Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1878-03-23
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Lecture by Geo. Cotton, Esq.
contri6utsdby a Member Of the House
ii from Western MaSyland.

A large audience greeted Mr.. Colt
on's appearance on the platform at
Masonic Temple, Wednesday evening.
At 8 o'clock he advanced promptly
to the desk, stating his habit of being
ION time except when he had bad
debts to pay. Gaughter.)
After An numerous comparison be-
TIVE en- his and Mr.. S. S. Co1's lee
ture he began with the premise that
every one ought to be happy,
though he disagreed in some res
poets with the Roman maxim incul-
eating this duty. Every man was
however, the arbiter of his own for
tune, but it was a common error to
suppose that any one was entirely
happy. Mankind was divided into
two classss-rieh and poor. Nine
tenths of the one were hypochon-
driacs dissatisfied like a dog with
sore heel (Laughter.) The other are
blessed with good digestion and unsur-
passed domestic comforts. On the
whole contentment with our lot is the
true source of happiness. Even relig-
ion doesn't make man happy unless
he's got it. !. A story of political can
vassinging in Western Maryland,
where the lecturer represented him
self as an old-fashioned Methodist,
brought to him long-faced man who
was skeptical upon that point. Mr..
Cotton told him he couldn't take that
countenance to heaven-it would
break up all happiness there, like a
hornet on camp-ground. Uaugh-
ter.) Did anybody ever hear of one
turning to pillar of salt by looking
forward F? The story Of Mrs.
Lot as the type of the fashion
able women was exceedingly happy
and brought down the house. The
moral coward afraid Of RESPONSE
bilities was we'll sketched in the story
of an old gent at a hotel whose reposa
was disturbed by restless young
man who was financially ruined by
inability to meet note in bank. The
old man told him to 60 to bed sleep
soundly, get up next morning and do
is level best to meet his note. If af-
ter this he could not accomplish his
object, then own it up and-let the
other fellow walk. Laughter.)
The fact is, we overate ourselves.
None of us are indisp ensible to the
progress of affairs. Only one in l00,-
1000 names are perpetuated for Gen.
fury. The lecturer :reo;ted Ii capital
1 style the beautiful and suggestive po-
en-, entitled "A hundred years from
now (Applause.)
A scrap Of personal history was in
troduced. The lecturer was born
very poor and very young, in fact, he
was born barefooted, Qaughter) near
the Blue Ridge, in Virginia, in shan
ty with daylight crevices in it big
enough to throw a cat through. He
was half Celtic, half Teuton; married
life was characterized by the usual d.
versity of sunshine and shadow. He
felt impelled to pay lofty tribute
to the faithfulness Of a good wife, one
whose fidelity follows a man through
all yicissitudes of humor and fortune.
This was illustrated by domestic
dispute about corkscrew which turn
ed out to be gimlet. --. En-. - b..
| All the lecturers avocations had
been failures until he went to lectur-
ing, then he struck it rich. Gaugh-
ter.) When he lived in Anne Arun-
del county he was so poor, he couldn't
poor any more (Laughtsr.) In Balti-
more his residence was equally discour
aging and unsatisfactory, and his con-
clusion was, we are never content
ed. The case of Adam was addu-
ced. Here was man Of incompar-
/
able opportunities for business he was
surrounded by all that heart could
desire and bereft of all the ills that
afHict his posterity. No trouble to
get wife; no mother-in law, no tax
ee, and SO on. Cain and Able, and
the lane of Nod came in for funny
references, and a domestic story OF
Wilkins, introduced an atmosphere
to woman rarely excelled on any plat
form Her multitudinous virtues her
tortitude as exempl6ed everywhere,
every day, was set forth in eloquent
terms and her courage was set forth
in eloquent terms and her courage
was Illustrated by recalling from class
ical and current history the names of