The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-08-18
FRANKLIN E. PLUMBER.
Extract from Vol. l., CIaiborne's History
Of Mississippi.

I FRANELIE =. PLUAAfER was native of Mas
| sachusetts sfgre he was twenty-one, he
| worked his way on sailing vessel to New
! Orleans His possessions consisted Of wal
| let Of clothing and FIVE dollars IN cash. While
! strolliug around. nihblng some bareback tor
/ his dinner. he fell in with Capt. Brown, W no
! was running a small schooner on Lake Point
/ chart.air who told hum here were some Yam
! KEGS III Pennington, Mss, and offered him a
! free passag re. At FeariihGiGG De found Messrs.
| Pray and learned, lawyers from Maine sam
White /. kimbsI o'' Nc" EHs aiiue i, ;,
! all of them prosperous and intuenut,. -
| their advice he set out, on foot for the new
county of Copiah, where lie took up his resi-
! dence with John Coor, the first sheriff of the
county. and there opened a log-cabin school
The first functi0naries Of our new counties
were plain people, often uulettered, who knew
but little Of their official duties. Plummer
New England, ut that day afforded He could
read, write, and cipher up 10 the Rule Of
| Three. He had push, sbrew3ness, and the
gift OF CAB, and was considered at that
| time, and in those new settlements, Il walking
eucy clopedIa-
The country al declared how much he knew
Twas certain he could write and cipher too :;
Lands he could measure; terms Of tide presage,
And II the story ran that he could guage!
In arguing too, the parson owned his skill,
For ev tho yanquished he could argue still,
While words of learned length and laundering
sound,
ANA zed the gazing rusJics rang'd around y
1t was hot long before Plummer became vir-
tuallv sheriff. clerk, and county Judge, though
the commissions OF course, were held by three
respectable citizens
what now constitutes Copiah and Simpson,
was then embraced within the limits of Copiah,
A year or two later, Pearl river was declared
To be the dividing line, and HelC county. call
ed simpson, was organized. and the seat of
Justice located at Westyiue Plummer saw
his opportunity, squat5ed himself at NestvIIle
and stuck out his single as attorney and
counsellor at law. His library consisted of
Pondexters Revised Code, pamphlet copy
of the acts of the last legislature, and one
volume of Blackstone on crimes and misde-
meanors Ii he had ever read anything else
he kept it a secret, and nobody ever saw him
reading He spent his time among the boys,
in the crowd, and on the steps OF the court
house but when the courts came on he was
found employed one side of every case
and TO the astonishment of older lawyers and
the Judge, he was generally on the winning
side He talked iuently; his manner was in
siuuating: his smile II esIst"ble; his good
humor contagious; he knew his jury faith
omed the depth of the Judge, and had the most
consummate audacity. His career at the bar
was short but no man was ever more success
ful Of course. he extended his reading as
his practice increased and in several counties
he was soon employed in nine-tents of the
cases Two men quarreled about will, IN
neighboring county, one sald, wan sue.
The other replied, ''sue and be id They
separated Each started tor Plummer by diff
fereut roads, and faced each other at his othce
at the same moment Each claimed him as
counsel but he made them decide 1t by pitch
ing up dsllHr-heads or tails And he who
won, paid him the fee
As a matter of course he was the first re
preventative from his county. de was elected
a. often as he chose, and soon became the lead
or in the legislature of what was, in those
times almost a distinct political organize
ton known as East Mississippi lie made him
self master of parliamentary law. and could
embarrass the House or disentaugie il, at his
pleasure This, with his free and easy way
Of speaking. and his imperturabie good hui
NOR made him both a popular and influential
member, welding more power than men OF
higher grade and culture, or than all OF them
combined. In 1879, to the surprise, not to say
disgust of tue old politicians, he announced
himself for Congress. The candidates were
VIM. Halle, (late member) OF Mlklnson, m
! L, Sharkey. of Warren, and John IL. Norton,
of Kinds They regarded IL as great piece
of impertinence in Plummer- But he cody
took the stump and routed them without diff
| ieulty. Il was IN TINS canvass ne Played on
a good Joke on g, who had opened a
| hotel at Benton, Yazoo county. Ar. Plummer
| put up there; made free use Of the bar; in
| vited many friends to drink and dine with
| him: made his speech and ordered his horse
had the bin in his pocket, attended
| him to the door, intending there to present it.
| when Pldmmer called out TO the crowd, At
| tentioa Gentlemen Before leaving Ben
| ton desire publicly to acknowledge the IN
/ bounded hospitality Of my worthy friend :.
: who stands here modestly behind me- He is a
| true Samaritan He found me weary, hungry
and thirsty and com forted me. He has placed
his table and his bar at my disposal as you
! gentlemen can testify. He is the prince of
| tavern keeperS, delights N feastlng his guests
and never saws a word aSOut bill. God
| bless you my dear friend. Plummer will
| never forget you. Gentlemen farewell! And
| vauIting on his horse he rode of, amidst the
| burrahs of the crowd He reelected as
often as he presented himself, beating, with
out de- Guilty, the most popular men in the
State In one of kIs contests, he and one of
| ms competitors, Judge Harry Cage, agreed to
| canvass together. They met at Holmesville,
/ and when they stopped at y N. at farm
house for dinner, Cage pleased the mother
very nueh by kissing her little girl and prais-
| ing its beauty but she was completely car
| ried away when she saw Rlummer pick up her
Ees toddling boy, lay it gently across his lap,
| turn oxeEits little pettic0at, and go to hunt
ing red bugs They are powerful bad, said
Piummer, .and mighty hard on babies" She
was enchanted, and never forgot that tender
hearted Congressman
That night they stopped with an aged eou-
ME whose children had all married and set
lied around, and formed quite colony. Cage
reoo1nmended hiutae.f by cutting turn Of
wood and brinainaik in foF the old lady TO
0et snpper In the morning he missed Plum
mpr hut soon found him the COW pen, the
old lady milking and he holding the edH back
bs it tai Cage was furious he found him
self headed at every turn, by the cunning
Yankee. So when they rode mile or so, and
came 10 where lhe reads forked, Cage halted
and said; s.Plnmmer, here We part. You are