Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-05-05
win to appear. At dinner Mr.. COrwin

| WIN " oPPOSi' ~ ulnlloI MI OOINH
said:
You made great mistake, Ewing. in
your speech this morning"
Mr.Ewing looked exceedingly surprised
and annoyed, and savagely asked:
"What could it have been, Mr.. Cor.
win?"
"Why, you talked to those peoples
brains. They hain't got any brains
Lord, wait till 1 get up this afternoon
and talk at the pit of their stomachs,
then you'll see them give attention,
They'll appreciate that"
When Mr.. COrwin's son, the late DIR.
w. H. COrwin, was attending Dennison
University, his teacher became alarmed
at his sitting up too late nights, and
thought he was over studying. They
wrote to his father in regard to the mat
ter. Mr.. COrwin addressed his son as
follows OIL the subject:
"MY SON-I understand that there is
danger Of your injuring yourself by over
mental exerJion. There are so few
young men these days that go that way
that desire to say, that should you kill
yourself from too much study it would
give me great pleasure to attend your
funeral"
COrwin spoke less on the Reserve, per-
haps, than In any other portion of the
State. He was fond of relating anec-
dotes in regard to the peculiarities of
the people of this portion of the State.
One of these ran something as follows:
81 was unfortunate enough on a GER
tain occasion to speak in the little town
of D., on the Western Reserve. You
have all heard of the Western Reserve
and her Yankees. | presume, and so l
need not particularly describe them.
Well. the meeting was to be held in the
Presbyterian Church. was escorted
to the house by one of the very respect
able citizens and took my seat in front
of the big. high pulpit, which was boxed
up on the side of the wall half way up
to the ceiling. Finally, after aprolong
ed death-like stiffness, a man arose back
in the center of the room and said: 4
nominate Mr.. Jonathan Edwards for
chairman of this meeting Another
man got up in another part of the room
and said, 4 second the motion. After
awhile another man got up and said :.
You heY all heerd the motion and
the second. You that favor it
say aye, contrary no. Mr.. Jonathan
Edwards is elected President of this
meeting Mr.. Edwards came solemnly
forward, and after being seated a few
minutes arose and said: Ladies and
gentlemen-You hev come together to-
night to listen to Honorable Mr. Thorn
as COra0ine on the political issues of the
day. If Mr.. COrtOige will come forward
| will introduce him to the audience.
l went forward. The chairman said
further: This is Hon. Mr.. Thomas Cor
lci,le, who will address you"
81 thought / would break that dronish-
ness or kill myself. l told my funniest
stories. 1 cracked my best jokes in pro-
fusion. l lavished remarks that would
lay a Southern Ohio audience up with
pleurisy. But all were as solemn as
though l was pronouHcing the funeral
Grafton over Cock Robin. Occasionally
l would see fellow put his hands to
his face and bend down as though in de-
votion, but when his face came up it
was again solemn.
AT length gave up in despair. Af-
ter we were all out of church one of
them came up to me, and doubling HIM
self up with laughter, her said:
"'Mr. COriCi3le. you said some of the
(te-he-he) funniest (te-he-heJ things L
ever lIeerd (te-he-he-he). l du declare
you come pretty near making me laugh
right out in meeting"
what terrible calamity that would
have been. But to the Western Reserve
Yankee laugh in the house of worship
or 'meetin' house, as he calls it, would
be an objectionable SIM" G. A. r.