The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-10-30

stronger tho calling chain that bound him
to hi, re putatiop as q humorist. Even with
examples Of Tom Corwin and Proctor Knott
before him, he was too good natured to re-
fuse to accommodate his Political friends.
He might speak in language that should
have drawn tears, but they would merely
shake their sides in laughter at his words;
he might assail the enemy on the highest
and most patriotic grounds, but friend and
foe alike roared at the stupendous joke his
invective was assumed to hide.
''Sunset will have his fun, no matter ut
what he takes up" was the comment that
fell upon his ears continually. He was rel
egated, against his will, to the position Of n
political Jester and the verdict was strength
ened by the efforts ofsome Of his own party
who would have found in him dangerous
rival had he been seriously accepted.
/ once asked him how he came to DO
known by his popular sobriquet. w
at was while was youngstcr out in
Ohio" he said. II ran paper for little
while, and when local news was scarce--we
didn't have much telegraph there--l would
take upsome tonic upon which could nse my
descriptive powers. One day being, sup
pose, in sentimental vein, l wrote a bit
about the glorious sunset and printed 1t in
the paper. Some exchange fiend, who,
trust, has lived to repent his act, started it
on the rounds and it went ullover as a sam
pie of exaggerated Western gush, although
assure you it was written in all serious
ness and every phrase was warranted by
the facts. That was the origin of the Sun
set which some funnily-disposed people
| prefix to my name and, do yeu know, have
met people who actually believed that the
| initials s. S.. stood for these very words"
One day, shortly after his return from
Turkey, met him on Broadway. He was
bronzed and hearty but aging. l inquired
| how he liked it abroad
swell enough" he replied, with sad
| smi,e; shut there is no place for Sam Cox
| like America, although, for that matter, 1t
| can get along without me with laugh). l
came back because wanted to sec whether
had been forgotten, or il had ceased to
be useful to my friends and my party The
former, Pm glad to say, welcomed me warm
| ly; the htter--well. l suppose that old
ghost of humor which fate invented to
torment me through life has not yet been
exercised" NHHb
This kindly, yet cruel, wrath followed
him everywhere. No one ever felt more
X ,enly the truth Of Horace May ew's de-
scription OF the calculations of Humorous
Man, I.,tn.
''Here's Sunset Cox; now we'll have
something good' was the way men spoke
to each other when the little ex-Minister
Plenipotentiary approached, and then heads
wagged and their eyes rolled in ecstasy
even when he babe them simple good
afternoon. .., n.t.r
His last session work was the champion
shipof the admission to the Union of the
new Territories in the Northwest. In Da-
lsota and Montana the people will not soon
forget how he labored, and how he piled up
the statistical, geographical and other argu-
ments in their behalf, leavening the ora.
torical labor with those characteristic say
ings that made him popular favorite East
and West. Had The lived, his friends believe
he would have been the choice of the new
States for at least second place on the
Democratic Presidential ticket in 1892.
I Even in his last illness, enfeebled as he
was his fund Of humor was unfailing.
'Be passive" said the physicians. elm
agine you are vegetable" "What sort Of
vegetables" he asked, with u CLEAN of tho