Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-03-18

am sixty years old, and never got drunk
till day before yesterday, I" remarked old
Uncle Jesse White, as he sat on salt bar
rel in front of grocery store. 81 have
lived in Arkansas for forty years-cum here
from East TenneSsy-and the thought that
got drunk in the evening Of my life, when
/ can just see my gray hairs shining in twi-
light, 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 IL 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 he
says to me, Pap, want you to jine this
thing Ike, says |, 4 don't know the
taste of liquor, and | don't see the use of
jinen. Pap says he, we want your in
tiuence. We are going to vote on the local
option law pretty soon, and we want you
publicly identified with the work. Then
my daughter Susan, she come around and
begged me to jine. Susan, says |, you
never seed your old father take drink ,
No. pap said she, but we want you to
help us to frown down the curse of intem-
perance.' Next our parson come around
and sot my wife on me, and when they all
got to drummin' had to jine. | iined on
a Friday night, and on the following Satur-
day got on the boat to come down here
Something allied me. Something kept say
In int fpaa
1t bothered me, and wi el saw one cf the
deck-hands turn up jug | wondered if he
had ever taken the pledge, 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. | went
up on deck and set down in front Pretty
soon two men came out and sat down. AT
ter 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 something in that governor business
that took me. had heard my father talk
about it and laugh. had often heard it,
but no one had ever been positive what it
was the governor said, only that the time
between drinks hau 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. | never felt so curious In my life.
| looked around at the trees on the bank,
and at women who waved their handker-
chiefs at us as we passed. Those governors
had ring about them that tingled my old
blood. Just then one of the men turned,
held the bottle toward me, and said: The
Governor of NORTH Before | knew it
had hold of the bottle. turned it up and
drank. All | thought about was the gov
ernors and when the shadows of Ike, Su-
san, 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 an
other 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 q
minute, and | didn't care what she did so
long as the governors were with us. Well,
boys, the governors kept a remarkin' and
kept pullin', and by the time got to Little
Rock, | was as drunk as an owl. Oh,
was as drunk as a mule--a mink. | got
off the boat and yelled, 'Hoorah for the
Governor of North Carolina = and the first
thing knowed found myself in sort of
a prison. First time | was ever locked up,
boys. Fust time ever was drunk, and am
sixty odd years old.