Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-10-23
Old Joe Meek.
Sketch of the Backwoods Delegate from
Oregon.
Chicago Inter-Ocean.

Chicago Inter. Ocean.
There were scores of odd charac-
ters in Washington this season." said
an old gentleman who narrowly
escaped being a " forty miner" but
none of them created anything like
the sensation that eccentric men did
thirty OF forty years ago. Men like
Sam Houston and Davy Crockett had
given to whimsical characters sort
of dignity and respect, and the
quaint characters coming from the
newer or distant Territories were re-
garded as enigmas to be studied and
as men whose value was to be fixed
after they had been given trial in
political and social circles.
"In 1850 l was in Oregon, and /
frequently met at Milwaukee old
Joseph Meek, who in 1912 was elect
ed Territorial Delegate to Congress
from Oregon. He was a man of ed
ucation, strong in common sense,
but in his manners and appearance
was a thorough backwoodsman.
After his election ne mounted his
horse, and taking his gun and saddle
bags, he made his way over the
mountains and plains and went on
horseback from his home in Oregon
to Washington city. On his arrival
10 Washington he made his appear
ance as the then leading hotel,
dressed III his iringed leather
hreeches ard the accompanying arti-
cles Of frontier custom.
"He had not single acquaintance
II the city. He was tired aud hun
cry end inclined to take kindly tt.
Washington society. When the
gong sounded for dinner he went
with tic crowd to the dining room
ard seated himself at table with a
number of extremely well.dressed
ladies and gentlemen. The walters
in white aprons were effusively obse-
quious in their attentions to the la
dies and gentlemen to the right and
left of Mr.. Meek, but they gave him
no attention whatever. He waited
and the others were we'll along with
their dinners when his indignation
got the better of him. He then
pushed back his chair. and putting
his hand on the pistol in his belt he
said in clear, sharp tone that every
one in the room could hear, Waiter
come here The pompous colored
man addressed approached in some
trepidation, his eyes fixed on the
hand that hovered over the pistol,
the people at the table giving MIR.
Meek their undivided attention.
Looking straight into the eyes of
the now obsequious waiter, old Joe
said: L want some dinner, and l
want it quick The waiter politely
handed him the bill of fare. Joe
pushed it aside and asked him what
he had to eat. He seemed greatly
surprised that they had no buffalo,
or venison, or bear meat, but as they
had not he ordered the waiter to
bring him beef and mutton and pota-
toes, and plenty of it. and very
quick. The waiter, glad to escape
from such a rough customer, fairly
flew out of the diniug-room, and in
few minutes the best dinner that
the hotel could afford was before the
Oregon Delegate. As the waiter
started off after serving him MIR.
Meek pushed back his chair again
and thundered out, Come here,
sir; you stand right here. l may
want you
Looking about at the surprised
faces of the people at the table, be
turned again to the colored man as
he was about to sit down and said,
You don't know me. I am q strang-
er to all these ladies and gentlemen
who are laughing and giggline, but
after l am through, If any of them
should ask you who I am, you tell
them um old Joe Meek, Delegate
TO Congress, and to his excellency,
James X. Polk, from the people of
Oregon The laughing ceased and
memories of Crockett and Houston
probably came to the crowd in the
dining-room to assist them in max
ing q proper estimate of this rough
man from Oregon. At all events,
soon after dinner. Vice President
Dallas approached Mr.. Meek, intro
duced himself, then introduced other
distinguished people, and insisted
that the gentleman from Oregon
should go into the parlor and be in
troduced to the ladies who had beer
laughing at him at the table.