The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-05-05
Stories Told of Cough.

The late John B. Cough told
story as well in private al in public
says a writer in the Philadelphia
Times. The following r remem
bered among some of the experience
he used to relate:
On one occasion l had made az
appointment in a small town il
Massachusetts and rode seven mile
to fill it. On arriving at the church
as the people were assembling !
found no one to receive me. | ask
ed a middle-aged rustic if he could
tell me where | could find the presi
dent of the temperance society.
Il reckon I'm him." he said la.
conicaily.
"Ahl well, my name is Cough
| said.
wall, | kalkilate it's about TINT
to skin in"
In we went, and | sat down in
pew until he came to me and said
II guess it's time to begin"
Is there any one to offer prayer
| asked.
"No; the parsons away"
lis there no deacon ?"
Il 'spect I'm a deacon"
Well, can't you pray?"
mo; l reckon l speak in the
meetin'."
As l passed into the pulpit he
stood beneath it and called out to
the audience "Mr. Cough is in the
desk an he's a-gwine to lectur'."
| proceeded to "lectur" as well as
| could, and when l had finished
and taken my seat on the platform
my agricultural friend called out
from below:
ave will now purceed to take up
a collection for the benefit Of the
lectoorer." He then proceeded to
pass his hat around among the peo-
pie who mad rapidly begun to leave
the church as oon as they heard
the ominous word collection. When
he had completed his task be dump
ed upon the table in front of the
pulpit the contents of his tile and.
shaking his tile, said to me, Thar
that ere is all fur you. | amt goin'
to take nothin' for the lights"
The amount did not exceed $3.50
Il do not want it." | said.
wall. | swowl Yer don't want
all that money
NO"
"Wall, then, / reckon I'll taEe it,"
and suiting the action to the word
he swept the money into his hat.
placed it on his head and walked
off without another word, leaving
me to enjoy a hearty laugh as the
only recompense for my nights
work.
In one of the first towns in which
| spoke outside of Worcester | la
bored for three nights, and was told
by the committee at the conclusion
of my last address that they had no
in the treasury and did not
like to take up a collection, but that
if | would come again and give
three more lectures | would be libeI-
ally paid. | consented, and shortly
sfterward began my other course of
three lectures. At the termination
of the second n a gentleman arose
and said that as Mr.. Cough had not
been paid on the occasion of his pre-
vious visit to that town, he suggest
ed that a collection be taken up for
the purpose of remunerating him.
II object TO collections said an
other gentleman ; "but if We must
one let it be tomorrow night,
when we will all come prepared"
The third evening was very rainy
and a collection amounting to $3.50.
was taken up. A gentleman near
the table remarked as the money
was being counted, THE amount is
very small. | do not mind making
it up to 50 out of my own pocket,
for the laborer is worthy of his hire,
and he very emphatically laid down
two silver dimes. l refssed to take
81 for six days work, during which
my personal expenses had been So,
and departed. The next day re-
ceived from three liquor sellers a So
bill enclosed in a letter, in which
they said hat they thought | had
worked hard enough to be better
paid.
Once after lecturing at consider.
able personal expense at a town
some distance from Worcester, where
| expected a remuneration at least
sufficient to reimburse NE, | was
merely rendered a vote of thanks.
1 arose and requested that the vote
should be put in writing, as perhaps
the conductor on the train would ac-
cept it for my fare. The committee
tool tha hint and a liberal collac-