The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-12-01
BUhDETTL's BUGGY-RIDE.
EARLY ExPeRieN E LEcruRiNe.
A TUelve-Ailss Drive Through Illinois
Mud and Darkness to Lissen 10 the
Orato, Of schuyler Colfax,
Twenty Years Ago.

In the earlier days, when L drew my
lecture nom its scabbard and swept like
a bosom Of holocaust across the land, L
lectured one night in Macomb, Illinois.
As passed through Bushnell 40 told
that l must drive up from Macomb that
night after the lecture, because Schuyler
SolfaI would pass through Bushnell the
GLOWING morning at5 o'clock; he would
have an hour or two TO wait for a con
Meeting train; the leading citizens lad
arranged little surprise breakfast
party for him; there would I've much to
say, something a eat and nothing to
drink, and | had been appointed one of
the speakers. There were no trains, but
the distance Was MY twelve miles and
| could drive.
Drive? | would walk. In those
younger days, u meet great man were
greater titan 10 be a Roman, and to
make a ST Hch at a great mans recep-
hon-re emoer brethren, 1 was young
then, was not a snarling, toothless old
synic, with ashes of disappointment on
my head aud the cinder OF envious dis
trust in my eye. So L went willingly,
joyously. proudly.
L n, L
would do it again.
1 left Macomb at midnight. The
roads were II OF the good, go0dy; thoy
were of the bad, badly; they were prairie
roads. 1t had been raining on them
twenty-five years Off and on, priuci-
pally on. The night was darker than "A
theological controversy. Ii WAS raining
like house siire. 1t seemed as though
old AuQarious had got mad, pulled her
wide open, threw her clear over, and
was running wi d for the next deluxe.
1t Numbered hard enough TO sour a
mans temper. When it lightninged,
which was nearly all the time,
you couldn't see anything fer
the binding glare. When It was
dark, which was most OF the time, YOU
could reach out anu feel the darkness
like O log bank. Splash, splash, splash,
splash went tue horses through the
mud. here tuey couldn't wade thol
could SWIM. By aud by there was a
scrambling sound in the darkness. The
driver would have disappeared il he had
been appa' ent. AS 10 was, without miss
ing any body particularly, felt that |
was alone. Presently u voice came I'D
from the darhess.
"Where are our"
recognized the voice of my driver. |
II.
but he had been swearing all tho way
and his voice had been familiar to me,
said that | was right where belonged,
OH the scat IN tho buggy, and ssked
where he was He informed me thai
the horses had stepped upon fallen
bridge, under our end of which there
mad been washout. The forward
wheels were resting on the sunken
bridge, while the hind ones were
perched on tue great round earth, which
Is the planet We II habit. This accounted
Tor the peculiar sensation | experienced
Of sitting on the roof OF house or the
SIDE OF mountain.
Tho driver further told me that he had
fallen over tho dashboard aud was now
sitting down between the horses. lie
had the dashboard with him but did not
know what TO do with it. lie concluded
by asking mo II | was hurt.
l told him that at first | felt n little
plqued at not receiving an invitation %
the bridge opening, but since his expla-
nation l iorSave overything-cherish
no feeling Oi r. sentiment. He then sug-
sested that get out and walk across the
bridge Will he held the horses, and |
could see ii ho other end was all right.
replied with much feeling, that viii 0
could not no that, l would remain
where was at until daylight. when
could look across and tell him how il
was.
Finally he led the horses safely across
and we resumed our pleasant lettering
along the dArNened way. AT the merry
hour OF $50 a. III. we reached Bushnell.
was mud 10 the eyes, | was wet To
the bone. My eyes burned for sleep. |
had smoked 100 cigars on the way and
was little nervous.
lcrawled Ihto bed just in time TO hear
the porter say it was time TO get up.
| satup on the side of the bed, and be-
ginning al my neck counted 300 distinct
and definite aches, and stopped at the
floating ribs discouraged. srraye my =
self III my wet and muddy raimcnt and
danced morrily oil to the banquet hail,
| sat ~ tho festive board with smil, =
Oh my pale, false face, and mu,-
der in my wIcken heart. When the ies-
tive board did not groan, did. was
among good, kind, loving friends, but
their word of cheer fell upon an lev
heart, for | wanted to crawl under tho
table and go to sleep. | loved and adj
mired mr CulfaX with genuine affection
! meant all the true ana beautiful thinus
| said about him that morning, and Ii,
will forgive me when he knows tat
wanted ~ hit him with stove Icy.
! went BACK To the hotel and went to
sleep leaning up against the wall of my
room, before could get close enough to
tho bed 10 tall upon it. / dreamed that /
Was man with 100 heads and only
one eye 70 sleep for all of them that /
hadn't been asleep for hundred years.
aud hal just crawled INFO steamboat
boiler To catch u little nap when Schuy-
Ter ColiaX, wearing u waters wMteiickct
with napkin on his arm, sat down ~
the manhOlo and read me Benton, -
"rhirty Years in the United States
Senate clear through, whilo two men
hammered cold rivets in tho boiler to
Keep me awake.
Somehow, my meetings with great
men are always attended with certain
features OF pOmp and circumstance with
which man OF my retired habits would
willingly dispense. in Brook
lyn Eagle.