The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-02-22

When Tom COrwin was in congress from
the Warren county district he used to be dis
turbed very much by hearing so much boast
ing and Dragging from the state of Maryland
members of the wonderful greatness of the
eastern shore of Maryland. Other members
of congress were bored as we'll as Corwin by
the eastern shore fellows continually harping
upon their great eastern shore, and their great
constituency--their great people. One day
an eastern shore member was speaking on
some measure, and Tom declared to some of
his fellow members in his place, lfthat Mary
land chap again 8 id anything about his east
ern shore, he would reply to it,. This was,
sub rosa, noised about among members, and
those in the conspiracy waited for an eulo-
gium upon his eastern shore. Sure enough
the orator in due time came to the "~eastern
shore,' and, among other things, he proclaim
ed "Look at the great state OF Maryland,
look at the eastern shore of Maryland, from
whence | came! Why, it is the garden spot
of creation, and its people are the chosen ones
of mankind. 1t IS a great country, a blessed
country, a God gifted LAM !" And the orator
soon sat down after all that, and Tom Cor
win arose in his place, with his fellow men,
bers around him, all expectant, but not know
ing what was to come. Among other things,
Grated eloquent Tom:
"The gentleman from Maryland speaks
most %eloquently and OPPORTUNITY of his great
state, and p%ronounces the eastern shore of
that great state 'the garden spot of creation,
and its people a blessed people, In refer
ence to this l have a fact to relate if l can
command sufficient attention" Everybody
in the house was now full of ttention. MI
Speaker, l am a lawyer, and l had a case i'll
court one day in my town OF Lebanon, War
rem county, Osio. 1t was a case of much
importance, and my success in it depended
upon the evidence of an aged, venerable,
whIte-headed witness, near four score years
/ called him to the witness stand and he gave
his most important testimony, and my case, l
thought, was won. But the LAWYER on the
other side commenced to cross m the
witness, to break him down, if possible, on
account of his extreme old age and necessary
want of memory, and says he to the witnessi
'My aged friend, how old might you be P The
old, white headed witness looked around al
the court and at the jury and then at me, and
at last at the cross examining attorney, and
he answered: 4 am just forty two years Of
age next month"; This was an astonisher
an amazer. l was amazed, and felt that my
witness would certainly be completely broker
down for lunacy. All in court were sur
prised. The cross examiner continued
sOniy forty-two years Of age! Why, old man
you look to be at least eighty years of age?
Swell, said the witness, Il will tell vol
how thai is: The first part of my life wa
spent on the eastern shore of the state o
MARYLAND. I was born therein the eastern
shore I and I lived around there and los
thirty-eight wears, and under the good God
have always thought that in estimating ant
numbering my years He would not take &C
count of the years gone and lost on that God
forsaken eastern shore OF Maryland, and
therefore, l am just forty-two years Of age?