Daily Tombstone epitaph., 1886-01-07


 to that time he had been simply req sonably successful lawyer of Peoria, Ill. He was one of the republican delegates to the Cincinnati convention of 1876, and strong Blaine man. He arrived in Cincinnati with several other Illinois delegates several days before the con- vention assembled. The city was full of people and they were all having high old time. The Blaine men had meet ings every day. and did everything in their power to bloom" their candidate. It was finally decided to have the nomi- hating speech made by some Illinois man. and the Illinois delegation settled upon Ingersoll i-.ltt. " !.t
 There was present in the city Bob's favorite brother, who died few years later, and at whose grave the great atheist delivered his world-renowned oration. He immediately told his brother of the selection. and that he had pro missed to deliver the speech. The brother, who was somewhat nervous, tried to persuade him not to try 1t.
 You are not famous enough" he persuaded. You are getting along and making a fair reputation, but this is too big thing for you fear you will make dead failure of it."
 But Bob had promised and would not back out.
 ''Well, if you are determined to do this, you must do your best. You must make success. To do this you must get at 1t immediately. Don't wait a minute. Go into that room and lock the door. and begin the speech"
 ''Oh, tomorrow will do," urged Bob, "and, besides, l have promised to go with the boys tonight"
 And away he went
 The next day passed, and, although his brother spoke about the speech several times, Robert did not touch it. And SO the time passed till the night be- fore the convention. The brother, mean while, had got nearly frantic. Robert came in late that night, and in answer 10 his brothers solicitation, said:
 "Oh, bother; let's get good nights sleep"
 And so they retired. Ingersoll says that he never slept so soundly in his life hs he did that night. Finally he woke .up suddenly and felt perfectly refreshed. He got up hastily and looked at his watch. It was 3 o'clock a. m. He went to the adjoining room very quietly and closed the door, so as not to disturb his brother. He turned the light down, and, closing his eyes, imagined the great convention hall, and his audience before him. Then he began to think of Blaine. Finally he began to say his speech over to himself. When he had finished he took up pen and paper and wrote it out carefully as he had said it. He laid it away in the drawer of the bureau, and went back quietly to bed. It was now past o'clock in the morn- ing. He very soon was fast asleep again, and did not wake up till past 8, when his brother was standing over him, vigorously shaking him.
 Bob, get up, get up! It's 8:S0, and the convention assemblies at 10:S0. l thought you were to get up early and get your speech ready. It will be dead failure, and we shall all be disgraced. Blaine will not be nominated. It is too bad, too bad"
 Bob slowly walked up, and, rubbing his eyes, urged that it would be best first to get their breakfast. But the brother insisted that he should not leave the room until he had got down to business on the speech. By this time Bob had donned his panta1oons and remarked:
 Well, you be the audience and sit over there, and will see what I can do."
 He then started in and delivered the famous speech, word for word, as it was given that day in the convention, be- ginning:
 Massachusetts is proud of Benjamin H. BristOw; so am l." etc.
 He went on easily and rapidly until he reached the following:
 This is a grand year-a year filled with the recollections of the Revolution. filled with proud and tender memories of the past; with the sacred legends of liberty; year in which the sons of free dom will drink from the fountains of enthusiasm; year in which the people call for man who has preserved in congress what our soldiers won upon the field"
 But the real climax of the speech was the following:
 Like an armed warrior, like plum ed knight, James G. Blaine marched down the halls of the American congress and threw his shining lance full and fair against the brazen foreheads of the defamers of his country and the malign- CTS of his honor"
 It is perhaps needless to say that the brother was completely captured. When Bob had finished he rushed to him, and. putting both arms around him, em- braced him in the most enthusiastic way.
 1t is simply sublimer' he cried; .but when did you prepare itp"
 'Oh, scratched it off last night when you were asleep Go to the drawer there and you will find the manuscript. While dress please read it over and see if l delivered it correctly"
 The great point with Ingersoll, my friend continued, is that he is always self-possessed He never gets rattled. Some of the greatest orators in this country have trembled before so great an occasion as this. Bob Ingersoll never said anything that gave him so much reputation as that hit about the ''plumed knight" It has been quoted ever since, both by Blaine's friends and