The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-01
THE SNOLLYGOSTER.
"CoI. Ham, of Georgia, Sah,' Tells the ORR
gin of the Word.
| Atlanta Constitution

Colonel Ham, of Georgia, sahn'
That is the way the worshipers Of
Andrew Jackson, away up in the Buck
eye State have dubbed him, and that is
the way he will be called in the war;
ing campaigns to come.
Colonel Ham, the irrepressible, hit
the city from the Andrew Jackson ban
quet at Columbus, Ohio, Saturday
evening.
Entering the Kimball from the train,
he pushed his high top silk hat from
his brow, so recently wreathed with
another laurel, unbuttoned his big blue
overcoat, threw it back from his broad
shoulders, 'sougod" his hands deep into
his side trouser pockets-Georgian that
he is-and faced his many congratulate
ing friends with a broad smile and
many ready jokes.
It has been a great triumph for Colo
mel Ham, and he is rapidly becoming
quite as famous as be has made the
Georgia ''snollygoster." He went from
Atlanta to Nashville, where he deliv-
cred his first lecture on the Georgia
Cracker" The Nashville papers tell
that the lecture was one Of the best
that has ever been heard in that city.
Governor Bob Taylor was on the stage
with Colonel Ham, and is quoted as
complimenting the "cracker Ghaucer"
very highly on the effort.
From Nashville Colonel Ham went
to the Columbus banquet, given in
honor of the patron saint Of Democra-
cy, Andrew Jackson. At this banquet
Colonel Ham distinguished himselfand
reflected credit upon the State from
which be halls. One thing he did at
that banquet he has never done bofore,
and to Georgians who have kept at all
posted on the incidents Of the recent
campaign in the State it is mattor Of
no little interest. He told the origin of
the term ''snollygoster."
And this is the way Ham gave the
history of this wonderful word:
Turning around to face all the gay
revelers around that banquet board,
the Columbus State Journal quotes the
Georgia orator at saying: "Perhaps I
can do no better by way of satisfying
the public curiosity as to what 'snol-
lygoster' really is than to give you the
tradition as I have heard it.
"Along in the forties there lived up
in the mountains Of Rabun County,
Ga, a man named John Kelly. He
had limited education and an itch for
Office. He ran for everything, going
up by regular gradation from constable
to clerk Of superior court and was de-
feated every time, but nothing daunted
tried at the next election for the next
highest Office. In 1S4s it came time
for him to be candidate for represen-
tative in the legislature. AS there was
at that time some talk of war with En-
gland over the Niagara incident he
announced as his platform that it was
the duty of the President to seize all
the roads leading to Liverpool so as to
prevent salt famine in case of war.
AS everybody recognized the necessity
for plenty of salt, it was taking
slogan and Kelly was getting on SWIM
mingly.
''Kelly's opponent was tall, gauut
mountaineer named Jonas Gaines. He
was ajustice ofths peace, and to use bis
own language, 'knowed all the law
what wasn't tore out of the books
He had wonderful flow Of language,
using all the big words he had ever
heard and coming many more without
any reference to what they might mean,
and yet, as such man would natural
ly, now and then said really good
thing. Superior court coming on in
the very heat and burden of the call
vass, number of lawyers gathered at
the county seat from all over the cir
cult, and the bright idea struck them Of
bringing about joint debate between
Kelly and Gaines.
'Kelly had the opening and made a
long, and as one Of the lawyers de-
scribed it, "a very able-bodied speech
He fumed and foamed and ranted and
worked his salt platform for all it was
worth and sat down amid great cheer
ing. Then up rose Gaines, his tall form
towering high in the air, and working
his long arms like the sails of wind
mill, and in voice that could be heard
half mile, proceeded, as he expressed
it to take the hide off Kelly in fakes as
big as hounds ear He skinned
him bellywise up and backwise down,
dissecting his record, enumerating his
various races, and among other things
said: Fellow citizens, if there's any,
thing on top side OF earth that makes
ME mad, it's ter see snollygoster Of
a feller continually sidwipin'
aroun' after the photography ov little
offs what he KANT never git, and
hain't got sense enough to fill it if he
could git it, Finally he reached the
salt question, and raising himself on
his tiptoes, he yelled: Liverpool, hell!
North Carolina salt is burned sight
saltier, an there's dozen roads to the
works. The effect can be better i'm
agined than described. Kelly and his
followers fed the scene, and Gaines was
triumphantly elected"
And so to this humble, but pictur-
esque source, was the Georgia orator
indebted for the word that has now by