Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-07-17
WHEN ZEN BUTLER GOT MAD.
The Irritating InterruptIons Which
Disturbed His Speech.

Il was no at State fair in Manches-
ter, n. H. SAID Ex-Governor War
moth, of Louisiana, the other day,
away back IN 1873. 1t was the usual
sort or New England faIr-an agri-
cultural horse trot with brass band and
political speeches. Ben Butler was I'D
for the speech. The audience was on
the grand stand one side the race trek.
and Ben Butler and the rest of us big
guns IN the judges stand on the other.
Fellow citizens of my native State, ,
began the bold Ben, Il shall address
you to day on the subject of Federal,
state and municipal taxation
Butler sailed along and had got well
warmed up when the corn fed farmer
drove along the track with twenty yoke
OF oxen and cart piled up with corn,
pumpkins and other farm products and
couple OF buIom country girls on
top. He was proud of that turnout
and took his time in getting by the
grand stand. OF course Butler had to
stop till it got out OF the way. Then he
began again and warmed up once
more BY that time another farmer
had got jealous of the impression the frs
one had made, and he came jes-hawk-
ing down the track with thirty yoke
Of cattle and a still larger cart loaded
away up with big squashes and pump
kins and four slashing red-cheeked girls
on his load, each holding a red ear OF
corn in her hand. Well, that outfit
made 4 big sensation on the grand
stInd and attracted more attention
then Jim Robinson driving 2O-hoI So
circus-chariot would. lie was getting
mad.
Cant this thing be stopped?' he
asked. Il don't want 10 be headed off
by every Jake in New Hampshire who
wants to make holy show of himself. >
80 some one was sent up the track
TO stop further Interruptions, and Butler
got along as far rs tifthly and was get
ting red in the face, when what should
come along the track but another cara
van. This one had nearly forty yoke
of oxen, every one a seven fOoter, a.
sleek as bulls and as fat aS butter.
The cart was full of apples, butter and
school marms, and the grand stand
knew them all, ami went wild with d.
light. To say Butler was mad would
be useless. lie got his eyes almost wide
open.
IF another one OF those Internal
cattle shows come along said he-'Ill
leave the platform. l VIII be ID If
l am going TO be broken in upon every
ten minutes
This time messenger was sent up
the track, who headed OF all the rest
of the procession, and Butler went
along swimingly for a quarter OF an
hour longer, when a big brass band
struck up back of the grand stand. 1t
was a visiting band from somewhere up
the State; it thought il was some
pumpkins, and it just put in and blew
for dear life. Lord, what n noise it
madei But Butler wasn't going 10 be
'plIased' by big brass band, even II
twO-thirds or the crowd were craning
their necks for sight of the musi-
ciInS. Just then the fire-bells over in
Manchester sent up an internal clang-
whanging, and every engine in the city
paraded out into the fair grounds
Down the track they tore at full speed,
one after another, fires up, smoke roll
ing out of the stacks, bells Changing
and horses laying their bellies almost
on the ground, while every boy In Man
chester chased on behind yelling like de-
mons, and the grand stand, tumbling
over each other to see where the fire
was
That was the end of it. Butler tore
up his notes and danced all over the
platform, blue with rage, and swearing
like a trooper, while l tumbled down,
behind the stand where l could laugh