Copiah signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1888-1899, 1889-05-16
SENATOR VESTS JOKE.


asw the ai..aat state.man Game 20
fmiGrsts ~ ssa ksataekf
While Polk LafFoon was waiting ior
his train last evening be- entertained
party u iriend- IN the rolunda ai Al
cNaad"r's Hotel by rrlating several
hiis u uuwrittoa history about some Of
u" big guns a. Washington. tine story
"a particular will b. 81 Interest to the
admirers 81 Soaa'or George G. Vest 81
Missouri u illustrate. how uihiag
thing. turn, n times. the whole course
~ mas life. Nc Iafioon -aid the
story vas told ~ him ny Ne Vest hila-
sclf
Vest was raised In Owensboro."
said NJ. taiioou, ''anl whea he 90. a
young man be Wa far from being aa
angel IN fact h vas very much Of q
rake, ani ardenlly addicted 10 both
cards and whisky About the tine
Ncsi was indulging his taste FOR the
paste tp' rds most unrestralnediy. one
Of thos" spa~modic moral waves struck
Oweu-horo, and al the gambler. and
gambling places, then enjoying .
h~ydey ~ prosperity we're ban
i-hed The boys were hard up FOR a
place 10 satisfy their thirst Tor poker.
and they looked about for some place
10 play. without running the risk u
p ing seized b. IA. dreaded hand Of
th" Law An old fellow. who had some
sort II nondc-rripi craft anchored II
the wharf, cam. 81 their relief and N /.
boys wcrv IN The habit 81 playing la
the cabin - hiz boat every night A.
Happens every where here cards are
played, there lived ~ Owensboro q
shark H. played close aud generally
won. hitting 90 chance cs,ape him.
Every time he got about 81 o. tlO
simmer a. would suddenly rcm~m bsr
that bis Wif, wa- sick and had SAINT
him for medicine. ~ would have some
other eNcus" iur quitting the uight
Vest aud friend bath ~ whom wrrs
broke aud about haf full - corn Juice.
sauutnred d0Nn tuW ard the buat - here
their sheckl-- had disappeared lnto
the old shark. purket They saw
from the light aboard that a game wa-
in progress, and they knew the old
shark Vas playing Vest aud his com
Panion both blessed the -aue~1er In
the uastiuted manner their condition
~"ald suggest, and finally Nr.t said
IN "a him. Taxing out hl. knit,
h. severed ths cable which held the
hoat 20 thu -hory. out into the
river the craft drifted Mhea il
had gone about hts miles down -Old
shark maAr hi usual excuse and rus.
"a go. tat ~ the lighted room into
the darkness BE- sent a. made a step
y here be thought the gan. plank was.
bat a Mas. ~ cour-o not be it, place.
and with = yen b. wrut down iato the
river The other. hoard his ery and
~ means ~ ropes rpsruei hitn Ihs
game had h-"n - absorbing that no
one bad noticed thn motion % the H.oat
after ~ rgl,a-e from the hart when
the shark rrarh~d -hurr vet aud mad.
d. ssrurrd baggB aud drove bark 60
that did this. said Dr.. uud In roing
80 kill him H. ..rurrd 4 double bar
relied shotgun and started to look FOR
Vest The old shark wa. Il dangerous
man. aud Vet bring warned by his
frirnd-, concluded b. hal nothing 10
he him 10 Osen.buru. - be left al
once. a. sect a. Missouri. where he
had = cousin who wa- clerk ~ one Of
the local court. Vest wrut Into his
ofice, there began a. study LAW and
later commenced % practice a. h,.-
came leader In politics. ga. elected
a. Due office after another. and to-day
! one 81 the able-t men ever Ia the
United states senate n he had stayed
In Owensb,'ro be would probably have
gone on In The old rat and nevrr
amounted 20 hin ~ beam. By the
way. SENATOR Vest never drinks nos. "
Louisville Courier-Iournal