Morning journal and courier., 1880-02-05
Uncle Jesse Whites Story.
What the Governor of North CarOlinR
 Said Unto the Governor of South Carr

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 Said Unto the Governor of South Carr
 Oiinas
 From the Little Rock (Ark Gazettel
 sI am 60 years old, and never got drunk till day before yesterday" remarked old Un- cle Jesse White, as he sat on salt barrel in front of a grocery store. q have lived in Arkansas for forty year-cum here from East Tennessee-and the thought that I got drunk in the evening of my life, when I can just see my gray hairs shining in the twilight, is enough to make me throw myself into the river."
 ssTell us how it occurred, Uncle Jesse D asked bystander.
 s'Well, some time ago, up in our neighbor- hood" and he stopped talking and drew his pipe vigorously to see if the fire was out, Ca Good Templar's lodge was organized. All the young people in the community jined, and pretty soon they came after me- My son Ike was the leadin' man, and he says to me, 'Pap I want you to jne this thing 'Ike,' says 1, don't know the taste of liquor, and don't see the use of jinen.' Pap says he, we want your influence. We are guine to vote want you perfectly identified with the work. Then my daughter Susan, she come around and begged me to jine. 'Susan,' says I, you never seed your old father take drink. No, pap, says she, but we want you to help us frown down the curse of intemper- huGc N04L OuE phEeOu CUL0eS dEOuuo auU EOG my wife on me, and when they all got to drummin' I had to jine T jined on Friday night, and on the following Saturday I got on the boat to come down here. Somethin' aiied me. Somethin' kept sayin,' Jesse White, you ain't free man. It bothered me, and when I saw one of the deck hands turn up q jug wondered if he had ever taken the pledge, and when he set down the jug I walked around and looked at it, took hold of the corn corb stopper, walked away and smels my fingers. I went up on deck and sat down in front. Pretty soon two men came out and sat down. After while one of them remarked: The Governor of North Carolina said to the Governor of South Carolina and without finishing the sentence, both men laughed and drank out of big black bottle. Thar WAS somethin' in that Governor business that took me. I had heard my father talk about it and laugh. I had often heard it, but no one had ever been positive what it was that the Governor said, only that the time between had been rather long. Pretty soon one of the men reached down, took up the bottle, took out the cork, and said: The Governor of North Carolina said to the-.' Then both men laughed and drank. I never felt So cu rious in my life. looked around at the trees on the bank, and at women who waved their handkerchiefs at us as VIC passed. Those Governors had ring about them that tingied through my old blood. Just then one of the men turned, held the bottle toward me, and said: The Governor of North-.' Be- fore knew it I had hold of the bottle. I turned it up and drank. All thought about was the Governors. and when the shadows 0 Ike, Susan. the parson and my wife fitted through my brain, the two Governors, tall and grand, stalked right up and ran over them. The Governor of North Carolina and had taken another pull and long one. I began to see the governors in their true light I thought that they were the best fellows in the world. The boat seemed to be runnin' a mile minute, and didn't care what she did so long es the governors were with us We'll, boys, the governors kept a remarkin' and kept pullin,' and by the time I got to Little Rock I was as drunk as 8 mule--I think I got off the boat and yelled. s'Hoorah for the governor of North Carolina !" and the first thing knowd found myself in sort of prison. Fust timessI ever was locke up, boys. Fust time ever was drunk, and am 6O. odd years old"