The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-09-13
ousTED THE GREAT JOHN |.
Sullivan Pre-empted the Berth.
but Had 20 vacate.
He He'd PROMISED HE 16sh0p
Coed, 20 He Did Net .-KSS
the CeIored Per-

ie kks become
every iaieres.r ne IAsnioh 10 note
!. ,,..,x vre & incident ia the lie 81
1900, II American citizen. 20
&C. "a All that is good. bad ard
- .ent in his moral make up, and
:. save him the frouhle OF xxansirs-
-ag his own conscience.
Ever since Professor John l.. sagsi-
van successfully emerged from his
controversy with Professor Jake XII
rain he has been considered a truly
great Esan- he Possesses aIl the length
ard breadth and dignity worthy of a
great hero. He has won fame and
fortune hand over list. Il is therefore
the proud privilege of Press reporter
TO record an incident which happened
on the IL Sd Shore Line train for New
York. from Boston 1t vas an incl
deEt which showed how the lone-dis-
lance slugger OF Chrisfendom took
punishment and Went TO his own cor
ner worsted and wiited, when he
might have formed corner in corpses
had he permitted his innate love of
gore 10 assert itself.
by midnight every berth in the
sieeping-car OF this particular train
had It's tenant. and every tenant,
tucked cozsiy beneath the blankets,
vas being whiTled through space at q
whirivind pace. A silence akin to
that of the gloomy tomb prevailed. IL
was an awful silence. broken only by
the sonorous snore OF the occupant of
berth No. 5. Presently there giided
softly into the sleeper small, spare,
demonstrating young man. He had
evidently came 10 aAchcr for the
night
Ambling to berth No. S he carslessly
drew the curtain aside. The Young
| man blanched, siified cry which It
was his intention to perpetrate. and
nervo,siy giided away 10 corner of
the car, where big. ae-hy colored
porter sat dreaming of the tip that
never came
A few whispered words and the two
cautiously advanced to berth No. ).
The colored man drew the curtain
quickly anu dropped il as if he had
>een q vision OF Judgment. Leaving
the sleeper he quickly returned with
another oolored iran. The second
eolored man peeped behind the cur
| tam and blush bioomed all over his
ebony skin. The two colored men
| held a council of war. Dark looks
were focused on birth No. 5. Evil
IDENTIFY regular batchering lee was
about to begin.
Meanwhile the occupant of birth No.
slept peacefully on. The sleeper was
John l.. Sullivan. The reason why he
ruified the normal equaninity of these
big eoiored men was two-fold. In the
| first place Mr.. Sullivan had no right
| 10 berth No. 5. In the second he was
| dressed in a very Gecollette style-in
fact Mr.. Sullivan's 2i5 pounds of
| healthy manhood we're absolutely in
nocent OF clothing.
| Professor Sullivan had heen unable
10 purchase sleeping berth when the
| train left Boston, and his last hours in
the city of his birth had been charac-
terizsd by series OF alcoholic episodes
which made him feel very sleepy.
Taking long chances. as truly great
men always do, especially when they
live on their shape, Mr.. sullivan navi-
| gated his way 10 the sleeper, and
rolled into the first vacant berth that
caught his eye. 1t was berth No. 5,
and this had been pre-empted by the
small, spare, nervous young man,
who now insisted on his berthright.
The biggest of the porters dug his
pudgy, black fist into the sleeping.
white flesh Of the slugser's ribs, and
said. "0it up!'
But Professor Sullivan needed not
this command, for be could not hear
il.
! "Git up, sah' repeated the intrepid
generaiissimo of the colored forces,
whereupon his doughty lieutenants
echoed, cit up
The sleeper growled a Gagged lion
erowl and curled himself up in a heap.
Then. as il his mind was wandering in
| Mississippi, he shouted out something
about an appeal. and consigned Cover
nor Lowry to a land where Mr.. Biz
zard never blows.
But the memorable "Git up" con-
tinued. Professor Sullivan opened his
eyes, and. seeing the two black figure.
and the brass buttons of the conductor
OF the train, who had been sent for,
uttered an oath that was full fierce
and free from tantologv. to which he
added: Il won't go back 10 Louisiana
now. and don't make any mistake"
"Mistah Sullivan" began the fat
porter OF the sleeping-car in his most
oieaginous style. "Mistah Sullivan
sab, we don't want no trouble with
you, sab, but you've got this gem
mans berth. sab, 80 git up, Mistah
Sullivan"
I'm not looking for fight with YOU
negroes. sneered the champion, sur
yeying bis massive self. complacentlv.
Then, after moments reflection. he
added, in a kindly tone. Keep cool,
boys. | hadn't slept for a week
Johns heart Is broke. It's hard to
lose = mother. Before the old woman
cashed in her checks | told her I'd
never turn a wrong trick any more.
Blowed il | will now. I'm in the
wrong; you're in the right. I'll get
up and beg To remain your warm
and personal friend. John l.. Sulli-
van
There vas something so manly. so
artiess and so infinitely pathetic about
this speech That ii completely disor.
ganized the train forces, and the ner-
| vous young man who owned berth
| No. wanted TO insist upon sullivan's
occupy ing his bunk for the night. But
the champion would not hear of IL.
lie hastily dressed, strobe into the
Smoking-car. and. subsiding into a
seat soon found siean and sclaoa