Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-05-12

almost Certain that we came upon it be-
fore we got to Shreveport, but the con-
ductol said he hardly thought that pos
sible, because it couldn't get across the
Red river owing to high water.
l lectured once in Mississippi. After
l had done so, and the roar of applause
had died away, a small boy with pale,
Milwaukee brick complexion, broken
here and there by large melodious
freckles, came forward to the footlights,
and In childish treble inquired, SIS
that all, captain:" | said yes, and he
went away rather reluctantly, thought.
That is the reason why l went home
feeling rather depressed, for although
regarded the lecture as financial and
moral success according to Horace Gree
ley's standard-viz., that more people
staid in than went away during the
show-yet when this boy called me cap
tain, here in a land where you can get
enough majors for a mess in twenty
minutes, l concluded that possibly had
missed it in Mississippi. All railway
conductors in the south are captains
Captain Taylor, of the Santa Fe, said
that they used to do very poor bust
ness between Galveston and Houston.
Once, he said, he played to fifteen cents
a round trip. think he used this term
in order to make himself clear.
Speaking of the show business reminds
me of pleasant afternoon and evening
with Mr., Griswold, the old Fat Con-
tributor," only few days before his
sudden death. He was a most gentle
and genial man to meet, and when l use
the overworked word genial" | do so
because it did really fit him. He told
me about his experience as lecturer in
a little place, think, in Pennsylvania.
This town had made laudable reputa-
ton for itself twenty-five or thirty wears
ago because it could and did break up
everything in the line of show that
had come there for years What glo-
rious ambition! Just as some of the
tough schools of the woolly wilderness
used to clean out the teachers who tried
to educate them. / remember one case
where a consumptive boy teacher was
virtually murdered by big boys in such
school. His successor only remained
one day, but he conquered the school.
He entered at 9 o'clock with a Bible, a
valise and an armful of beech gads. He
opened with prayer. Then he read a
chapter and opened his valise He took
out hammer and big nail. He drove
the large nail into the door frame over
the latch. Then he took big revolver
out of has valise, and with that in one
hand and a big beech whip in the other
he went at that school, and with Won
derful generosity and hberality, and
commendable equity, he whipped every
boy in that school so that people passing
by thought there was carpet renovat-
ing establishment inside. He did it so
well that two of those boys are now said
to be in the ministry, and two of them
doing time in congress for a term of
years.
Then he took his valise and left the
place. He never asked for any salary,
but those who saw him last saw him
with his little valise in his hand, crying
over the grave of his brother, the poor
consumptive teacher who preceded him,
and who gave his life to this tough and
heartless school.
Well, 1.-THE Fat Contributor" was ad-
vertised to "argy" at the hall on GER
tain evening in the town speak of, and
as he did not know anything about the
place or this record, which, am told, is
now forgotten almost, he had no fears
about it, and so went there to honestly
please and entertain people as well as he
could, knowing that if they did not ike
his methods they had the divine right t.
remain away.
Well, after the owner of the hall had
received his fee, and had filed it carefully
away in the dried pancreas of "beef
critter (which was the popular purse in
hat town-he told "Gris" that they had
he reputation there of breaking ND
very show that came, no matter what it
vas. Not because the show was poor,
mind you, but because the town had
reputation to sustain.
"Oh, yes" he said, 1.-The last thing
vas what's called the blind vocalists.
Come back here and I'll show you where
hey had to jump out. Struck down
mere, about thirty feet, on that lumber
lile. bet you it was rich. One of EN-
vas def, and she lost her bearings and
her head agin that blacksmith
mop over there. Oh, they lit out like a |
cared covey Of quails, you bet. One of