The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1880-05-29
JESSE WHITES FIRST DRINK
Little Rock Gazette.l

Little Rock GaZette.l
Il am sixty years old, and never got
drunk till day before yesterday" re-
marked Uncle Jesse White as he sat on a
salt barrel in front Of a grocery store.
Il have lived in Arkansas for forty
years-cum here from East Tennessee
and the thought that l got drunk in the
evening of my life, when l can just see
the gray hairs shining in the twilight, is
enough to make me throw myself in the
river" "Tell us how it occurred, Uncle
Jess," asked bystander "Well, some
time ago, up in my neighborhood," " and
he stopped talking and drew his pipe |
vigorously to see if the fire was out, ga
Good Templar's Lodge was organized.
All the young people 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 l, don't know the taste of
liouor and don't see the use of jinin','
Pap, says he, I'VE want your influence.
We are gwine to vote on the local-option
law pretty soon, and we want you pub
licly identified with the work Then
nv daughter Susan she came around and
begged me to jine Susan says l,
you never seed your 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 around and sot my wife on me, and
when they all got drummin' l had to
jine. l jincd on Friday night, and on
the following Saturday ! got on the boat
and came down here. Somethin allied
me. Somethin' kept sayin, Jesse White,
you aint free man. 1t bothered me,
and when I saw one of the deck-hands
turn up jug, down walked and looked
into it, took hold of the corncob stopper
walked away and smelt my fingers.
went up on deck and sat down in front
Pretty soon two men came and sat down
After a while one of them remarked
The Governor of North Carolina said tt
the Governor of South Carolina, ant
without finishing the sentence, both o
the men laughed and drank out of bi
black bottle. There was somethin' il
that Governor business that took me.
had heard my father talk about it an
laugh. had often heard it, but no on
had ever been positive what it was ths
the Governor said, only that the time b'
tween drinks had been rather lont
Pretty soon one of them reached dow
took up the bottle, took out the cork an
said; 'The Governor of North Carolir
said to the Then both men laughs
and drank. l never felt so curious
my life. looked around at the trees {
the bank, and at women who wav'
their handkerchiefs at us as we passe
These Governors had ring about the
that tingled through my old blood. Ju
then one of the men turned, held t
Douolo VoWdTu lIlC dIlu oaiu' Aho Wv
crnor of North Before knew h
hold of the bottle, turned it up q
drank, All / thought about was
Governor, and when the shadows of II
Susan, the parson and my wife fit
through my brain, the two Governo
tall and grand, stalked right up and
over them. The Governor of No
Carolina and I he'd taken another !
and long one. l began to see the 6
ernors in their true light. I thou
they were the best fellows in the wo
The boat seemed to be running mi
minute, and l didn't care what she
so long as the Governors were with
Well, boys, the Governors kept
markin' and ] kept pullin', and by
time I got to Little Rock was drum
an owl. 0, I was drunk as a mul,
mink. [ got off the boat and vel
Hoorah for the Governor of North
olina, and the first thing I knowe
found myself in a sort of prison.
time ever was locked up, boys.
time l ever was drunk, and am 81
odd years old