River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-07-16
PERKINS ON BAOKUs.
Some Personal "reminiscences of Che Late
Hon. Charles Baokus.

The death of the Hon. Charles Back
us, ex-member of the California Legis-
ture. is peculiarly sad.
The genial minstrel had everything to
live for He had professional prosperity
and a beautiful wife, whom he worship
ed beyond everything else on earth.
Nothing could have been more coun-
ter to the truth than the minstrels an
swer to the nightly interlocution of the
end-man:
We'll, Mr.. Backus, how do you feel?"
"Oh, | feel very happy; I'm married
man. you know
Then your wife is with you, is she?"
ooh, no; she is spending the summer
in Europe Laughter.
Then Backus would look up into the
box aud bow to his wife, whom he loved
so well, and all the time the audience
thought he was flirting with n young
lady in the audience
The newspapers have said that Mr..
Backus never liked personal jokes. This
is mistake. for the minstrel was con-
tinuallv indulging in them. The best
personal joke Backus ever perpetrated
occurred eight years ago 1t was al
so another instance where joke kicked
back
One day the minstrel rode up through
Stamford, Connecticut, with Mr.. Lem
Read, the bosom friend of the lamented
minstrel, Dan Bryant. AS the train
stopped before the Stamford station for
water Mr.. Backus saw good. old, red
faced Connecticut farmer sitting in the
station reading the Brooklyn scandal
do YOU want TO see me get good
joke on that old dufier, Lem? asked
Mr. Backus pointing to the old farmer.
Yes, said Lem, diets see YOU.
''Well, you wait till ies before the
train starts, Lem, and III show you fur
fun till YOU can't rest Yes, you
wait, said Charley, laughing and pound
ing the palm of his left hand with his
ponderous right.
''All right, I'll wait" said Lem.
When the train came to full stop
Mr. Backus jumped off, telling his friend
Lem to save his seat; ''for, said he, "as
soon as the bell rings | want to bound
back on the train.
Then Mr.. Backus rushed up to the in
nocent farmer, snatched the paper from
his hands, stamped on it with tragic
stamp, and, shaking his clinched fist in
the poor mans face, exclaimed:
you old rascal! I've found you't
last, YOU miserable old scapegrace; now
I'm goin' to lick the life out of you
YOU contemplate old scoundrel, you
YOU"
Ding-a-ding! ding-a-dong! ding-a-
ding, went the bell, drowning Charley's
voice. and the train began moving out.
Yes, tn lick you" said Charley
I'm Get an ox-whip and"
And then he jumped back from the
astonished farmer and got on the last
car OF the train moving out.
The old farmer was astonished. He
stood up bewildered. His knees quak-
ed, and his German-silver glasses fell to
the floor. Then gathering himself to-
gether, he picked up his newspaper and
glasses and started for the train.
"W har's the man who wanted to lick
me?" he shouted. "Whar's the man
who called me q scoundrel? Whar' s."
Here he is" said Charley from the
rear platform of the moving car, as he
held his thumb derisively to his nose
amid the laughter of the passengers.
Here am, sir-Im your Roman-take
me-
just then the bell went ding-a-ding
again, and what do you think? Why,
the train backed down. 1t backed poor
Charley right into the hands of the in
furiated farmer, who took off his coat
and went for that poor fun-loving min
stree.
You want to lick me, do you?" said
the farmer, jumping on to the plat
form, while Charley ran through the
car You miserable dandy! You want
To-
And then he chased that poor minstrel
through the cars with his cane in the
air, while his biz fist came down on ms
back like trip-hammcr. You've
found me. have you? Yes, | guess you
haven' said the old farmer, as Charley
left his hat and one coat-sleeve in his
infatuated grasp. Evidently you have. "
Mr.. Backus is said to have remarked,
as he washed off the blood and went i'll
to interview a tailor in New Haven two
hours afterwards:
Il guess the next time / want to
make Lem Read laugh | won't try to
scare a Connecticut farmer. o no! I'll
get some pugilist to fan me with an In
dian club or go to sleep under a pile
driver. You hear metz