Telegram-herald., 1889-07-10
HY PoPF's GRAFTON.
he 10 . c@sdia4ts Tor the erana Haven
P0st-ofnSs.

Post-snss.
Mr. Potts spoke as follows.
Ladies and gentlemen OF Grand
Rapids, | congratulate YOU upon this
opportunity of heanng me deliver All
Oration. Grand Rapids has many
things which 20 DC congratulated upon
for instance her RAPID increase II
population, wealth and prosperity.
The first time / visited Grand Rapids
Il WAS not under as favorable auspices
as today. | came IN with the escut-
eheon Of ClncIHnatlls eniblazoned upon
my bstnnef. Though a eincinatus, L
never left the plow 10 hght or even
witness but one, and that Was sellzer-
water riot in prohibition town with
400 inhabitants andtive drug stores.
| rode into town on load OF wool
and might add that | am a Woiyer-
me.
Though il IS q political secret. | am
candidate tor the Grand Haven post
office. took trip down 10 Washing
lng TO Tx that, on the air line Is. N %.
| got up Irritation with the fireman at
Way station, and after that he play
fully threw "a shovel full OF coal OFT of
the engine INTO the window of my
sleeping berth every time We went
around a curve.
When got To Washington, | put up
either at the United States, American
or National, have forgotten which 1t
was. The fare Was only si.50 day,
and the bill OF fare cherished memories.
The chief attraction To my room was
that a man had been assasInated IN It.
| After | had been III my room few
minutes the clerk sent "A bell-boy, % or
80 years old, up TO see II | had any OBJ
| lection to doubling up. L sent word
back, certainly not, and 50 he sent
| up an Uncle Toms Cabin" company,
the Salvation Army, being up TO
Baltimore. About l. O'Clock he rushed
| in Greenback convention. | got pos
session of the fire escape. 1t consisted
| of about twenty-five feet OF rope, with
one end tied to a staple in the window
| sill. | tied the loose end around my
neck, blew out the gas, and went to
| bed, but l could not sleep much, for
the Greenhackers were bound to fuse
with the "Uncle Toms CABIN" COM
pany. They wanted everything on the
Ticket but Marks. Topsy and the I'm
Gle Tom" company thought they ought
| to have Lcgrce Finally, they settled
IL by printing "Uncie Toms Cabin" on
| the head of all the tickets. The hotel
| burnt up about o'clock IN the morn
| ing, and the hook and ladder company
found me suspended IN the ruins, all
| right by my tire escape. My treasures
were all safe in my pockets; they con-
sisted of a breakfast ticket and n check
To a reserve seat III Il local boxing
match l filed my papers with
| the watchmau IN the pOSt-Otficc
building and am waiting for my COM
| mission.
| met lady while in Washington
whom | afterward learned was u
teacher of elocutlon and athletics. She
said she was greatly interested III Mich
lgan. She wanted to know If | knew
who had delivered the greatest speech
| IN Michigan. | told her | sometimes
delivered speeches IN Michigan. She
said she meant Hon. John l.. Sullivan,
and that she had committed his speech
To memory, that he had delivered to
| the Detroit Opera House full of people
at 81 ticket. IL was as follows: with
| the Lords help viii whip kIlrain."
About eight years ago | furnished IN
| tellectual nourIshnent To a small town
in the State. My paper was lndepen-
! dent, but the GreenbackerS gave me
their tickets to print and put me on
| their ticket for school inspector, and II
converted me to their doctrine. My
| attacks became spirited upon the lead
crs of the corrupt old parties, and one
OF them decided he would not stand It,
and 50 he started an opposition paper.
! He was Il merchant. lie carried an
| ordinary country stock OF goods
/ balcd hay, HAIR pins, collins, canned
/ fruits, cheese, sky-tooth harrows, etc.
| We soon got up a spirited controversy,
and supposing that the fight was to be
confined to words, | waged 1t full as
| liercely as he did. One afternoon rs
sat IN my Office folding papers, occa-
| SlOnally stopping to read a paragraph
I OF one of my leading editorials that /
might better appreciate It's logic, or to
laugh at one OF my Jokes, and wonder
| ing how long u would be before the
stupid community IN which ! lived
would learn TO appreciate me, there
was a knock at the door and con
/ temporary entered there. 4 weapon
snapped aud flashed IN the sitting
atmosphere of the office and descend
/ ed. lt was the traditional horse
/ whip IN the hands of my
neighbOr. There were no back win
| dows or doors through which / could
/ retire with dignity. there was 10 alter
| nate but 70 night. As ne was - we'll
built man that weighed about 200
pounds. felt tine disgrace keeuly. then
/ I vas afraid 1t ] made a serious attack
I uD0n him my motives ulghtbe mistaken
! bg a mob, and I hung, or / might Kill
I hlm outright and living in Michigan IS
/ / did, be sent To Jackson for SIX
/ months. An original thought took
possession Of my BRAIN am not
| troubled with them often-I would
only pull his ha.r-aud how thank
full his friendsEwould b. 20 nae
inspirtd by this noble impulse ] pat
forth my hand 20 execute my eXeCu-
ton I start back. Why Because be
was bald headed. Re has SINCE taken
l9 bottles oIBuaker's hsriremedy and
I has entirely recovered.
M0ral-Everv newspaper man who
viii persist ia fighting With his con-
/ tempory, should be fired out Of Michi-
; gan.
AB the conclusion Of Mr. Potts al
dress. the orr hestra started up the we'll
known lullaby air from ~Erm5nie, -
and the Schubert Club, ass ssed by The
I audience, sang the