Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-12-24
ABLEN,s BROWN BEARD.
Ho Pcrsonates Bceman and Plays Prac-
teal Jokes ON His Friends.

teal Jokes on His Friends.
Washington Cor. of N. Y. Recorder.
Speaker Crisp looks as little like an
actor as like a long-haired devotee OF
art, His somewhat stolid face, voice
scarcely marked by meditation, and
anything but lithesome figure, convey
not the slightest suspicion Of the Thes-
plan muse, and would never lead one
to mlstrust that he had wooed her. But,
nevertheless, he is an actor born and
bred, and in his boyhood days the foot
lights were the only surroundings that
he knew. His brother Harry's name
was as familiar to Boston and Baltimore
playgoers a dozen or 10 years ago MS
that of any actor not of the first rank
has ever been. The Speaker takes little
pride in his histrionic career, and never
refers to it. The fact that he was born
in Sheffield, England, where his parents
were playing an engagement, is yelled
in the Congressional Directory with the
suggestion that they were in England
ION visit" and as the future Speakers
brief experience on the boards of the
old Savannah Theatre was ended by his
enlistment in the Confederate army at
the age of 16 years, he has never
thought it necessary to allude to it at
all. There are old playbills, however,
buried somewhere in the misty garrets
of the quaint old southern city that
would shed an interesting light on those
early efforts Of his, so foreign to his
later pursuits, and now that he. has
risen to a prominence undreamed of
then, they will, perhaps, be resurrected
and given to the world.
John Allen Of Mississippi, has spent
the long recess Of Congress in enyelop-
ing his face in rich brown beard.
Nobody would ever recognize the mirth-
inspiring head Of the humorist behind
the disguise, and it has enabled him to
play all sorts of FRANKS upon his old
associates and crones. During the long
preliminary struggle for the spcakership
everybody missed the Mississippi Joker,
with his inimitable wit, and many were
the attempts TO account for his inexpi-
cable hardness in arriving on the scene
OF action When he arrived, ut almost
the last moment, his old friends were
mystitlcd as completely as ever. There
is new member from his state named
Beeman whom nobody had ever heard
Of, much less seen, and il pleased the
humorist to assume his colleague Shame
and make the rounds. The experiment
was q complete success. He visited the
headquarters of the candidates in turn,
and pledged his support to each, so that
the arrival of the new congressman was
the sensation of the hour Not one Of
the candidates suspected his identity,
until he came TO Mills, and the keen
eyed Texan pierced the disguise al once.
Springer, who was engaged in building
AR castles, discussed the situation with
him for ten minutes, and placed him
well up in the ranks of the faithful band
OF lifty-seven on whose support he knew
he could surely count, in spite of the
lihes OF the opposing camps; and after
he had taken the measure Of the new
recruit, the Illinois Mark Tapley called
General Palmer in to be introduced and
help 10 establish the inexperienced mem
ber's conviction.
One Of the Mississippians most init
mate friends in the House is Owens Of
Ohio, who was brave Union soldier,
and who takes great pride in his mill
taIy record. Il beg your pardon, sir
said the supposed Becman after the in
production had taken place, "but | did
not catch your name Governs" was
the reply, "Ah, what staieYi "Ohio.p
democrat or Republican ~ continued
the questioncr. 'Dcmoerat, sir" stilily
replied the Ohioan, amazed at the IL
norancc of his very fresh interlocutor
The two engaged in conversation, in
which Allen asked all manner Of fool
lsli questions concerning his new duties,
which his friend answered with all the
wisdom OF long experience. As they
We're about TO part, the hiImorist, struck
with a thought, inquired whether his
new friend served in the war. 81 did,"
was the reply. ION which side? ?" II
was an officer in the Union army" was
the proud response. "'rhen, you will
have to excuse ME, sir" said Allen,
stitiiy, but don't care to have any
thing further to do with YOU. served
four years on the other side, and can't
get over it," "But that was d good
many years ago. said the veteran, in a
conciliatory tone. II can't help that
was the reply. Il have always felt
very bitter about it. have my preitt-
dices, and somehow | never feel the
same toward man who served against
me in that war;
ne olllohn Driuled up at this and
limited that lie wasn't sure he didn't
hathor prejudices himself. The two
Wee fast on the way TO an acrimonious
dispute, when "Bccmann pushed bacl.
his sionch hat and exposed tho familiar
bald pate. ALLEN, confound you,n said
Owens, that's what call a very mean
trick, and he turned on his heel and
walked away more angry at discovering
his friends identity than he had been al
the sectional feeling which his supposed
acquaintance had displayed.
The next victim was Senator Coke,
the big, bluff solon from the Lone Star
State, and as typical Texan as ever sat
in Congress. "Bcemann looked ut him
curiously. "Scnator Coke of Massa
chusetts2' he inquired. "Not by a
blamed sight" retorted the Texan as
he turned away.
But the climax was reached when
doc" Fisher, one of the candidates for
postmaster Of the House, who handed
out the Tupclo statesman's mail every
day since he had been III Congress came
IN. "t5eeman" was introduced, and
Fisher gazed him curiously. "Ah, YES, /"
ne said, you are the gentleman Mr..
Allen Of Mississippi, is passing himself
for.n
did you tell Miss Breakemun TINT