Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-01-01
AN OLD STORY RETOLD.
What the Governor OF South Cares
ma Said to the Governor Of NOrt

What the Governor OF South Careli-
ma Said TO the Governor of North
Carolina.
A great many years ago the Governor
of North Carolina received friendly
visit from the Governor of South Carroll
ma. After real North Carolina dinner
of bacon and yams the two Governorslit
pipes and sat in the shade of the back
veranda with demijohn of real North
Carolina corn whisky, copper distilled.
within easy reach. "There was moth.
ing stuck up about these Governors.
says a North Carolina State historian, in
the homely but vigorous language of his
section. "There they sot and smoked.
and sot and smoked, every once in a
while taking a mutual pull at the demi-h
john with the aid of gourd which they
used as democratic goblet. The con-
yersation between the two Governors was
on the subject of turpentine and rice,
the staples of their respective States, and
the further they got into the subject the
lower down they got into the jug, and
the lower down they got in the Jug the
dryer the Governor of South Carolina
got, who was square drinker
and a warm man, with about a
million or more pores to every
square inch of his hide, which enabled
him to histe in likely share of corn
juice, or other beverage, and keep his
carcass at the same time well ventilated
and generally always ready for more,
while the Governor Of North Carolina
was a more cautious drinker, but was
mighty sure to strike bottom at about
the twelfth drink, like as if nature had
measured him by the gourdful. Well,
they sot, and smoked, and argued, and
the Governor of North Carolina was as
hospitable as any real Southern gentle
man could be, for he ladled out the
whisky in the most liberal manner, be-
ing particular to give his distinguished
guest three drinks to one, and gauging
his own dose with great care, for fear
that if he didn't he might lose the
thread of his argument and the demi-
john might run dry before the Governor
of South Carolina should be ready to
dust out for home, in which case it would
look like he had not properly observed
the laws of hospitality, which would have
been sef-inficted thorn in his side for
years to come, and no amount of
apology could ease his mind or enable
him to feel warranted In showing his
countenance to his fellow-men, espe-
cially in his home district, where for
generations it had been main point
with every gentleman to keep his visitor
well supplied with creature comforts,
and to hand him good gci. ,tal as a
stirrup-cup when about to sdke his de-,
parture for the bosom of his family.
Singular to relate, the cautiousness
manifested by the Governor Of North
Carolina was Of no avail, for at one and
the same moment the jug went dry and
the Governor Of North Carolina, much
to his subsequent modification when he
learned the fact afterward, dropped off
into a quiet sleep, while the Governor
of South Carolina continued to keep on
with his argument, holding the empty
gourd in his hand in close contagious
ness to the demijohn, and wondering at
the apparent observation-disclosures of his
hitherto-attentive host, to whom, after a
minute and a half of painful silence, he
made use of but one remark
Governor, don't you think it's a
long time between drinks?' the
remark being overheard by George, the
body servant of the Governor of North
Carolina, who, knowing that there was
something wrong, took to the woods
where he remained In seclusion for three
days, but the Governor of South Caro-
lima, receiving no reply from the Gov
ernor of North Carolina, mounted his
horse and rode sadly homeward with an
irrepressible feeling at his heart that
there was coming to be hollowness in
friendship, and that human nature was
in danger of drifting into condition Of
chaotic mockery."
Ever since the occurrence so touch
ingly described by the conscientious
historian, common form of invitation
to join social glass has been, "As the
Governor of South Carolina said to the
Governor of North Carolina, it's a loIf
time between drinks" The form is as
eficacious as that used by the itinerant
minister when called upon to turn twt
into one at short notice" Jine hands.