The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-16
COLONEL BLANKS
IDEA OF TRUE GRIT. F"

The crowd was seated on the porch OF
one OF Savannah's leading hotels aud ali
had had their say except Col Blank.
Now, colonel, it is your time" said
one Of the party
We'll, fellows" said the colonel, 'if
must ! must. We were speaking Of
grit I believe: wei, you have all done
pretty we'll, but don't you think you have
gone a little too far for your Illustrations
I can do better than that. Do you see
that young fellow with the stin upper lip
strutting up Bull street out therel Well,
that is as far as 1 want to go; there's
grit for you, and plenty of it. That
young fellow is young lawyer starting
out in business; and young lawyer
starting out anywhere but more especial
ly in a city like this for you know, fell
lows, we are just bit conservative,) is
about as illustrative of our subject as any
thing ! can conceive Of. Why
But" and here one of the party inter
rupted him, chow can that be, colonelF
OF all the self-satisfied, confident, brazen-
faced dudes in the world, l think the
class you refer to are the worst. They
are"
Here, however, the colonel, who was
now warmed up, broke him off with a
Hold up there, my friend! You do not
know what you are talking about; just
listen to me for a few minutes You are
a business man, merchant; am an at
tOrney-the world has credited us both
with success now what you have simply
seen, l have experienced, may have suffer-
ed so if you will Just let me have the
floor uninterrupted for a few minutes
Chat will be long enOugh), l Will show
you that you never had more mistaken
opinion in your life
The colonel was now worked up. He had
squared himself for the fray and no one
dared to interrupt him further.
You know" said he, Eyes you do
know, that the popular idea of young
man Just graduated in his profession in
this case say law, is that he goes forth
from his alma mater with a confidence
that is simply sublime, that he expects to
reorganize society establish new theories,
altogether supplaut the old by the new,
and that he is to be the great high mogul
of ii all-and a great deal more bosh like
this. Well, there never was a baser
SANDER uttered against a set of men, who
in the end are destined to rule, than this
base. ignorant, popular idea. Why, they
lLAAt II clfi FNlA say JAAtAI DCN duSC Il NAbAANtA
of a certain state is named Henry George,
that all the citizens Of that state are
named George and have the same ideas i;
as to say that because one of their friends
Ga fool to begin with) went to college
instead of to the plOw and was
turned out a fool, with a FOOLS ideas.
that all others that leave there are fools
and have like ideas. I've no patience with
such reasoning, just such as this would
ah oh a1F nd
US down with governmental railroads and
public pawnshops."
NO, gentlemen, such is not the case (;
and my only regret is; that some of
those, whose money has been invested in
broad fields and high barns land, as far as
that is concerned in brick and mortar a
little nearer home) instead of in cultiYat-
ing the only GOd-like feature in them, the
only thing that raises them above the
brutes-their intellect, should have to
bear some of the hedrt-acheS and disap-
pOintments that are hid behind what
they often term foppishness, confidence,
and cheek.
But, gentlemen, am dealing in gener-
alities; let me return to our more partic-
ular subject, and let me give you an illus
tration that has come under my own no.
tice, and that right recently.
you all know Judge Brown? Yes, l
know you do. Well, after graduation he
began the practice of law in Smithville.
He had spent on his education what his
father had left him, save a small portion,
which he invested in law books-a scanty
supply, to be sure; but he had the grit, ,
and his mind was set, yes, set, to do or
die right there in Smithville. And here
l will add that he was well-connected.
knew the best people in the town, and
was expected to do this, that and the
other, and to keep up appearances gen
orally
We'll knew him well; met him on
the street and it was Il pleasure to look
at him. His face showed an expression
of quiet satisfaction; his bearing was
erect and noble, and his dress was fault
less. Stop him and talk with him for a
few minutes and you found him well in
formed and ready for you on any subject
On parting, ask him in a friendly way
How he was getting on, what his pros
poets We're, etc, and with smile he
would answer, 4 am doing pretty we'll,
/ thank YOU; not making a fortune nor
anything like that, you know, but doing
about as well as expected
and here you leave him to another
friend mot a client), who has come up,
and the scene is repeated, for Brown is a
popular young fellow and his many
friends wish him well. Yes, you leave
him, and you do it thinking to yourself:
How happy he must be: popular, sought
after, wen educated, and a promising
member of a noble profession Why.
how foolish was not to go TO college, to
educate myself, to take up a profession
like his, and be an easy going, highly
thought OF gentleman, whose time is his
own and whose work can be but play for
HMM his Office when not entertaining
friends, the reading and analysis of SEN
sational murder cases; in court the vim
dicatiOn of the innocent and unfortunate,
eCc., etc
But what of Brown the Iight-hearted
young attorney, whom we left on the cor
neT. Let US follow him to his office: his
way has been but repetition of the
scenes above referred to- He has been
greeted on all sides, and we are now more
satisfied of his happiness, more enYiOus of
his position than ever. But ne has now
reached his Office and passed on the in
SIDE. Shall we interrupt him? Perhaps
not, for surely he must be busy, for he
has been out-away from his work-al-
most all the morning. But we are at the
door now and we must go in, if but for a
moment; so we turn the knob (for we are
to surprise HIM and walk in, but our
steps arc arrested
What! this the retreat of the bright
young fellow we have just greeted on the
ou5Sida3 this small room, that rough old
table, those two rickety chairs, those old
musty books there on the table, and that
Old faded print of Justice Marshall over
the mantel his stock in trade: 1t cannot
be: and vet who is that at the table with