The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-01-18
The SnolIygoster.

The celebrated Georgia politician and
humorest, Col. Ham, has added new
word to the English language-"snolly-
goster." This is the way he gives the
history of this wonderful word:
"Along in the forties there lived up in
the mountains of Rabun County, Ga, a
man named John Kelly. He had limit
ed education and an itch for Office. He
ran for everything, going up by regular
graduation from constable to clerk of the
court and was defeated every time, but
nothing daunted tried at the next cleo
ton for the next highest Office. In 184s
it came time for him to be candidate for
representative in the legislature. AS
there was at that time some talk Of war
with England 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 pre-
vent a salt famine in case of war. AS
everybody recognized the necessity for
plenty of salt, it was taking slogan and
Kelly was getting on swimmingly.
"Kelly's opponent was tall, gaunt
mountaineer named Jonas Gaines. He
was justice of the peace, and to use his
own language, 'knowed all the law what
wasn't tore out of the books He had a
wonderful flow of Language, using ali the
big words he had ever heard and coming
many more without any reference to
what they might mean, and yet, as such
a man naturally would, now and then
said really good thing. Superior court
coming on in the very heat and burden
of the canvass, number of lawyers gath
cred at the County seat from all over the
circuit, 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 described
it, "a very able-bodied speech He futn-
ed and foamed and ranted, and worked
his salt platform for all it was worth and
sat down amid great cheering. Then up
rose Gaines, his tall form towering high
in air, and working his long arms like
the sails of windmill, 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 back
wise down. dissected his record, enumer-
ated his various vices, and among other
things, said: Fellow citizens, if there's
anything on top side of earth that makes
me mad, it's ter see snollygoster of q
feller q continually sidwipin' aroun'
after the photography ov little offs what
he kain't never git, and hain't got sense
enough to fill it if he could git it, FL
nally he reached the salt question, and
raising himself on his tiptoss, he yelled:
liverpool, hell! 1! North Carolina salt
is burned sight saltier, and there's a
dozen roads to the works. The effect
can he better imagined than described.
Kelly and lis followers fled the scene,
and Gaines was triumphantly elected.
"And 80 to this humble, but pictures
que source, was the Georgia orator in
debted for the word that has now by
common consent come to stand for the
Kelly class of den. agogic politicians. It
is one Of the curious specimens Of native
originality which now and then comes to
enrich our language and fill a long felt
want of something to do the subject JUS
tica