The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-04-15
How He Came to Break His Pledge,

Little Rock (Ark.) Gazette
II am go years old and ne yer got drunk till
day before yesterday" remarked old Uncle
Jesse White as he sat ON a salt barrel in front
of grocery store. II have lived in Arkansas
40 years--come here from East Tennessy-and
the thought that got drunk in the evening of
my life, when l can just see my gray hairs
shining in twilight, is enough to make me
throw myself into the river"
"Tell us how it occurred, Uncle JESSE
asked bystander.
'Well, some time ago up in my neighbor-
hood" and he stopped talking and drew his
pipe vigorously to see if the fire was out "a
Good Templars' 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 says he to me, "Pap
l want you to iine this thing Tke' says I,
Il don't know the taste of liquor, and l don't
see the use of jinin'.' Pap says he, we
want your influence. We are gwine to vote
on the local option law pretty soon, and we
Then my daughter Susan, she came round
and begged me to jine. Susan, says l. you
never seed your old father take a drink. NO,
pap, says she, but we want you to help us
frown down the curse of intemperance.'
Next our parson came round and sot my wife
on me, and when they all got to drummin'
had to jine. 1 jined on a Friday night,
and on the following Saturday got on the
boat and come down here. Something
allied me. Something kept saying, Jesse
White you amt a free man. 1t bothered
me, and when he set the jug down walked
around and looked at it, took hold of the corn
cob stopper, walked away and smelt my fingers.
l went up on deck and sat down in 'front.' Pretty
soon TWO men came out and set 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 a big
black bottle. Thar was something in that
governor business that took me. heard my
father, talk about it and laugh. 1 had often
heard it, but no one had ever been positive
what the governor said, only that the time be-
soon one of the men reached down, took up the
bottle, took out the cork and said The COVER
nor OF North Carolina said to the Then both
men laughed and drank. never felt so Curl
GUS in my life. ] looked around at the trees
on the bank and women waved their handker-
chiefs at us as we passed. These governors
had ring about them that tingled through
my old blood. Just then one of the
men turned, held the bottle. toward
fore knew had hold of the bottle, turned
| it up and drank. All l thought about was the
| two Governors, and when the shadows of Ike,
| Susan, the parson and my wife fitted through
| my brain, the two Governors, tall and grand,
stalked up and ran over them. The Governor
| of North Carolina'-and had another pull,
| and long one. began to see the Governors
in their true light. thought they were the
| best fellows in the world. The boat seemed to
| be running mile minute, and didn't care
| what she did so long as the Governors were
with us. Well, boys, the Governors kept re-
| markin' and kept pullin', and by the time
got to Little Rock was as drunk as an owl
| Oh, was drunk as a mule-a mink. got off
the boat and yelled, 'Hoorah for the Governor
| of North Carolina" and the first thing
knowed l found myself in a sort of prison.
First time L ever was locked up, boys. First
time ever was drunk, and 1 am 60 odd years
l oJd