The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-09-14
OLD ArImosITIEs.
how They Were Barred at Ben
HIPS Grave.

HIPS Grave.
Washington Letter to Cincinnati Commercially
"Yes," said my friend, "nearly
everybody, is gone out of town.
The president is away all his cabi-
net ministers are away; Commits
sioner Raum is up in Maine making
speeches, and even his chief clerk,
Hell-and-Texas Clark is away for
the remainder of the month"
AS we stood there, + street did
look deserted, and we would have
turned away, but just then Sunator
Beck came along with a bundle
under his arm and shook hands
with us.
81 am going this week, sure" said
he, putting his bundle in Clay Good
loe's country wagon, "and if you
boys will come and have julep we
can rest bit over it, much better
than standing here with our back
against an iron railing"
The talk fell upon the funeral OF
Senator Hill, and Mr.. Beck said it
was plain to be seen that while
great many of the people in Georgia
did not like Hill they were all proud
of his intellect.
IL didn't look at him." said Mr..
Beck. 81 never look at dead people
when can help it. lust passed by
the coffin ; so don't know how he
looked--horribly unnatural, Senator
Morgan told me-"
sit was time for burying ami
moslties," he continued. "a great
many were put out of sight IN Ben
HilPs grave. Bob Toombs and Sem
ator Lamar had not spoken since
Lamar in the house delivered his
eulogy of Charles Sumner. Il knew
all about it, and it seemed TO me
absurd that two men, each holding
to an idea he had perfect right to
entertain, should be so near together
and not speak so 1 said to Lamar,
come INTO my room, Toombs wants
to see YOU
"'NO, he DON'T said Lamar. He
has no use for me. You are mis-
TAKEN
az tell you he does. He asked if
you were here;' and L gave Lamar
talking to for holding out with his
differences. l told HIM that Toombs
was an old man, would probably be
dead in a year, and it was folly to
keep up the arrangement. So
Lamar went in with me, and shortly
after we were all three riding about
the city of Atlanta with Senator
Brown, and Toombs was as happy as
clam"
Speaking of Toombs. Mr.. Beck
told how he took pride in holding
out the bill of fare and saying (:
"See! you all put on your glasses to
read ii, and L can read it without.
Yet they say L am blind, or will be
soon," and he talked on about his eyes
which are really of very little use to
him, saying that he had lived so long
and had so many things come into
his life that he could shut his eyes
and see more than the young fellows
could with theirs open. lie told
how the oculists in Paris and New
York had advised him to permit no
operation with the knife so long as
he could see Al all, and he said, not
without u glimmer of fun, "D-n
'em, do you know L believe L will
die before L go blind, and so fool 'em
all yetF
Just here Oscar Turner, of Ken
lucky, came in with his crutch, and
Beck hailed him as the "old outlaw
from Ballard county," which made
a laugh, and some members OF the
party went so far as 10 take another
julep. L didn't want another and the
senator said he didn't. 81 am not
like old Lucius Dickinson, of G Gorge
town." said he. and he proceeded to
tell story about old Lucius Dickin-
son.
1t appeared that he used to be
clerk of Scott county court away
back before the war, and he was a
large man of sluggish mind, but
withal q very good one, once it was
thoroughly awakened.
AS the story went, he was one of
the party IN which was John q.
Breckenridge, Mr.. Beck, Bob Wool
ley, and some of the famous old
bluegrass set. Dickinson had not
been saying much, !" said Beck, "but
L noticed that he had taken his
drinks pretty regularly Git always
took several to set his mind work.
ing) and after we had given various
opinions all around about various
matters, not excepting some views
of religion and the plan of creation,
Dickinson emphasized slight halt
in the talk by bringing his fist down
on the table and saying:
Gentlemen, you have all been
telling what you think about relig-
ion and such matters, and 1 have
been an interested listener. Now, l
tell you what think. l am per-
fectly satisfied with pretty much
everything as God made it, but it
seems to me that if / had been in His
place when he made man, | would
have made him about three drinks
ahead"
So the party broke up, and Mr..
Beck climbed into his wagon to go