The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-10-24
MENOF MY DAY.
Hon. John NJ. Cloud, 1868

Prefat ry Note.-This and other sketches
We are permitted TO publish as extracts from
wor with the above stated title written by
Ion W III. Bailey, LII. D., bnt more familiar
~ known 10y the soubriouet which he delights
IN, of Bailey of Mecklenburg.' rhe writer
and Judge Cloud WIRE intimate friends and the
aneodoteswere told hv Mr.. Bailey to the Judge
himself, only producing dcprecato,y smile
and renewal of the guild" The book Is not
to be published unless po,thual'n.ly Ell
never met Judge Cloud until 1868
when, viewing him across the Sails
bury Bar was struck with his apOs-
tolic appearance. Large massive
head, high and broad forehead with
the scanty light hair turned back,
large, long straight nose, mobile
mouth, almost double-chin and large,
expressive, lustrous gray eyes, and
being withal of large heavy stature
! at once conceived the idea-for he
was without a vest-that he was a
bishop, and never had my pre-con-
captions so shocked as, when, upon
inquiry, / was informed that the
grand presence was-"Cloud, why
don't you know him?" Apart from
his physique as was said of Garrick
describe him-who cam" He pos
sessed ore of the strongest intellects
l ever encountered. 1t was, decided
ly, of the judicial order; though
many appeals were taken from his
decisions few were reversed, and this
is the more creditable from the fact
| that his cases were, generally, fairly
made up, something that cannot
say of some other Judges. Judge
Cloud lacked proper education and
was addicted to using WHARF for
where and "tharr" for there and like
idiosyncrasies of ortheopy. He was
quick-tempered, intensely prejudiced,
excessively profane and the most sus-
picious man, to be honest, / have
ever met. He was either very ner-
vous or had defective tympanum,
leastwise he could not bear rude
noises, especially whistling. He once
caused little negro boy to be ar
rested and held in durance vile sew
eral hours To-: most melOdiOusly
whistling near Charlotte court house
during the session of Court
| FIRST ANECDOTE.
The tap of a drum was excruciating
to his sensibilities. On one OCCASION
whilst holding court in Salisbury a
military company passed by the
court house, the drummer beating
his taps. Cloud caused the Captain
to be arrested, and as he had beer
pretty heavy all around that Court
Frank Rogers got off the following
doggerel, which first appeared in thu
Concord Sun. In order, however, tC
fully appreciate the humor of thu
lines, paraphrased after Mark Twain.
'punch, brothers, punch with caire,
it should be stated, prefatorily, tina
His Honor was, at the time, wearin,
a preposterously high shirt collar
which, some averred, was larg
turned-down (the kind Cloud Away
wore.) which some of the "boys" ha,
l,ribed the laundress to iron as for
standing collar. The edge reached
nearly to the top of his ears:
Watch brothers, watch with caiie,
Watcl for the Judge with the high collaire,
Watch him snub the poor lawyair,
Watch him go for the late juryair,
Watch brother, oh! watch with caire,
Watch for the presence of the high collaire
The doggerel was struck off an,
printed Ill slips When l read it
almost rolled off my chair with con
vulsive laughter Cloud sitting b
asked ''Whatchur latin at?" l hand
ed him the slip. Hereadit, and teal
ing it up exclaimed, what the dew
do you see in that d-n stuff to max
a fool of yourself about" He neve
saw the humor and never orgav
Frank Rogers.
#B. F. Rogers, of Concord, N. C ga fellow ,
infinite Jest and humOr.'