Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-11-17
THE POSSIBLE SPEAKER.
A Personal Sketch of Congressman Car
Isle.

Louisville (Ky) Commercial, November II.
John g. Carlisle is one of the greatest
men in the country" said a prominent
Kentucky politician last night. 81 have
known him since he was q boy, aud have
watched his course with great deal of in.
terest. The first time l met him he was a
country boy on farm just back of Coviug
ton. He was pale, studfOus boy, working
hard all day on the farm and studying
and reading by night. l visited his
family several times, and l always
found John sitting off in one cor
rer with big book in his hand.
He was q quiet kind of a fellow,
speaking only when spoken to. When he
was about seventeen years old he started to
teach school, He was rather shy at first, but
IN few weeks his pupils all adored him.
He taught in little out-Of the-way school
house, and the story goes that he fell
desperately in love with young lady who
lived in CovingtOn, and was out near where
be taught visiting relatives. l don't know
why or how his counting ended, but the
lady in question is now the mother of four
children, and is g very fat prosy-lookiDg
married woman. She lives within stones
throw OF Carlisle, at COvington. | was
practfclng law In the CoVington district
and one of my friends was telling that
young Carlisle was going to make 3 speech
tn the court house that day on some land
title. Both OF us were friends OF bis family.
and we took considerable interest in him
We determined to go to hear him make his
maiden speech.
''The case was of dry, hard, knottv
character, full of legal subtilty, ard /
thought to myself Johnny, old boy,
you're in for failure to day. There was
hardly any one In the court room except
lawyers, and, considering the case and he
audience, 1t must have been most irving
maiden effort. l can see Carlisle now as he
stood up in the court room with COPY of
the Revised Statutes in his hand. Fe had
inst same weary, studious look in his ewes.
mat same cold, plssiOnless expression on his
p sle face that he has to-day Without the
least degree OF nervousness, in plain, calm
quiet way, he began his speech. You eopld
see that he had mastered every detail.
and the lawyers, as they grew more
and more interested, moved their bodies
forward and hung on his words
l nave no hesitation in saying that It was
the best speech of the kind ever made in the
CoVington court house. Without telling an
anecdote or cracking joke there was some.
thing so winning in his voice and in his
manners that the interest never tagged.
When he had finished the LAWYERS ali
crowded around him, the Judge shook him
warmly by the hand, and Tom Jones. who
happened to be in the court room. told him
ne had great future before him. From
that day his fortune was made. PrsctIns
poured IN on him, and In two years he was
doing more business than any lawvey
IN that Judicial district. I have heard
MIN many times since then, and
ne has never changed his style or his
manner. He has remarkably sweet voice.
and while never heard him tell an anec-
dote, privately or publicly, there is some
thing about the man that is inexpressibly
winning. He made an Argument before the
Court of Appeals in murder ease a few
years ago and spoke for nesFl y two hours.
When he concluded Judge Cofer asked the
other Judges 10 adjourn for the day. When
asked by one Of the lswyers-who had a
case set for that dsy-why he Adjourned
court after Carllsle's speech, the old Judge
answered crisply: 81 hated 10 hear a good
thing spoiled, as would be the ease if anv
other man had followed him.
"Carlisle's wife has wonderful ir auanca
over him. and 1t was due to her tina; he di5
not go the way of too many young poIiti.
clans who come to Frankfort and get a taste
OF the liquor that is sold there.U '7N