The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-20

TALES OF CONGRESSMAN.
ER. STONE, OF KENTUCKY, AND
HOW HE WAS RESCUED.
Bluff George Tillman-When Senator Ber-
~ Was School Teacher-An Uniden-
titled Congressman-A Romance in the
Life of Every Statesman.

~ Was a School Teacher-An linden
Life of Every Statesman.
[epecial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, March 9.-When we sat in
the galleries of the house and senate
week or SO ago and watched the closing
performances of the Fifty-first congress,
il was upon a commonplace, weary, toll
ing, practical lot of men that we looked
down Ordinarily one would not think
there was much except the prosaic and
the humdrum in these statesmen. But
now that the congress is gone and its mem
hers have departed, one reflects that in the
lives of many of them there were incidents
savoring of the dramatic or the sentiment
al. Statesmen have their romances, like
other people, after all. For instance, one
easily calls before his minds eye Mr.. Stone,
of Kentucky, who has long been one of the
most conspicuous men on the floor of the
house.
Imagine tall, big framed man, with
huge head and a broad smile-why are
crippled men always good natured and
happy?-moving about the hall on a crutch,
laughing and joking with this member or
that, and now and then bringing upon the
floor favorite little daughter Thus you
have before you our first hero. That
crutchl But for it this story would not
have to be told. At least Mr.. Stone would
not appear in it. A quarter of a century
ago Mr.. Stone was strapping lad on his
fathers farm in Kentucky. When the war
between the states broke out he concluded,
notwithstanding his youthfulness, to take
a hand in the scrimmage. as did so many
Of the boys and striplings Of the day.
Which side young Stone enlisted on 1T is
not necessary to state in this story. 1t is
sufficient to say that one summer evening,
as the sun was setting behind bank OF
haze and smoke rising from battle field
not far from the border line between Ken
lucky and Tennessee, the farmers lad
found himself lying fat Oh his back, alone
in a bit of underbrush, and with his Ife's
blood pouring out of a gaping wound In
his leg. Presently he began to feel faint
and drowsy, and his previous efforts to
crawl away having resulted in failure, he
resigned himself to the comforting mbrace
of the goddess of slumber. Without doubt
this would have been his last sleep had not
another goddess happened that way.
A young woman, the daughter of a
farmer living near the battlefield, was
somewhat timidlY going across lots to
neighbours house when she stumbled upon
the body of a young soldier, battle stained
and bloody. At first she thought him dead,
and was about to pass on with a shudder
when some irresistible impulse drew her
toward the still and CHASTITY body Il is
not necessary to tell the remainder Of the
story. 1t is a romance which the veriest
tyro can complete without knowing the
facts. The young girls impulse to turn
back, or whatever it was, saved the life of
young soldier Stone, who lay there fast
bleeding TO death. She quickly discovered
that he was alive, and lost no time in hav-
ing him conveyed TO her fathers house and
his wound attended by surgeons. His life
was saved, but the limb was ultimately
lost. And the young woman, who nursed
her patient through long but not weary
months? Why, OF course. she is the mother
Of the pretty little girl whom we saw last
week playing with her fathers crutch on
the floor of the house of representatives.
Just before the adjournment of congress
| saw on the floor of the senate a man
about whom many romances have been
woven, some of them entitled to respect as
being of real life. 1t was Senator-elect
Irby, of South Carolina, who has succeed
ed to the title and the seat so long pos
sessed by brave old Wade Hampton. When
Mr.. Irby was much younger nan than he
is now he was rather wild and reckless.
Becoming involved in some difficulty in
his native state, his father thought it best
for him to go away for a time till the
troubled waters could become calm. Ac-
cordingly the young man was sent out to
Arkansas, where he visited a former friend
of his father, DR.. Jacques. For joke he
assumed fictitious name, just to surprise
his fathers friends, and as Mrs. Jacques
had not seen Irby since he was a small
boy, she said to the stranger on his arrival
at her door, $50 you are from the old state
Of South Carolina? l wonder Il you knew
the IrbysS You did? Well. want to in
quire about them Irby boys Their pa and
ma were just as nice folks as ever lived,
but them boys were scamps il there ever
were any. l shouldn't be bit surprised
to hear they had all been hung" At
this juncture the new senator, who tells
the story on himself. confessed his iden-
tity, and promised the good woman he
would. en- returning home, take warning
from her, and try TO live such life there
after that the gallows should not get him.
This pretty little story calls TO mind a
romance in the career of another South
Carolina statesman, mono other than bluff
old George Tillman, one of the most hon
est highly respected and able men in the
delegation from that state. Like the new
senator from South Carolina, Mr.. Tillman
when a young man was inclined to be wild
and reckless After the fashion of most of
the young men of his day and many of
those of this, he played cards, even gam
bled, and sometimes imbibed of strong
drink. On one occasion he became in
volved in quarrel with a man at the card
table. Young Tillman was sitting in a
club house playing with one or two friends
when, a dispute arising, man standing,
who was not concerned in the game and
vith whom Tillman had not been on good
terms, made some offensive remarks. Till |
man resented this interference, and, on
the offenses being repeated with such ag-
gravation as amounted to insult, the
Young man rose from the table aud with
out a word, but with movements as quick
as a tigers, plunged his knife Hlto the
heart of his tormeptor and enemy. OF
course there was nothing for it but flight, |
and the unfortunate youth disappeared
from the state. During his absence he was
tried under an old South Carolina law and !
sentenced TO the penitentiary. In year
or so, acting on the advice of his relations
and friends, Tillman returned TO South |
Carolina, gave himself up TO the authori- |
ties, was pardoned by the governor, and |
living then and ever after a correct life he |
was elected TO the legislature and finally |
to congress, where he has been some ten |
years or more an honored and distin- |
guished gentleman.
There is a genuine romance in the career |
of nearly every prominent and successful |
man in public life-the sort of romance in |
,nlrad in rand rising from the hunnhlest |