The weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1883, 1883-02-07
STATESMEN AT PLAY.
A Scene During The Annual
Frolic of the Louisville
Sportsmen Club.

Frolic of the Louisville
Sportsmen Club.
From the LOuisriWe Commercial.
"Make Proctor Knott tell that anecdote
about the dog suggests the sharp, quick
voice of Senator Beck, and in an instant
the crowd gather about the prince of
Kentucky story-tellers. No man can say
he ever heard an anecdote told unless he
has heard Proctor Knott tell it. A better
comic actor could hardly be found. His
voice changes, his eyes change, his whole
expression changes to suit the varying
character of his story. Backed up against
an old oak he kept the crowd in one con-
tinual roar for nearly two hours. His
supply never run short. Sometimes at
the climax of one of his stories the braw-
ney men around him would roll over on
the ground in their proxysms of laugh
ter. Knott would pull his hat little
further over his left eye, give few sport,
amused chuckles, and commence on an
other.
"Why don't you tell ABOUT that Wolfe
county speech of yours the other day."
asked Governor Luke Blackburn. "Well,
it was something like this" said Mr..
Knott, not at all unwilling: "You know
Joe and l were to speak one night at
Hazel Kirke, and the little hall was
packed. They were hanging in the win
dows, and about one-third of them were
outside Every woman who had baby
brought one, and every woman who did
not have one must have borrowed one,
for they all had 'em. Well, Joe led off
in one of his speeches. You all know
what kind of speech Joe Bl>ekburn can
make. He did all the fine b1 ness, all
the ice-cream and cake, and left me at
the wrong time to come in with bacon
and cabbage. didn't know what to say
to them, SO told them to think of me as
the deacons in the Leadville church
thought of the organist when they pasted
up over his head: Gentlemen, when
shooting, will please not aim at the or
ganist."
EYES," said Blackburn, when the laugh
had subsided little, "and he kept tell
ing them story after story and made me
laugh SO much l felt ashamed of myself.
And the worst part about it was that he
kept telling them that he had given up
telling anecdotes, and ended his speech
by saying that the parting injunction of
his wife was: Proctor, for heavens sake
don't tell any more Of these anecdotes :"
The savory smell that was waited from
the little hollow where the cauldron
boiled and bubbled at the foot of the old
tree grew stronger and stronger as the
sun approached nearer the meridian.
Presently there was hustle little be,
low where the cooking was going on, a
long table was fixed up, covered with a
dazzling white table cloth, and in very
short space of time was groaning under
the weight of good things that were put
On it. Birds of all sizes and cooked in
all styles; oysters raw, and oysters fried;
and oysters stewed; tender lamb and del
icate beef; great rounds of bread-every
thing was on that big style which is SO
essentially Kentuckian. Colonel John
Barbonr's eyes fairly shone as he saw so
many birds and thought Of how IN days
gone by he had trod hill and dale, gun
on shoulder, hunting them. There was
a keen appetite in the breezy air, an in
viting look in the heads Of snugly cooked
brown birds, in the game, in the bread,
in the cleanliness, and, above all, in the
jolly, hearty crowd. But all things must
have an end, and there did at last come
time when those around the board
could eat no more.
As they were lounging around on the
grass, Colonel Stoddard Johnston slipped
off by himself, bored small hole in a.
very long nail on his little finger, and
taking long, thin straw, ran it up the
side of his hand, and letting one end re-
main concealed in his coat-sleeye, pushed
the other through the hole in his nail SO
as to just show the straw on the inside.
1t looked for all the world like he had a
splinter run in under his fnger-nail.
He came up toward Zach Smith, of Lex
ington, wringing his hands and appear
ing to be in great suffering. Smith, who
is kind-hearted fellow, ran up to offer
assistance. Colonel Johnston, after a
great deal of hesitation turned his hand
over to Smith, who began working to get
the straw out. Colonel Johnston let him
pull it out gradually, and Smith was all
sympathy, drawing his breath in sym
= pathetically and now and then saying:
Colonel, this is frighful." At length the
splinter was far enough above the nail
to be canght hold of, and Zach gave a
quick jerk to end Colonel Johnston's s
ufering. To his surprise he drew out
splinter near three feet long. He saw
the joke Immediately an d joined in the
hearty laugh of those around him.