The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-05-24
Horaoe Greeley.s Brother Barnes,

'There is only one excuse for man
to get drunk" said Barnes Greeley,
and the last of that generation of the
Greeley family. He lives alone on his
farm, five miles from Cory, Pa. 1.-The
only time that man is excusable tor
getting drunk, and he is fool If he
don't do it then" said Mr. Greeley, us
when he has felon on his finger. 10
get good and drunk is the quickest way
in the world to cure a felon. / have
tried it and know.
"The only time l ever tasted liquor
in nv life was when had big felon
on my finger. hadn't slept for three
nights. Some one said that a good
drunk would cure me-. came to
Cory, and lost no time in filling up
with the best / could get, first going to
nv daughters house and telling her
what intended to do. 1 loaded my
self in town and then took bottle full
of whisky and went to my daughters
didn't like the whisky, but my pre-
scription called for drunk, and l got
it. For awhile / made things lively at
my daughters house, running things
after the most approved manner OF
confirmed old topers. Then l sank in
to oblivion, and they said it was a
question for time whether / would
rise or not. But did, and the pain
was gone from my felon and it soon
got well. 1t was a radical remedy, but
# I ever get another felon will go off
on my second drunk, although I'm 20
years old"
Barnes Greeley is one of the most &C.
centric of men. His farm is one of the
| finest in western Pennsylvania, but he
is content to simply make a living off
| of it. He STYLES himself the "Gray-
headed Crank" He says that, al
though he is an original prohibitionist,
he believes that too much water,
either taken internally or used extern
ally, is as bad as too much rum. He
attributes his excellent physical and
mental condition at the age of 76 to his
habitat economy in the use of water
both as a beverage and for lavatory
purposes One of the old mans weak
nesses is his love for hogs and chick
ems. They roam at will over his
premises, and into his lonely farm
house if they choose. A gentleman OF
this city says he was driving past
the Greeley farm house one day last
/ summer, and saw pair of big bare
feet sticking out of the open front door.
He got out of his wagon to inveSti gate.
He found that the feet belonged TO
/ Barnes Greeley, and that the rest Oh
the easy-going old farmers person was
stretched on the barn floor. A news
paper covered his face, presumably to
keep the flies off, and sonorous snore
made it rattle, indicating that the in
dependent farmer was asleep. Chick
ems were pecking about on the floor oi
, the room and several contented hogs
grunted and rooted at the threshold.
The gentleman did not disturb the
farmers slumbers, but left him snor
ing. surrounded by his grunting and
pecking pets.
Barnes Greeley says that wher
Horace became famous as the editor o.
the Tribune he gave Barnes place OF
his staff. Barnes went to New York
but did not stay long.
81 couldn't fill any place | would ac
cept," he says, land wouldn't accep
any place could fill. So came bacl
home. I'd rather be king among
hogs than hog among kings"
Barnes Greeley was in his younger
days a great hunter and fisherman
and tells many amusing stories O
Horace's attempts to hunt and fish OF
his occasional visits to Crawforo
county. He says that if deer had beer
run by the drove right in front o
Horace he couldn't have shot one, anC
that he never got as much as bite OF
trout stream, while his brother wa
pulling them out by the score.