The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-09-27
How Brilliant American Author
Lost His Grip.
Hon. Thomas F. Marshal, who

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Lost His Grip.
Hon. Thomas F. Marshal, who
once fought duel with General
James Watson Webb, of New York
City, was one of the most brilliant
men America has ever produced-a
sort of Chauncey M Depew Of half
century ago-and he was the pride
of Kentucky. His wit and elo-
quence were matchless and he had
an education almost as perfect as a
mans mind could accept. Thus he
was frequently invited to deliver ad-
dresses on great public occasions,
valedictories at commencement ex-
ercises of colleges: speeches upon
the dedication of great buildings,
the unveiling of monuments, etc.
Once he was invited to make a speech
at Rochester on the dedication of a
building which had been erected for
eelemosynary purposes by coterie
of benevolent ladies here. Mr.. Mar
shall arrived at noon of that day and
was to make his speech at 2 P. NJ
A committee of gentlemen took him
in carriage and drove him about
the city, it's suburbs and its environs
and on the way the party absorbed
large quantities Of the beverages Of
Veuve Clicquot. The result was
that when they reached Falls View
Park Mr.. Marshal conceived the
idea that Genesee Fall really forty
feet high, were 140 feet high. When
he went to the hall to deliver his ad
dress he was somewhat "obfustica-
ted" But it was said Of him, and
doubtless with considerable truth,
that if he could get position with
his right hand grasping his left
wrist behind him he could go on
eloquently and impressively with a
speech which would be interrupted
and become maudlin if be lost his
grip.
Obtaining the necessary position
he began his address:
Ladies and gentlemen of the City
of Rochester-Since my arrival in
your thriving metropolis | have had
the pleasure of a drive about the
suburbs and environs, and among
places we visited was the splendid
park of groves where saw superb
waterfall a hundred and forty feet
high. On my peregrinations through
this vale of tears / have had the
pleasure Of a visit to La Belle
France, a land of vine-clad hills
and the home of happy peasantry.
/ have seen Paris, the magnificent
queen city of the world. | have
driven about her Bois de Boulogne
and Champs Elysees and have ram
bled through the galleries of the
Tuilleries."
Here Mr.. Marshal lost his grip
and winking and hiccoughing he
went on to say, "But Paris and
France and all that amt got no wa
terfall a hundred and forty feet
high-by a darn sight"
Then seeing his left hand waving
aimlessly through the air he man
aged with some presence of mind
to get the grip on his left wrist
again and proceeded calmly and
eloquently to say, II have sailed
up the beautiful Rhine to its con-
fuence with the silvery main. |
have seen the grand old ivy-covered
castles that stand upon her historic
banks, around which cling legend
and tradition and story. | have
met Germany's warm and generous
hearted people-the patrons of the
arts and the sciences. | have grasp
ed in strong and cordial friendship
the rugged hand of her great mon
arch, King William"
Here Tom lost his grip again and
proceeded to declare that Germany
had no waterfall one hundred and
forty feet high. But quickly her re-
gained the grasp of his wrist and
proceeded:
II have stood on the PROV Of a
majestic ship and sailed along be-
side the white chalk cliffs of Albion
old Britain, the mistress
of the seas. / have rambled through
her shady lanes and among her
pleasant fields. Ihave had the dis
tinguished honor to meet, almost in
her youth, the peerless Queen Vic
toria-a kind and gentle mother, a
true and faithful wife, a royal and
regal monarch"
Here Marshal lost his grip again
and said, But lemme tell you Vic
Great Britain amt got no (hic)
waterfall hundred and forty feet
high"
The remainder Of the address was
deferred. kentucky State Journal.
A Kink in Hand Saws.