The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-08-23
An Eccentric Character.
ANECDOTES OF TOM MARSHALL.

All Eccentric Onafactef.
ANECDOTES OF tom MARSHALL
The stories of Tom Marshall, the Con-
yressional wit from Kentucky, are numerous
that he should be a bold man who would at
tempt to retail them for a newspaper. Tom
Marshali is dead, and all kind men who can
his kind heart and mind hope
that Christ, who died for sinners, aud
who will be their judge, has found means to
cure and save 40 worthy creature Of his
hand. How often has Marshall, faultess in
dress, ca IN and perfectly sober, stood on the
platform before, ausAed and expectant au-
diences of the beauty, fa-hion aud best man
hood Of X kanturkv, a11, with every nerve of
hs nealt oeiug Dla,ed for the supreme ef-
fort, his eyes flashed and his form towering,
told how he had been before magistrate
a'id swain on tLe holy evangelists never to
touch or taste intoxicating drink.
seem TO see him now, pale with growing
xrii"n"" AMI Unusual abstinence, with his
hands lifted, as in Thanksgiving and prayer,
apparently willing to die rather than go
back - ~ j d'gr,d,inn Of the cup, while
his audience was thrilled rs he shouted out
his joy at self emancipation, and thanked
uIi now with streaming eyes-that he
was free hrever from the horror of drunk
arL deal.. /. seemed to me that the poem
of n j. Willis was written expressly for
Marshall, the victor over self as he quoted
and acted it :
Then das the brimming cup aside
Aud spill it's purple wine
Take not its madness to thy lip,
Let not its curse be thine.
'ris rich and red, but grief and woe
Are in its rosy depths below.
Or, again, iu sad emphasis
Within the goblet's crystal deeps
singing serpent unseen sleeps,
There's not bubble on its brm
| That does not carry food for him.
Or, in very rage and scorn
| hate, sbhor, detest the smell
| OF this dark beverage of hell.
Sometimes for three months this ecstacsy
| ouu Wouiu iust, duu lutu tue
need of artificial stimulation for so over
wrought a condition would return, and
Tom odd Tom,' Poor Tom,' as men called
him, would be drunk again.
Once Henry Bascombe, LII. d.. the able
and eloquent Bishop of the Methodist
Church, saw him leaning against the outer
walls of Methodist chapel at night, and
said, in bitter jest not knowing him ~
suppose you are Methodist, from your at
tachmeut to the building?"
81 lean that way, Bishop" said Tom, in
his best Congressional manner; "(hic) give
me your arm and I'll see you as far as my
door," and the Bishop did.
Prot Shannon, since President of the
Kentucky University, and now of st. Louis,
once thought to reprove him as he staggered
up the steps of the Harrodsburg Court
House "Oh, dear, Mr.. Marshall" he be-
gan, drunk again"
"Never mind" said Tom, $50 am l." and
he went in, and holding himself by table,
y made speech that saved man from the
: gallows.
up pint of brandy in loaf of bread and
4 ate the bread, being retained in case dur
= ing the trial of which he had promised not
to drink anything, Tom Marshall was bril-
a liant in his cups, and only at the end of
weeks Constitutions" did he ever get so
: oblivious of facts as to make the following
;, story of the Batterton House possibility.
a 1t has been told in many ways but Mr., Tai
bot, of Boyle county, who was his friend,
says that this is the true one;
Tom had gone to his room, after lecturing
, to group of medical students on the vice
of drinking, but soon came out partly Dress
. ed, and called excitedly for the landlord.
That large gentleman responded, and Tom
said: "Ain't | responsible 'nough to have II
private room9 What dye put that fellow
. in there with me for?"
= at is strictly private room, Mr., Mar
= , shall, [" said mine host.
'' "Tsint so fellers in there" Tom per-
u sisted.
!" The landlord went to see, and Tom, hold
q ing his arm, soon had him in the middle of
the room, opposite large and handsome
20 mirror. There" said Tom, told you so.
. See him yourself don't you? Don't think
Pm drunk now, do you? Two of 'em, by
George One of 'em 'nough like you TO be
your brother and t'other one the drunkest,
. silliestl lookin fool / ever did seel Mar
!, , shall, when sober, said the whole thing was
!, made up to tease him, which was not i'm
u probable save that his tendency to shoot