The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-08-19
POOR TOM MARSHALL.
Unhappy "Reminiscences of the Brilliant
Kentuekian-His Life in St. Paul and
Nashville.
[Chieago Herald Washington letter.

[Chicago Herald Washington Letter.
1t was in the fall of 1850, after the indian
summer of the Northwest had passed and
gone, and the air had become sharp and
chilly, when Tom Marshall made his appear
ance at st. Paul. Mimi. He was unseasona-
bly,, indeed, wretchedly, clad, presenting
every appearance OF straitened circumstan-
ces, but the good people of that CITY, never
theless made him welcome, and expressed
satisfaction with his announcement that he
intended to lecture upon the lives and char
acters of George Washington and Henry Clay
The writer made his acquaintance at that
period, and, in common with his colleagues
of the press and the citizens generally, busted
himself To induce aPpreciative audiences to
his addresses.
Although uukempt. unShaven and untidy,
bearing the appearance of a man with whom
fortune had dealt neither gently nor gener-
ously, Tom Marshall held himself proudly.
Straight as an arrow. he strobe through the
streets buttoned TO the chin in drap a. etc
coat, leaving TO impairment conjecture the
presence or absence of a shirt, yet, neverthe-
less the very incarnation of dignity and as
summed superiority. The st. Paul people
with their accustomed hospitality, frater-
nized with him i'm traditional Western fash
ion, and a consequence the bowl flowed
freely to the music of Mr.. Marshalls Supe-
rior conversational attractions. Within q
brief period everybody came to know him,
resident at 1t. Paul ut that particular period,
the fiints of their association came together,
and many Promethean sparks were thereby
struck and Scintillated.
When the evening arrived for the delivery
OF his lecture upon George Washington. Mr..
Marshall appeared sadly under the influence
of 1.-THE rosy" Nothing abashed, however,
he grated upon the life. character and SER
vices of the Pater Patri;e in glowing periods
and ornate rhapsodies, but interpreted with
occasional commonplace which grievOusly
marred the effect of an eloquence almost di-
vine. His succeeding address upon Henry
Clay was a repetition of the previous lecture
in all its beauties of conception on the one
hand and attendant cOarSeneSS on the other
and the audiences naturally became indig-
nant, if not disguised. Having reaped
plenteous harvest of dollars, the proceeds of
his lectures, he forthwith proceeds to roam
the town night and day in a continuous
orgie.
His variable moods however caused him
rather TO be avoided than cOurted, for no one
could divine whether his own greeting would
be received or repealed. One moment he was
the embodiment of cOurtlineSS and gentility,
and the next he became qarrelSome and in
| sulting. As a consequence of inebrity he
became involved in endless brOils in diSrep-
utable quarters. and, considering the rough
/ character of his Quondam associates, ii was
| strange he escaped without serious injury,
| or indeed, with his life. Occasionally some
sympathiZer would rescue him from his wal
| low and take him home TO sober up. Dur
| ing these intervals OF good behavior the
writer enjoyed several interviews with Mr..
| Marshall. which, although sometimes mar
| red by herceness, were, collectively consid-
| cred, charming to degree. He displayed
marvellous richness of words and q dictiOn
| and phraseology which seemed as if all the
| choice exOtics in the conservatory of Ian
| guage had been culled to crown him. From
/ out his mouth dropped pearls r1bies. and
diamonds. and the nobility of his features
| reflected in prism the sparklIngs OF these
| colloquIal jewels.
| Meeting him In the street one day he stated
he had just learned lesson in politeness.
| He met an Indian, he said, clad in all the
| gorgeous array of paint, feathers. trinkets
| and blanket. Struck with the apparent
modesty of the Indians presence his hand
| involuntary sought his pocket and drew
| forth a silver half-dollar, which he prOtiered
as a token of peace and admiration. The
aboriginal took the coin, silently bowed his
| thanks, and with the combined dignity of
| ScIpiO and Jugurtha, strobe away. 1T was
| the most magnificent specimen of untutored
courtliness ard native grace | ever saw
| quOth Mr.. Marshall. He was much diStur-
bed. however, when informed that Indians
were great beggars, and their cupidity knew
| 10 bounds.
One cold stormy evening Marshall put in
an appearance at the Winslow House, evil
| IDENTIFY suffering the effects OF prOtracted
debauch. He was the very personihcation
of wretchedness and suffering and approach
ing the stove. then sending forth its grateful
heat, he held his benumbed skinny hands
over it, shivering to the very marrow. All
he said was Poor Toms cOld,' and the
guests seated in the foyer gazed upon the
modern King Lear with eyes of distressful
sympathy. In a few minutes he thawed out
1 w 10 MOI oh in n inf Isl.
| tive manner when observing group OF per
SONS seated near by he exclaimed. Gentle
men, | do not intend to be offensive, but may
| be hanged if ! ever in my life saw so many
| hook-nosed men together at one time." In
| voluntarily the guests took each others di
mansions, and sure enough it happened that
all of their noses we're of pronounced Roman
| architecture.
Tom Marshall happily broke the signifi
cant silence by loudly exclaiming: LAND
| lord, what time do you have support?
supper at seyen," laconically replied the
host, the clock pointing TO quarter 10 u. A
dead silence fell on all around which, as the
clock struck !, was interrupted by llr. Mar
shall, who, thrusting his hand into his peck
ct, extracted a set of false teeth, and. snap
| ping them viciously into his mouth, shouted
Now, bring on your supper and be id tt
| your
How Tom Marshall managed to get away
from st. Paul nobody ever knew, but the
next time the writer met him was at Nash
vile, Tenn. during the spring of 1864. aftei
the defeat of Hoods forces by Gen. Ge0rg'
III. Thomas. He was in like condition a!
| when at st. Paul. bearing marked traces o.
| dissipation and in distressed circumstances
He was again befriended; and the theater EN-
gagged for him to deliver a lecture upor
| Charlemagne. The house was filled from P
to dome at a q head and, 70 the surprise 2