The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-12-23
A GOOD STORY
Of the Late Congressman James
Burns of It. Joseph.

The visit of King Kslakaua to thi
country recalls an incident of his for
mer visit, when Kansas City wa in
cluded iu MS tour. which WI b. read
with a special inter st for severa
reasons says wri'er in the kansa:
CITY Globe. First, the story comei
from the late congressman Burns o.
ST.. Joseph, and will recall vi idly
that very en- lertaining and often witty
gentleman. Then too, it will recall the
bamy days of the boom when good
word we'll spoken of Kansas City
caused the SPEAKER to be taken right
into the hearts and homes of every
resident of the tremendously grow ne
town. Great days they were! Mem
orable days to be looked back upon
now with ming ed feeling.
King Kalakaua by Invitation of the
governor visi,ed J.fferson City. The
legislature was in session, and it WIS
the first time, Of cOurs-, that the
gathering of Miss Duri sttttsme hid
ever seen real live king, and there
was nothing 100 good t'r his royal
nibs. Mr.. Burns was then a member
of the house. Kalakaua is not a {. tai
abst tiner, as everybody knows. and
he led the legislators a very lively
race that day. Champagne flowed
like wotr, but champagne WIS
scarcely stiff enough for ROYALTY and
good old XXX COPPER distilled was
mixed with it at intervals by royalty
In the m amer to delight the hearts of
the royal good fellows who had him
in tow. When the king left Jpfferson
City on his speci, i train for Kansas
City, be was accompanied by dele.
CATION of statesmen, among them
Congressman Burns
Kalakaus, in expressive If inelegant
language, was "loaded to the guards, +"
and the movement and rumble of the
train soon made him sleepy. Rouse
him 20 get up they could not, even
when Kansas City was nearly reached
though he ret ined perfect conscious
ness. His coming hal been heralded
here and a great informal reception
was planned for the depot if be did
not stop over. The local statesmen
on board were wild over the situz ton,
when some bright mind suggested =
all the minds in the party save Kaia-
kaua's were bright that night that
Mr.. Burns, who was swarthy and in
build reseubled the king, take his
place. The idea tickled the booty
monarch immensely. He managed to
strip off his decorations and pressed
them on Mr.. Burns. He sent his
valet for bis finest uniform and widest
sssh. Then, as the king lapsed into
total uncOnsciUusIess, MIR. Burns
entered into the spilit of the revel
himself and logged cut in the gar
ments of royalty.
When the train pulled into Kansas
City, there "as tremendous throng
of cheering, yelling men at the depot.
The reception committee came out
from the rear platform, followed by
the masquerading statesman. He was
formally introduced and a shout rent
the air which caused a landslide on
the b 'uff 1t was nothing, however,
to what followed, for the st. Joe man
knew how to tickle the vanity of Kan
sas Cityans to a dot.
''GentIemen, said Mr.. Burns and
it is declared that close friend of the
king won not have noticed the de-
ception, so closely did Mr.. Burns re-
semble him-"I thank you for this
reception. CHEERS In my far away
island home of the sea | have of en-
hesri of Kansas City. (Wildest
cheering, long continued) / feel like
one of you so much have | heard.
prolonged yeIls of delight L know
Kansas City as the greatest and most
promising town of the United States, I"
and then pandemonium let loose.
Men yelled themselves hoarse, danced
themselves sick, and Mr.. Burns SOL
EMMY affirmed, cried with JOY. There
was more of his speech, but Mr.. Burns
did not recall 1t, for he said nobody
heard it.
"And it was the first time in my
life" he added, "that | was ever
taken Tor a negro"