Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-10
A CONGRESSMAN'S EARLY
LIFE.

| 1hel6 Is uheiloSI ol Tue present COn-
q esS, representing a district ia Califor-
MIA whose early life was spi3ed with
more dangerous experiences than fall
to the lot Of most mortals
He began life by being born in Ar
kansas and he possessed FOR father
one of those ideal squatters Of that ear
ly DAY, whom Colonel Faulkner, in his
"Arkansaw Traveller" has impressed
upon the mind Of the country.
OF course, when this embryo Con-
gresham was born, he and his mother
had to have the dry corner of the cab
in ; while the old man hunted coons,
played the fiddle, aud slept under the
leaks.
However, if water was scarce in this
corner, milk was plenty AID he thirty.
ed and soon got big enough to crawl
over on the old mans side of the house,
and knock blazes out Of the fldle with
the fire shovel.
For this he got thrashed and the
fight became general resulting in the
father getting licked by the aroused fe-
male of that palatial residence in the
ten-acre clearing of the Commonwealth
of Arkansas.
This n tturally made the proud spirit
ed pioneer sulky and hanging up the
demoralized fiddle, he took down his
Did rifle and strobe away into the deep
forest for "b'ar," or "catermount,
or something he couli manage-taking
with him seven Of the dogs, and lsav-
ing large, fierce one to guard the cab
in and help the wife tackle any prowl-
ing enemy that might happen along.
1t was a wise prcautiol, without
winch that particular Congressional
District in California, mentioned a
bove, would to-day be represented by
another man.
That afternoon, about three O'Clock,
the future statesman crawled out at
the cabin door, into the bright sunshine
and laughed and crowed, while his
mother was working indoors and the
dog lay asleep by the ash hopper.
A panther which had approached the
clearing, saw the child and creeping
nearer and nearer. it suddenly pounced
upon the baby, and, seizing it by the
shoulder, turned to fly.
OF course the youngster supposed it
was some more than fiddle business,
and he sqaaled Justify, startling both
his mother and the dog.
True to Arkansas principles, that dog
bucklei in on the panther, quicker than
G sh, and closed on its throat. lie
had fought this kind of animal before,
and he knew just where to take hold.
Dropping the child, which was not
hurt, the panther made a fierce fight
with the dog. and was just on The point
Of gaining the mastery, when the wO-
man rushed ont with the gun, and,
being rather used to such business, stuck
the muzzle behind that panther's
shoulder, pulled the trigger, aud the
powder did the rest.
That Arkansas family had a dead
panther on their hands, hut live baby,
when the grateful father returned with
lot of coons and other game, and joy
and peace again reigned.
But killing pantheIs and other game
that way, soon made life too tame in
that locality and our Congressman's
parents, with all their dogs, moved up
on the Missouri river, near where
Kansas City now stands.
This new location afforded anoth 9r
luxury y-catfis"-which may account
for the aforesaid Congressman being a
little fishy in politics.
Aside from this, life did not so
much differ from the old home.
They lived by that huge, treacher-
ous Missouri river, and the old man
kept a dug-out of the largest size.
1t was we'll he had the boat for one
night they woke up and thought they
could feel the cabin shake, and the wa
ter spla shed against it and two min.
utes afterward the father had wade 4
out waist deep in water to where the
boat was chained to Il tree. Hastily
returning to the cabin door, he placed
his wife and four year old boy in it,and
vigorously padded for high land
| through the timber.
/ In ten minutes moIe the log cabin
had plunged into the whirline, muddy
waters, that were sweeping everything
before them.
1t was the same old story of the
treachery of that river. Suddenly ris-
ing, it had cut its way through, back
of the cabin, and, undermining the
soil had swept the entire clearing away,
with hundreds of acres of heavy timber
A narrow escape for the gentleman
from California.
Homeless, and with only three dogs
for fresh start in life, our restless
pioneer struck out for the Far West,
and eventually drove down in the