The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-07-28
L. D. ALLEN,
The Wit of the Old North State.


Mr.. EDIToR:-In writing you an
article about the following named gen
tleman, do so solely because it is my
duty to write, and if this article
reaches the eyes of Mr. Allen I hope
he will not be offended.
There resides in,one of the small vii
lagos Of Rutherford county, the man
who is, without question, the wittiest
man in North Carolina today. That
man is London D. Allen, of Cuba, n.
c. When I say the wittiest man, I
mean just what say. His wit is not
thatquick repartee that makes Zebulon
Vance so famous, but is of that sort Of
original humor that found itself So
plentiful in the first Bill Arp, whose
philOsOphic sayings and witty expires
sions, together with his small knowI-,
edge of orthography and syntax, made
him inimitable and caused another
man to.take his name at his death.
Mr.. Allen is net an educated man. He
knows nothing of Latin OF Greek. I
would compare Mr. Allen to Davie
Crockett. Like Crockett, Mr.. Allen Is
a natural philosopher; and like Crock
EFT, Mr.. Allen is not afraid to express
his opinion. Having had the pleasure
of a long and intimate friendship with
Mr.. Allen, can the more easily speak
of his abilities in his line Mr.. Allen
does not heed the expression of Mr..
Holmes, lit is a very dangerous thing
to be a funny man, but rather takes q.
pleasure in debate or argument IL
which he is always at home Like
other great funny men, in the midst Of
the roars of laughter and shouts Of
applause, Mr.. Allen stops suddenly and
points to a moral which too frequently
drives away the laughter with tears
I am glad [ know London Allen.
When I see him and hear him speak,
I know how perfectly successful Chris
tianity and wit and fun can blend on q
human, and I am led to abolish the
idea that "religion was designed to
make our pleasures less.
Personally Mr.. Allen is tall and
heavily built, weighing some two hun.
dred pounds. He is social and VILE
meet you with a smile upon his face.
He is about twenty-five years of age
and lives on a farm. He has no thought
or care for public life and has often
said as much in my presence. Indeed
when once requested to address an,
audience at a college commencement
where there were five thousand peo-
pie, he boldly refused, saying 'he al
ways preached to small congregations. y
When he speaks his eyes have @
strange brilliancy about them, 50 much
so that it is almost impossible to look
into them when he is epthused ith his
subject. This is so much so, that when
Mr.. Allen was in the Society going to
school at Rutherford College a young
gentleman left the judges bench be-
cause, as he expressed it afterwards,
that man looks through me. Mr..
Allen is wit Of nature. He cares not
knows not of the rules Of eIOcutiOn
or OratOry, yet in the Outburst of his
wit, you will notice a peculiar elo-
quence, and he sometimes grows as
eloquent as he is witty. No one ever
hears him without admiring him. Ie
he may not equal Nye or Arp in ability
to write, he can excel them on a stump,
and in his prime London Allen is far
superior to many Of our famous wits
I commend to the press of North Caro-
lima the man who wears the weIl-
earned title of the country wit"
Very respectfully,
A. r. ABERNATHY,
Rutherford College, N. G.