The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-12-02

your sons, that the remaining one might
get his living by some other meaLs "said
the Secretary. "Why, heis a Virginian,
and entitled to Office" said the woman.
IL don't think can appoint him." said
the Secretary. You must" said the
woman.
The ex.member of the Legislature was
also Vlrginian, and he thought he
must have Office, for he was entitled to
il. In 1885, after he bad his three score
years and ten, the age at which the
Psalmist says man should be prepared
to die the old General-for he was a mi.
litia General-took a notion he would
like to again be a Legislator, and so an
nounCed himself as a candidate for nom.
inaton in the Legislative district, com
posed of Allen, Auglaize and Mercer, as
everybody supposed, without any hope
Of success The convention met, and
before the balloting commenced, each of
the candidates were permitted to make
brief speech to the delegates. In his
speech, the old General told them how
long he had been in the Legislature, first
as Representative and then as Senator;
longer, he thought, than any other man
had ever continuously served. He had
been, he said, a Government land officer
for long time, "and now find myself
getting old. feel it all over, and will
not be long with you; and, boys, if you
ever feel willing to help the old man,
now is the time to act" The speech took
with "the boys" as he called the dele.
gates, The nomination was made by &C.
Clamation, and was indorsed by the peo-
pie, and the last session under the old
Constitution, was the last session of this
old time Legislator He died soon after
full Of years and full of Legislative hon
ors,
Among the Legislators. away back in
the early part of the twenties, was Jas.
Riley, representing Darke and Shelby,
which at that time composed no inCon-
siderable portion of that vast region run
ming almost from the Prebe county line
to the lake, known as the "Black Swamp
Region" then deemed, much of it,
morass never capable of being reclaim
ed, but now embracing soms of the fin.
est farms and richest soil in Ohio.
In early days james Riley was not un-
known to fame. He was a sea captain
before he came to Ohio, and was wreck
ed while in command of the brig Com
merCe on the Barbary coast and himself
and crew made Captives by the Arabs,
and for many years were held in slavery
until redeemed, before the Tripolitan
war by the payment of a large sum of
money. He published book, "Riley's
Narrative" which, by the aid of book
agents, was scattered over the country.
If the book was true, no human being
suffered more than Riley and his com.
panions, but in time people who read it
began to doubt, and soon the Nara.
tive" was almost entirely dlsbelieved.
Riley's friends say Capt. Riley gave his
papers into the hands of a clergyman in
New England to write the book, and
soon after, being prostrated with fever,
the clergyman, who was to be paid by q
part of the profits, made up the book to
sell, careless of the facts of the case. Ri.
ley came west after his captivity, and
engaged as a surveyor in what IS now
Mercer County, and became rich in land.
In 1923 he was elected to the Legisla.
ture, and some of his old constituencies
say he made an excellent member. His
fame rests more upon his lively imagn.
alton than on his Legislative career, and
his name soon became synonym for
marvellous story telling. Once, he said,
in speaking Of rattlesnakes, his course as
surveyor led through a swamp where
rattlesnakes abouuded, Before going
into the swamp he had the precaution
to wrap pieces of blankets around his
legs, and, armed with long butcher
knife he took his observation by com.
pass and started. He soon felt tWitch-
ing about his legs, but as he cut right
and left with his knife, he found it re.
leased his legs somewhat. When across
the swamp, he looked down and found
his leggins literally covered with the
heads of rattlesnakes, whose fangs be-
came entangled in the blankets, and
whose bodies he had severed from the
head with his knife. When picked off
the heads more than filed a bushel bas.
kst.
In speaking of the famed Black Swamp
he said "At one time in crossing it, by
jumping from one hummock--a dry
place-to another, where there the trees
were mostly forty, fifty or sixty feet high
and from two to three feet thick at the
butt, / thought 1 would try an expert
ment, by jumping up and down to see
how far l could shake the earth; and,
believe me or not, gentlemen, i stake
my honor on the fact, that for more than
ten acres on each side of me the trees
made 80 much noise as they Clashed
their branches, l had to stop, fearing
they would all tumble down and do me
injury"
One fine morning, while indulging in
spinning his ysrns," a fellow.member
sternly rebuked him. Meeting friend
on the street shortly after, Riley told
him he bad never been so grossly insult
ed in his life, as he had just been by
Gen. Sanderson, of Fairfield. What
did he do or say2" "Why," eaid Riley,
"he told me was the d-dest liar he
ever heardl" "Why didn't you knock
him DOWN." Because, unfortunately, at
the moment, had both hands in my
breeches pockets, and, at the insult,
naturally doubled up both fists, and cod
not get them out of my poCkets!" said
Riley.
IfthiI sketch is not as much as others
upon "Old-Time Politics." it certainly is
devoted to "Old-Time Politicians" ."-"F"
in Gin. Enquirer,
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