Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-19
SUNSET cox.
How the Great Statesman Happened to Get
the Name of Sunset"

How the Great Statesman Happened to Get
heName of Sunset
The production which won for Mr.. Cox
the sobrIquet of ''Sunset'' was piece
OF descriptive writing which appeared in
the Ohio Statesman May 10, 1853, and
was entitled "a Great Old Sunset. -
He was in the composing room of the
Statesman the evening before and wit
messed peculiarly beautiful sunset AS
the inspiration seized him ne picked up
his pencil, and, using composing stone
for desk ,hurriedly wrote the following:
What peculiar sunset was that of
last night. How glorious the storm and
how splendid the setting of the sun. We
do not remember ever to have seen the
like on our round globe. The scene
opened in the west, with whole horizon
full of golden interpenetrating luster
which colored the foliage and frightened
every object into its own rich dyes The
colors grew deeper and richer, until the
golden luster was transfused into a
storm cloud full of finest hight
ning which leaped IN dazzling zig
Gags all around and over the city. The
wind arose with fury, the slender shrubs
and giant trees made obeisance to its
majesty. Some even snapped before its
force. The strawberry beds and grass
plats turned up their whites to see
Zephyrus march by. AS the ram came
and the pools and the cutters hurried
away thunder roared grandly and the fire
bells caught the excitement and rang
with hearty chorus. The south and the
east received the copious showers, and
the west all at once frightened up in a
long, polished belt of azure, worthy OF
SicilIan sky
Presently a cloud appeared in the
azure belt in the form of a castellated
city. 1t became more vivid, revealing
strange forms of peerless fanes and ala
baster temples, and glories rare and
grand in this mundane sphere. 1t re-
minds MS of Wordsworth S splendid verse
in his Excursions:
The appearance instantaneously disclosed
Was mighty city, boldly say
wilderness of buildings, sinking far
And self withdrawn into wondrous depth,
Far sinking into splendor without end.
''But the city vanished only to give
place to another isle, where the most
beautiful forms of foliage appeared, i'm
aging paradise in the distant and puri-
fed air.
''The sun, weared of the elemental
commotion, sank behind the green plains
Of the west. The great eye i'll heaven,
however, went not down without a
dark brow hanging over its departing
light. The rich flush of unearthly light
had passed and the rain had ceased;
when the solemn church bells pealed,
the laughter of children out and joyous
after the storm is heard with the carol of
birds, while the forked and purple
weapon of the sky still darted' illumina-
ton around the Starting college, trying
to rival its angles and leap into its dark
windows -
In addition to the sobriquet of ''Sun-
set, - Mr.. Cox was for a short tine
known in Washington as "Shoo Fly -
because of a tilt with Gen. Benjamain F |
Butler in the house of representatives. |
Butler had charge of bill on the floor of !
the house. He had yielded part of his |
time to the opponents of the measure,
among whom was Mr.. Cox. Before calling
for a vote he rose to reply to his critics, |
taking them up one after another and |
devoting a few words to each. When he |
came to Mr.. Cox he spoke about these |
words: "And now, Mr.. Speaker, as to /
the criticismsof the gentleman from New +
York (Mr. Cox, my answer shall beA
very brief. 1t is sung by the chamb erR
maids in the hotels; it is whistled bythe |
boOtblacks on the streets; it is in EYED
body g mouth: Ks &
''Shoo fly, don't bother me- =
Butler. suiting the action to the work. T
brushed his right hand toward his head |
as if at a fly, and took his seat Tue !
house roared with laughter and it was
several minutes before order was re-
stored.
Mr.. Cox soon afterward made an at
tempt to "get even' with Butler for the
above. He was making a speech ami he
referred to some ''gentleman from
- Butler jumped up and
asked If difference was intended for him.
8 No. 81, said MIR. Cox; laid the
hOgfSahIe gentleman from kSassachu-
asfts'
ssssssSg H0rsfordsg AID Pltesphatgs