The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-09-30
MisrrHany.
GREATEST SPEECH ON RECORD
IF cU1 naH1Y ----- t,N
Staokhouse's Buffalo Speech, at
buffalo, N. Y, Eclipsed by the
Speech of Col. Fleet Cooper ct
the Comet. 10 or G<.t,s.

1t had been reported that 20
Cooper of jackson, Miss, editor {
the Comet, was TO visit Mississippi
City and minor places of interes
on the coast, there was much inter
est manifested thereat, and on hi
arrival at that point he was enthu
siastically received by a delegatio
lofinfiuential citizens, who escorte
him to Barnes hotel, the delega
tion being headed by the Stonewal
| brass band. i.. i
A runner was dispatched t.
Handsboro to notify Capt. P. X
Mayors, of the event, and to inform
DR., Peleaz that the excitement OIL
the coast was occasioned solely By
the arrival of the distinguished edi
tor, essayist and biographer, anC
shortly those gentlemen, accompan
led by the entire population o
Handsboro headed by the Handsbo-
ro eornet band, appeared on the
grounds. 1rs5It-t iia let-.-
In response to the music of bands
and loud calls from the audience
the distinguished speaker appeared
upon the balcony.
The position of master of cere
monies devolved on p. X :, and the
Instructor-in- Chief-of. Youth tool
his position by his side.
THE ADDRESS.
my friends" said the speaker
~whenT I gaze upon this sen of up
turned faces. and from thence to thu
billows of the rolling sea beyond
and see far off the dome of HEAVIER
capping, as it were, the apex of the
earth,I feel feel Il feel'- -("Like
a morning STAR suggested Smith.
mo, no, my friends" said the
speaker. IF you had said like one
of Neptune's stars, you might have
struck something applicable to The
OCCASION: but I feel that words ari
inadequate to express the thoughts
that are throbbing in my brain, OF
to turn loose in appropriate words
the sentences which will do justice
to the OCCASION. Ahem!
81 come, my friends, from land
locked city built of brick and trim
med with picket-fences, where the
moaning Of the deep blue sea is un
known, and the only moaning heart
is that of the citizens when the new,
ly organized brass hand of Hope
Fire Company rehearses on theil
newly-arrived wind instruments
come from a place where shells OF
the ocean are myth and oysters ar,
five days old before we put them il
our stews; and while [ fain would
enlarge on the beauties of our Capi
tol city-its, brass bands, its edi.
tors, its ice houses, its compress
and the beautiful state house, will
its domesaH painted blue-I feel
would be charging upon subjects
to which you could appropriately say
nuts when you have such stupen
dous favors showered upon you il
your favored region. Ahem!
"The blessings of the sea-coast tC
the great state of Mississippi art
vet TO be appreciated. The knowl
edge that the oyster grows in the
shell beneath the water has yet tC
be impaired to the rising genera
tion of the state, and I hope my
travelling companion will make ;
note of it before he forgets it. The
knowledge that--but | must pause
There is much to learn. Even !.
nv friends, have much to learn O
the resources of this magnificent
section, for it is only few shor
days ago that worried down few
fruit sold to me by a boy on tn,
Jackson railroad as scuppernongs
but | afterwards ascertained wer,
green persimmons. At that time
felt prejudiced against scuppernong'
as q fruit. Them!
"Since then, however. u change
has come over the spirit of my
dream. | have eaten of the rosy
juicy scuppernong. and drank o.
soul.inspiring juice. Would tha
the poetical genius of the geograph
ical center of Kinds county wa.
here to join me in my praises anC
to do justice to the glorious grape
We read of them in ancient history
| read, when a boy, the speech o
Spartvcuss, wherein he says il
childhood's days he climbed tn
mountain side to pluck the first rip
grapes and bear them home il
childish triumph. He was glad h
ate 'em, and in after years wa
known rs q gladiator. Ahem!
"Sitting beneath rOse-embower
ed porch I ate my first scupper-
nong.s One of tie fairest of the sea
shore maids sat beside me an,
learned me how to eat the fragra n
fruit, extract the juice and thro'
the hulls aside. .e
We sat beneath the cottage porch, ...
The ripe fruit filled my hat,
We susked the juicy scuppernongs,
| And threw the skins at the cat,
We talked the talk that poets talk,
We talked of love and sins,
| We sucked the juicy scuppernongs,
And pelted the cat with the skins.
Sing me the songs of the olden days, /,
i Ard the songs. the svren sung 'em,
While we ate of the Juicy scuppernongs,
! And she skin at the cat we flung 'emo
hhem!
7 "Pardon my enthusiasm, m
| friends, but there are times in
man's life when the hot fire {
youth ebbs through the veins an
the inspiration of the muses. con
uncalled; when rhyme and melod
take possession of the brain and til
tongue wakes forth such as wit
which the poet of the geographic
center of Kinds county at timt
electrifies the world. Ahem.
"Would that l could throw asit
my editorial cares and duties-bu
cast-net, and, turning capitals
camp upon your shore for the ba
ance of my allotted years on tn
mundane sphere. Would that
possessed the nautical knowledl
owned here by your youngest chi
dren in regard to navigation. Wit
what delight would / board n
gallant bark, and raising the let
billiards aloft, sheer fast by II
; pinnacle to the music of the anch
watch and plough the deep, BIZ
sea. What though a storm shou
a come? With what alacrity woulc
r lash the anchor to the cooks c
8 boose, and throwing the tiller ovt
n hoard would nlace Home at the bi