something wrong by the
increasing litter and snicker all over
the House. Then he stopped and en-.
deavored to arrange his papers, and
further assistance came from couple
of waggish members, who, with the
ostensible design of getting the pages
in order, mixed them still more disas.
trously, handing him slips from the
bottom and middle Of the pack, which
the advocate continued to read until
the House became convulsive with
laughter. and business had to be en-
tirely suspended, and the Sergeant-at
Arms called upon to quel the disturb
ancc. Meantime the old gentleman
thought he had his slips arranged, but
when he began again be found he was
reading parts OF his address over again,
but still he kept on, mechanically read
ing everything handed him, becoming
so worked up that he didn't really
know what he was reading, and would
have gone on re-reading until dark
whatever was showed at him from bis
offlcious assistants. He would have
read the Lords prayer, or a chapter
from Job, or an extract from Gulliver's
travels, had such been given him in
manuscript, and the situation finally,
became so excruciatingly ridiculous,
and the House broke out into such
gaff faw of side-splitting laughter, that
the chair itself could no longer control
its risibles, aud Joined in the general
chorus. Then came to the temperance
advocate full realization of the situa-
tion, and he gathered up bis manuscript,
stuffed it into his desk, sat down, wiped
the perspiration from his brow, NUT
tered to himself something about
things getting mixed somehow, await.
ed the quietudc Of the House. There
was no more speeches on the question,
and the ayes and nays were taken
amid the broadest grins, and now and
then burst Of Observation-Disclosures"