The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-08-12
SAVING LAMAR'S LIFE.
The Secret of Senator Ransom's Power Over
the Secretary of the Interior.

Washington Special in Cincinnati Commercial
Gazette
Three Southern "kunnels" one from Mis-
sissiPpi and two from North Carolina, sat in
front of a noted hotel here, hugging the
scant shade of blistering morning. A ma
levolent and vindictive thermometer hung
near by upon the casing of n door In the
tube the mercury had mounted slowly and
mercilessly up to the figures "93," and hung
poised there IN malicious triumph, pausing
for another climb toward the 100 goal it
reached an hour later. The kunnels looked
full of misery and caloric. They sat and
steamed and sweat and mopped and swore.
Their undeTshirts were hitched up in warm,
moist rolls across their backs, and with wet,
hot collars, they pulled at cigar stumps
ground their teeth savagely on liberal boil
uses of navy plug, and spit accurately at the
flies on the pavement. They looked mad.
miserable and murderous.
"Great goddlemity, did you ever see any
thing like this?'' jerked out one of them.
cit beats - remarked a second.
''S'help me Satan,r rejoined the third, 81
never got such deal as this. My shoes are
full of sweat. Something must have bust
loose in the celestial economy. / wonder if
there has been q change of administration up
there and some seraphic Mugwumps are try
ing to run the machine"
81 could run things a good deal better if
had charge, said one OF the first speakers.
''I'd have breezes without cyclones, and
showers without floods, and wives with
out women, and / wouldn't have it too
warm in summer or too cold in winter, and
| wouldn't have man bald headed when
he needs hair or shed his teeth when he gets
old and needs them most. I'd have whisky
cooling in summer as well as warming in
winter and I'd make whisky and tobacco
necessary to sustain life instead OF such silly
and vapid things as bread and meat and wa
ter And rd-HellO there goes Lamar
N-oS oaiH IN ic hn1 v
Wonder where his mind isl?
Lamar was passing slowly upon the Oppo-
site side of the street. a strengthening iig-
ure. A cotton sun umbrella under his arm,
his hands clasped behind him, htching up
their grip on one skirt of his long-tailed
frock coat. \ soft felt hat on his head hind
side in front, his hair flowing down upon his
coat collar and his eyes bent upon the
ground. The bottom of one trouser leg was
rolled up probably a Renaissance of the
shower a few days ago.
'Qucer old party, amt hep said one
"Yes" remarked the Mississippian, ''but
you let he's white man and just as smart
as any of them"
Il wonder what gives old man Ransom
such a grip on him, said a North Carolinian.
'He seems to get anything he wants and
Vance does not stand any show. Ransom
can fix up anything in five minutes with
him. but he'll promise Vance and then for
! get all about it. | wonder what is the bulge
| Ransom has on Lamar
"Ill tell YOU" said the Mississippian,
bending over and drawing his forefnger.
| point downward, across his forehead and Civ
| ing ii tiirt to throw off the drops OF pers-
| piraton ''He saved I.amar's life once right
down there in the Capitol"
''Tell IT TO Us, if it amt too long. Whew,
| jimminey gosh, amt it red-hot," growled
North Carolinian.
1T was in the Forty-fourth Congress" be-
l.st L.
pantaloons at the knees, banging an unlucky
shabby ten feet away with a shot of tobacco
! Juice and tanning with straw hat. Lamar
was in the House. He had Just finished his
| great speech favoring the Electoral Commits
sion and gone into the cloak room to brace
up. Ransom came over and met Lamar in
! the cloak room and congratulated him upon
his great effort.
''Old Beverly Douglas was in the House
| from Virginia then-though he's gone TO a
warmer place since then-and he had been
| filing mp his tank pretty lively. He got
on the warpath about Lamar's speech. He
declared that Lamar was a d0uble-dyed
traitor to the South and the lost cause, and
swore he would take hislife. He went charg
ing around after Lamar and broke into the
/ cloak room lust as Ransom was shak-
ing hands with him. He out
| for a traitor fit only for death drew a
bead on him. Lamar was taken by surprise
and had no chance TO get his gun out. Ran
som sprang ON Douglas, throwing up his
pistol arm and wrenching away the revolver,
| while Old Bey's finger was on the trigger Ii
was all done quick a fash
1T was a narrow escape for Lamar and he
has never forgotten it. and Ransom can do
about as he pleases with him. Old Bev got
sobcred off in day or two and wrote an
/ apology to Lamar but just then he would
have killed him. sure as shooting, if it hadn't
| been for Ransom"
THR only old line Wing left in Chic is in
! iail for burning n barn