The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1885-05-07
A SAP CE~t:Iy,,stH3TAN.
He is S1"N'N Writing H'mrulf to Death
e, ~. Cnnftttuenta

| f. us C"rrtttuents
cit isn't he perfume of flowers
| and the Su 80" II .Air women to be q
| member {: -. irSS. We don't feed on
locusts al ~;,L honey and sleep on
| down." Si'' rs member rs he
tilted back in his chair and brushed
aside the h. ap 0f letters piled upon his
| desk. He had q hag&ard look in his
oyc, and his right hand hung limp at
| his side with n i'm between his fingers.
eff anybody thinks it's clover, let him
| try it, | started out with the idea that
it WAS my duty to answer every letter l
| got. Well. | ha>c involved myself in a
problem Of gcomctrical progression,
and he | ointcd in n dosrairing sort of
way at Tho desk before him, the ample
waste basket by his side and the floor
about hin--all full OF letters. "Thcy
arc accommodating every day. Every
one | answer brings two more, and
answer them all. Just think of it! 1t
makes my head swim. When | first
came here | used to go out little. /
went to the thcater occasionally, or to
an entertainment, or to y reception, or
to see friend. Now l go nowhere.
Each year | am more closely confined.
Tho walls arc closing in around me,
and like tho man in Tie Iron Shroud, >
am waiting for them to close and crush
me. I've stopped going ont. | leave
my committcC-room at tho capitol only
to so to my desk at home. / swallow
my dinner whole. as it we're | write
late at night-latcr each night. The
progression is working out, and nv
mails bigger each day. Presently 1
shaIi have to sit up all night; then re-
duce my meals to five minutes; give up
smoking. Write, writo, write! Oh
wcll-think! 'Tis q terrible doom;
slowly TO write ones self TO death
The pilo OF letters is up to my neck.
Soon it'll he over my hcad-daylight
Will be Shut out-and d-then-!
mo, sir; we don't live in clover"
And he drew in a long breath and
settled himself down in his chair as if
resigned to his impending doom.
"Why, it started this way-it ALWAYS
has start; any member will tell you
it started this way: AS soon as / got
to congress I got letter from one OF
my constituents congratulating me
upon my election, and saying that he
know now there would be some leris-
latiOn; the constitution should not bo
violated; | must Introduce bill in tho
house to prohibit fishing in ms dis
trict with three hooks to one lino-
twas unconstitutional. / answered
that letter, bcwailing tho utter disre-
gard Of congress for tho national fish
cries, and explaining tho utter useless
ness OF attempting class lcgis lation
L got four letters from that neighbor-
hood by returning mail, and they kept
on Increasing until the entire popula-
ton was represented by autograph let
tcrs. MY promptncss TO answer any
and all 1cttors was hcralylcd all over
tho country, and | was asked to pass
all sorts OF bills, from one to regulate
tho length OF prayers to one for the
suppression OF kissing at pound parties
Ono man wanted to know whether the
rope Guiteau was hung with was hemp
or cotton. / referred this letter to the
department OF justice. The attorney
general indorscd it to tho warden of
the Jail, who returned it to me with a
minute official description of tho rope
the material, length, and manner OF
make. This contributed largely to in
crease my correspondence. Every body
VINO had somcth!ng 10 write about
that no one else would notice was told
my address, with the assurance that |
loved TO write letters. A large num-
bcr or my letters now arc applicants
for places under the new administra.
ton. One man want d rlacc that
would take him 10 Canada He did
not know WI ut particular place. His
doctor told him That it would benefit
his health TO live there. and if would
Just look around and find a place there
lot MN with pretty good salary at
cached he you'd Gko it. But, by the
way he had children just growing up.
might take this into consideration,
and get him located whore there were
good FREQ schools.
''Another fellow wrote that he would
leave 1t to me to pick out his place for
him, but l mustn't get tho salary bo-
low 81, POO He thought I'd be n bet
tor Judge Of good places than ho was.
''Some men may refer these letters
to the waste basket, but it don't do.
They must bo answered.. l must write;
good.by. mustn't waste moro time
talking. I'll hayo to sit up late to
mako up for it. [ must write. Tho
walls are closing around mo-"
well, my good fellow, what can l
do for you?" and he turned to a sup
plant in soldier clothes, who stood at
his elbOw with persistence in his face
and glazed cap in his hand.
"T'm an American by adoption. In
so | married an American woman with
q mulc-hor grandfather left it To-"
But at this point tho petitioner was
thrust aside by Mexican ponsioner,
who wore three medals and had been
a personal friend of Win Scott's, and
wanted his pension increased. - WaSh-
tngton Star.
| o