The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-04-28
HE HAD A MENAGERIE.

"k am always sober man untll take to drinking" said & Kentuckian to the writer, "and then try to bull the whisky market by consuming the supply in unknown quantities. have tried to absorb all the ardent spirits in several settlements, but have never struck town of my size yet. They'll roll in bar'l or two on me in spite of everything can do.
 "One time, not very long ago, was in Cheyenne, Wyo., and 1t had been 80 long since had indulged in the ruby that l was holler clean to my heels. I felt a great deal like treating myself for having been an examplar of tenn perance for nigh on to year, but l held of most bravely until there seemed to be a Great North American Desert down my throat, was SO mon- strous dry.
 'Tntending, however, to hold out until dried up and blew away on one of the gentle zephyrs of Wyoming, I strolled one evening down to hotel and soon fell into conversation with an elderly man whom l met there. He was magnificent specimen of human ity, despite his age. He had long, white beard, and his silvcry hair fcll in half euTis upon his ample shoul- ders. We talked on the subject of temperance, and he told me that he believed in temperance In all things, especially in the use of intoxi icating beverages.
 "IIe hadn't said thrce words, how eyer, until knew, by his accent and patois, that he was kentuckian.
 "'Now,' said he, I am always healthy, and impute the fact to tenn perance. l make 1t pint, sah, to drink only seventy-and-two times day, sah, so you see am not much of a drlnkah, sah, but have a brother who is very far drinkah, yit, sah, he is a healthier man than ann
 "Thus he went on, and my mouth begun to water. thought that if man of his age could drink seventy and-tw times day and preserve his health and equilibrium, that l had been very sober man all my life and could certainly take few fingers without disturbing my own serenity Yet I knew, within my heart of hearts, that I was fixing, that minute, to fool myself again.
 "Finally the old gentleman said to me: I gether, sah, from yo' mannah of speech, that you ar A southern man, sah.'
 "'Yas, sah,' replied.
 "'Ef it's a far question, sah, what part of the south ar you from, sah2' he asked.
 "Pm Kaintuckian, sab,' replied.
 "The old gentleman lit up all over and said: 1: 'Looker hyar, Pm Kain- tuckian, myself, an this yar is just about the time CT day that Pm in the habit of taking something in the na- ture of stimulatini beverage. Won't you walk with me, sab, into the othah room, an indulge in something of that character, sah!'
 Under the circumstances I very promptly responded, 'Yas, sah,' and we proceeded toward that portion of the establishment where common cooking whisky and other elements of disturbance, commonly called in that region conversation water,' were vended, and where headaches and in- digestion are thrown in extra.
 "As we walked along the old gentle man placed his arm over my shoulder in fatherly sort of way and inquir- ingly remarked
 "'You like a good hoss, sahf' -|
 "'Nobody likes good hoss better than do, sab,' was my reply.
 "'That's right he returned. That's Kaintucky.'
 Having reached the bar, he looked at me, little suspiciously, I thought, aa if perhana. I was fnalfn, him sh.,ut