The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-09-24
A PIAZZA SYMPOSIUM.
INTERESTING YARNS AND GOSSIP
HEARD SAT LONG BRANCH.
After Number of stories About "oid
Kaintuoky' Talk Turns Toward the Ma
tional Cnmpaisn-rhe Present Political
Situation Is Unprecedented.
[Special Correspondence.l

seashore reSorts we do great deal OF sit
ting about od the hotel piazzas, smoking
cigars and talking of men, women, politics
and affuirs. Seutherners are popular com
panions hers as everywhere. No other
class OF men in our country have 30 much
good fellowship. talk 50 we'll OF tell SO
many interesting stories.
sat the other day in u group of Ken
tuckians. Their native state was their
favorite theme-its men, politlcinns.
horses. women. To the genuine Kentuck-
ian kentucky Is the most favored spot Of
earth. You may always know the Ken
tuckfan by his pronunciation OF the nnuo
of his state. With him it Is DOT Kentucky,
but "Kain-tucky," always with gentle
acoent on tho first syllable.
"a Kaintuckian once, o Kaintuckian
always.S said Governor Crittenden, Of
Missouri. himself a born Kentuckian mo
other Americans appear to love their state
SO we'll. remember a story my uncle,
John j. Crittenden. used to tell with much
effect In his campaigns 1t was simple
story. but he knew how to throw pathos
into the recital as no other man could
Years ago rough Kaintucky farmer
wandered ont to California in search Of
gold. Things did not 90 we'll with him.
Tho expected fortune did not materisli8o.
All his mines proved failures, and soon his
little capital was nearly exhausted. Ono
day he went into frontier town and
wandered aimlessly about the streets He
was hesrtsick and footsore- His thoughts
wero OF the blue grass country far away
Finally he drifted into little hotel and
sat down. On tho wall hung large piece
OF paper printed ia colors, aud be know
i9stinctiyely that II was map OF tho
United Statea But being wholly inlet
tered tt was all Greek to him, and no did
not even take. the trouble to walk up to it
for closer examination. After time two
or three men paused before tho map,
pointed out various places upon it and
talked about them. Our wandering Kahn
tuckian could sit still no longer.
gentlemen. said he, is the state Of
Kaintucky on that mapf'
1t is,' replied ono OF the strangers-
Thep YOU kin do me great favor.
KANT road nor write, gentlemen, an will
one o. you be so kind as To place your fn
ger ON the state of Kaintucky ON that az
mapS'
One of tho men did SO, whereupon the
Kaintuckian thanked him and exclaimed:
Gentlemen that is Gods country, and
that's where an a-gwina Goodby.'
"This simple story I'heard my uncle tell
half dozen times at political meetings."
concluded Governor Crittenden. land as
he finished often saw soore or more Of
men In tears"
Il can appreciate that story because
once lived In Kentucky myself" said Woo
Presidential Candidate Stevenson. 81 have
promised to attend barbecue down near
Horndon. that state, next month. It was
at Herndon I lived while boy, and the
barbecue Is to be held In the yard OF tho
very school house where I attended school.
f<r. -
that I'd not come to his school any moro.
as my father was abont to remove to I'LL
nois. The schoolmaster was very tall.
lank Kentuckian. and he drew himself up
SO that to me ho seemed about ten feet
high. There was an expression OF scorn
on his face as he exclaimed:
Ito go to Illiunis, chr hope you'll
starve out therel Starvation is Just right
for every man who rhinks Kaintucky isn't
good enough for himrn
What like about Kentuckians," spoke
up Ex-Governor Campbell. OF Ohio, "Is
their droll wit. Some years ago I WAS
down at Lexington on law business and
met quito number Of members of the
legislature AS we sat talking in the
hotel one evening a member said to an
other:
4 soy, Sam. don't you think 81 Alex
ander the biggest fool in tho stateY
Don't know about that replied the
one addressed as Sam; 'he certainly has
claims, but can't admit them. Pm al
ready committed to 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 MAILING few speeches In Indiana"
said Senator Faulkner, of West Virginia.
ION train in the southern part Of the
state was much amused by little colo
guy which took place between two OF my
fellow passengers. One. evidently a 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 satiafac-
tory. In fact, the man to whom they were
addressed-a tall. lank. sickly looking per-
son-acted az IL he WAS u little bored. FL
nally the inQuisitivo stranger, evidently to
make sure of his ground, exclaimed:
"'Of course you are an Indianian. Your
appearance tells mo that much
"'Great God, strangerf replied tho other.
with more energy than he had shown up
to this time, do l look as badly as that,
lam a Kaintuckian, and have been sick for
six weeks''
ocnator fCOrnees, Tue Tag sycamore of
the Wabash" was sitting GEAR by. He
did not attempt to tell o story, but re-
marked in puzSnng sort q way that he
hoped this would DO dry campaign
Have you, then, turned PrphibitionistS"
asked one of the company.
II don't mean as to liquor, but as TO
weather." replied the senaoor. do you
remember what a wet campaign we had
four years agof L do. and have good rea-
son to remember It. In that campaign I
made sixty speeches, nearly all of them in
the open air, and 1 was wet to the skin
forty times. It Is wonder It didn't kill