The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-09-01

l1gressed andrthe weatk5r be-
Jane finer and finer and the band
played tune after tune, it soon was evil
dent that the people would rather stay
out and look at the scenery and talk to
each other than listen to one of the
finest oratorical efforts that had been
prepared for the twenty-first annual
meeting OF the M. P. A.
Well, the dinner was great success.
Everything went like clock work; the
walters, seemingly some hundreds of
them, moved at the touch of bell and
there was nothing to interfere with the
completeness of the occasion. After
dinner there was speeches from the
gentlemen whose names were down on
the bill of fare. There was some little
rivalry between the speakers and the
fog-horn whistle of the Greyhound.
That steamer got little impatient to-
wards the last and the beautiful rhythm
of her whistle shook the foundations of
the hotel at intervals in a manner that
was pleasing to the speakers who had
to compete with it.
When we got back on the boat, l
called the attention of the chairman to
the fact that it was quite dark outside
and that there was no scenery OF any
kind to distract the attention OF those
on board from a well thought-out
speech, and that perhaps it would not
i L. l. a. <nrof AZ
while addressed them on the Ontario
Law of Libel. He said he was glad 1
had suggested this, and that he would
at once see about arranging the thing.
Then he went away.
/ ran him down again, somewhat
later, and he thanked me again for
calling his attention to the speech. The
band was now playing in the cabin, he
said, but he would make arrangements
for stopping them so that the people
could hear the speech they had been
waiting so impatiently for ever since
they came to Detroit. Some time after
this sought out the chairman and told
him that the Revised Statutes of On
tario contained some 1,430 pages and
the book was rather heavy to lug
around. and was getting heavier every
moment, and that would like to get
the book off my hands and the speech
off my mind.
/ He agreed with me and asked me to
come aft. He thought the speech
would sound first-rate on the after
deck. suggested that it was rather
windy and noisy out there, but he said
it was just the spot for rafting good
speech.
On the Greyhound there is quite an
ample after-deck with many chairs on
it, and he placed me where post
comes up about four feet from the deck,
at the extreme aft, and said to excuse
him a moment while he went to drum
up the crowd and ask General Alger tc
come and introduce me to my audi.
ence.
/ 1 placed the Revised Statutes on the
top of this post, and was soon pleased
to see the crowd pour out of the cabin
doors and take seats. There were 9
great many ladies, and young ladies, too
and many of the younger gentlemen o.
the party. This was very gratifying te
me, also, for it showed that the young
people had an interest in the seriou!
things of life. General Alger, ] sup
posed, was taking some little time IL
preparing the introduction, as natur
ally he would want to do the thing well
At this moment CaptainNicholson came
out of the cabin, and looking around
beamingly on the crowd, said in hi
: stentorian voice: "Take your partners
for quadrilie."
Hold on, Captain Joe," l cried
there is some mistake here. / an
just going to address these folks on tn
libel law. I'm waiting for Genera
Alger. He's going to introduce me
The chairmau's gone for him."
That's all right" said the Captain
we'll have dance while you ar
waiting" And as eight couple wer
on the deck he made signal through
the cabin door, and the band at ono
,, started up that well-known tune, whicl
begins:
"Domp tie dumpety dump de domp;
Dompety domp de domp."
. A young man with gold lace on hi
, cap came out and stood by one Of tn
: pillars and addressed the crowd in
. loud, staccato voice occasionally, i
this fashion:
D First four forward"
I The couple mentioned moved mer
l acingly towards each other.
{ Back the same"
{ Then they retreated.
A Ladies' chain"