Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-11-22
OLD JOE MEEK.
SKETCS OF THE BaCKWOODS DELE.
GAZE FROM OREGON TERRITORY.
His arrival i'm Washington. Tired and
Hungry = bringing n Pompous Waiter
t. E-rTas Calling Upon the Ia.
d!es-Siory- Telling.


lin,sr Ocean ''Curbstcne Cr5lyoas.'I
There were scores Il odd characters in
Washington this season, said an o.d gentle
I.lan who narrowly e5caped bein. forty
Inner, "DGt none Of them created anything
like tie sensation that eccentric men did
thirty and forty years ago Men like Old
SIN Houston and Davy Crockett had given
to Whimsical character and eccentric
Geaiases a sort Of dignity and expect, and
iae quaint characters coming from the
newer states OF distant territorle, were re-
gaIdei a. enigmas TO be studied and as men
who's value was t. lie fixed after they had
been given = trial in political and social
c.Tc'e,.
In 1872 / was in Oregon. and | met fire.
0usutiy or Milwaukee old Joseph Meek who
.n lSij wa elected territorial delegate t.
congress, from Oregon. Ho was Z man Of
educailcn, strong in common sense, but in
bis ma Hers and appearance was thorough
Lakewood mar After his election he
mounted !l.s horse, and taking his gun and
saddle-bags he made his way over the
mountains and pIlini aad went On bore
hack FROM his homo in Oregon to Washing
ton City On lis arrival in Washington he
made Ii, appearance ut the then leading
hotel dressed in his frinzei leather brsecbes
tSAa. A--N ~ 44ts-Aa- NA@cs s1'AN4rs
. costuniH
He la! 40. single acquaintance in the
city 10 VAS tired and hungry, and not in
ciiue1 20 take kindly to Washington society.
When lle gong sJunie1 for dinner he went
VIII the crowd - tie dining-rcom and
.eat.l himself q; a table with a number Of
,zt54.:le!y yvsi.-ircsseI ladies and gentle
alien. The waiter, in white aprons were
cifu-ive!Y obssquious in their attentions
- tic ladies AMI gentlemen 10 the
right and left OF Mr.. Meek, but they
gave Lim no attention whatever. He waited
aud waiteI. and the others were well
,iaGE with their dinner when his lniigna-
non got the letter OF Lin. He then pIshei
Lack his chair, AMI putting his hsni on the
u5=tel III Ia bclt said IN a clear, sharp tone
That every one Ia the room could hear,
Waiter, come her,' The ponpoIls colorei
man adore ssd approached in some trepida-
iign, ms eyes fixed on the hand that lowered
yer the pistol! the people az the table CIV
M Sir. Meek their uni divided attention
looking straight intp tie eyes u the now
obScquious waiter, Oh Jae said, i want
g., .ne dinner AMI ! want it quicx. The
waiter politely handed han the bill OF fare.
! . pushed IL aside ami a lci him what be
had t. eat. lie seemed greatly sur rise 20
learn that they had no huiIalc, %. version,
ar lear meat, but as they had no;
- ordered the waiter 10 brins him
lacf and mutton AMI potatoes. and
ileaty OF i, and very quick. The waiter,
,.iad t. escape from such a rough customer.
!airly few ont Of tho dining room. AMI in a
very few minutes the hest dinner that the
hotel could afford was sefore the Oregon
delegate. As the vaitor started of after
CRYING him Nr Neck pa no back hi, chair
gain and thundrreI out Come here, sir;
you stand RICH. here. | may want you
Looking about upon the surprised faces
OF the people at the table, he turned again
to the colorsi man as he about t. sit
down AMI said, you don't know me- | am
a stranger to all these ladies' and gentlemen
WHO are laughing ana SiggiinG. but if after
ann through any OF them should ask you
who am YOU tell them that | am old Joe
Meek. delegate to congress aai t. his excel
ieacy james h Polk from the people oi
Oregon The laughing ceased and memo
rieS OF Crockett and Houston probably came
Ia the crowd in ths diningroom TO assist
them ia making proper estimate Of thi,
Rough man from Oregon At all eveE.s
.ou after dinner Vice President Dallas APP
preached Mr. Meek, .utroIuceI himself.
a n introduced other i,tinguiShei people,
;lI insisted that the ..ntleman from Ore
con should go into tie parior and lie intro
,lucei t. the Ia lies Who hal been laughing
Il him NJ the table.
after this Delegate Meek never hal cause
t. complain If neglect at the table or of
lack OF attention from the people IF Wash
ington. There were reasons why the ad-
inini,iration desired t. cultivate the repre-
.eniative Of the people Of Oregon. and many
II
TO have Mr. Meek feel well toward the party
and the administration On one occasion
Vice President Dallas invited Mr.. Meek t.
g with him TO call on SONS ladies'. Old Joe
I,luced himself u as best he could. but
when lie came down 10 take the carriage he
was dressed in his buck kin brooches and his
frontier L,arb Dallas broke out with, For
heaven 5 ,al,e. you don't mean to say that
YOU are going u call upon ladies in that
dres,, 4 am .aid Ore-on's first rcpre>en-
tatIv., -tur three rea.o nS. First, It's good |
enough; second. haven't any other; third, |
hive ~ money TO get any other Dallas |
iu;.de the best - the situation, and after |
ward laid that the old frontiersman bore |
himself well and that he did credit 10 his |
,c pie and TO his party.
"Neel, returned to Oregon ami dropped |
back into his Old habits of life His two |
wears experience in Washington gave him |
ahIu liant material, however. for stories |
vhlc.i greatly delighted his old associates in
OREGON, :ul which for years were told and |
ia Iiy lam anl by frontiersneu gener-
lily il--e st r.e> now have dropped out |
o.. even tic literature Il the frontier. and /
Ia congressional dictionary or rec ri and |
no cyclop-lia ~ much as mentions old |
Zoe Mces who in lS45 and 1916 was the |
TREND ot The administration coteris at |
Washington. But never sec "A q am: 1is- |
p.rc IA thr stiect> OF CalcaSo bat what 1 |
th3n', i ola Ja, Meek aud hi, cxperiencs II |
= sam -trn.' |