The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-09-18
A PIAZZA SYMPOSIUM.
INTERESTING YARNS AND GOSSIP
HEARD AT LONG BRANCH.
After q Number Of Stories About "Oid
Kaintucky" Talk Turns Toward the Ma
tionai Campaign-The Present Political
Situation Ia Unprecedented.
[sneclnl Correspondence.l

ting about on the nOtel pla1ltls' SnioAi"S
cigars and talking Of men, women, politics
and affairs Southerners are popular com
panions here "a everywhere. No other
class Of men in our country have so much
good fellowship, talk 80 we'll or tell 30
many interesting stories.
/ sat the other day In group OF Ken
tuckians. Their native state was their
favorite theme-its men, politicians
horses, women. To the genuine kentuck-
ian Kentucky Is the most favored spot OF
earth. You may always know the Ken
tuckian by bis pronunciation OF the namo
Of his state. With him it is not Kentucky
bat "Kain-tucky," always with gen1ie
accent on the first syllable.
"a Kaintuckian once, kaintucklau
always" said Governor Crittenuen' OF
Missouri. himself born Kentuckian. NO
other Americans appear TO love their sta'e
so well. / remember a story my uncle
John J. Crittenden, used TO tell with lnucn
effect in his campaigns 1t was simple
story. but he knew how 10 throw paOhOS
into the recital as no other man could
"Years ago rough kaintucky farmer
wandered out to California in search OF
gold. Things did not 60 we'll with HIM.
The expected fortune did not matenallze.
All his mines proved failures, and soon his
IIttle capital was nearly exhausted. One
day be went into frontier town anu
wandered aimlessly about the streets. he
was heartsick and footsore His thoughts
were OF the blue grass country lar away;
Finally ne drifted into little hotel anu
sat down. On the wall hung a large piece
of paper printed In colors, and ne khe"
instinctively that it was map OF the
United States. But being wholly unlet-
Sered II was all Greek to him, and be qua
not even take the trouble TO walk up TO IL
for closer examination. After n time two
or three men paused before the map,
pointed out various places upon 1t ana
talked about them. Our wandering KAN
tuckiaR.could sit still no longer.
"'Genflenen.' said he, is the state OF
Kaintucky on that mepF
act il. replied one of the strangers.
"'Ther YOU kin do me a great favor. L
kajn't rad nor write, gentlemen, an will
one o. you be 30 kind as to place your I'm
ger on the state of Kaintucky on that ar
mapY
zone of the men did so, whereupon the
Kaiptuckian thanked him and exclaimed:
that's where am a-gwine. Goodby.'
"This simple story heard my uncle tell
half dozen times at political meetings"
concluded Governor Crittenden, "and as
be finished often saw score or more OF
men in tears"
81 can appreciate that story because
once lived in Kentucky myself" said Vice
Presidential Candidate Stevenson. II have
promised to attend barbecue down near
Herndon. that state, next month. IT was
at Herndon l lived while boy, and the
barbecue is to be held in the yard Of the
very school house where / attended school.
I'll never forget the day told my teacher
that I'd not come to his school any more.
as my father was aboDt TO remove to Hi
nois The schoolmaster was very tall,
lank Kentuckian, and he drew himself up
so that TO me he seemed about ten feet
high. There was an expression OF scorn
on his face as he exclaimed:
"'To go to Illinois, ehi / hope you'll
starve out there Starvation is just right
for every man who thinks Kaintucky isn't
good enough for himP"
what [ like about Kentuckians," spoke
mp Ex-Governor Campbell, Of Ohio, lis
their droll wit. Some years ago l was
down al Lexington on law business and
met quito a number Of members of the
legislature. AS we sat talking in the
hotel one evening a member said TO an
other:
az say, Sam, don't you think 81 Alex
ander the biggest fool in the state"
Don't know about that, replied the
one addressed as Sam; he certainly has
claims, but / can't admit them I'm al
ready committed to a man from the Green
river country
A dozen stories about Kentucky and
Kentuckians were told by members Of the
group, but have space for only one more.
During the last presidential campaign
was making a few speeches in Indiana"
said Senator Faulkner, Of West Virginia.
"On a train in the southern part of the
state was much amused by a little COLO
guy which took place between two of my
fellow passengers One, evidently stran-
ger in those parts, made inquiry after in
quiry of the other concerning matters in
Indiana-the campaign crops natural gas,
etc. The replies were not always satisfac-
tory. In fact, the man to whom they were
addressed-a tall, lank. sickly looking per
son-acted as If he was little bored. FL
nally the inquisitive stranger, evidently to
make sure Of his ground, exclaimed:
"'Of course you are an Indianian. Your
appearance tells me that much
"Great God, strangerP replied the other,
with more energy than he had shown up
TO this time, do 1 look as badly as thatl
lam Kaintuckian, and have been sick for
six weeks"
Senator Voorhees,, the ''Tall Sycamore Of
the Wabash" was sitting near by. He
did not attempt to tell story, but re-
marked in a puzzling sort OF way that he
hoped this would be dry campaign.
'Have You, then, turned Prohibitionist"
asked one of the company
~ don't mean as TO liquor, but as TO
weather." replied the senator. DO you
remember what wet campaign we had
four years agoY do. and have good rea-
son to remember it. In that campaign
made sixty speeches, nearly all Of them in
the open air, and l was wet TO eae skin
forty times. 1t is a wonder it didn't kill
me. When / got through the campaign l
was 80 full OF malaria that my skin looked
like rough tanned leather. My bones were
full OF rheumatism, and it is only within
the last month, in which have been tax
ing what my doctor called "a little touch
of rest that ] have got the poison out of
my system. Now l feel like new man,
and am about 10 start west to go into an
other campaign. After suffering four
years with rheumatism from my last eff
forts on the stump you can imagine that
am not yearning for another wet cam