Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-03-17

u Religion; law or politics. prize f1ghtin or base Jes' tetch up Jap little and he'll post you on
 'em all.
 He's the comicalist feler ever tilted back a cheer
 And tuck chaw of tobacker kinder like he didn't keer.
 Thars whar the feller's strength lays-so com-
 monlke and plain. Thar nain't no dude about old Jap, you bet
 you, nary grain.
 They 'lected him to council, and it never turned
 his he'd,
 And didn't make no difference what epny ybody He didn't dress enny finer or rig out in fancy
 close,
 But his voice in council meetin's a terror to his
 foes.
 He's for the pore man ev'ry time, and in the
 last campaign
 He stumped old Morgan county through the
 sunshine and the rain. And held the banner up'ards from a-trailin in
 the dust,
 And cut loose on monopolies, and cuss'd and
 cuss'd and cussd.
 He'd tell some funny story ev'ry now and then,
 you know,
 Till, blame it, it wuZ better jack-O'-lantern
 show,
 And I'd go furder yit today to hear old Jap
 norate
 Than enny high toned orator that ever
 stumped the state. Why, that ere blam'd Jap Miller, with his
 keen, sarkastic fun, Hez got more trends than enny candidate that
 ever run.
 Don't matter what his views are, when he
 states the same to you, They allus coincide with yourn, same as two
 and two.
 You can't take issue with him, or at least
 thar ain't no sense In startin in to down him, so you better not
 commence.
 The best ways jes' to lsSen, like yer humble
 servant dug,
 And jes concede Jap Miller's the best man
 ever wuZ.
 As may be supposed, Japis very pop ular citizen in Martinsville, and the folks there were greatly pleased when the poem was first published. Jap was i'm mensely tickled with it himself. He had several thousand copies of it printed on cards for distribution among his friends. The reverse of some of these bore his business card, advertising the general notion store he keeps. On the backs of others was the following characteristic autobiography:
 In the backwoods of Shelby county, Ind, in the spring of 1857, surrounded by water mud
  brothers and sisters. My parents did not need me. So when brothers sisters got mad they thumped me. During this early period of my existence had all the diseases childhood is heir to. My head was two sizes too large for my weak body. Early in life 1 developed wonderful appetite for anything and every thing in the grub line. 1 am a natural product of the backwoods. Polished and refined by the varied society of Martinsville, if there is any thing good in my character. give the credit to vr,vD their religions influences, l you should find some of the bad, charge it to my associates, for believe that am crea- ture of circumstances. l am not society man, but lover of good company.
 If you are in trouble, come to me. 1 know what it is This world is full of sorrow and sadness, and it is also full of sunshine and gladness. Don't be timid, but come and seq me. cannot come to you. l believe in mag. netism, but not in spritualism. My advice it to watch, for there is devil for every house. hold. Don't let him in. If you are not doing something to make the world better, you are working for the evil one sure. Plant flowers, speak kind words and feed the poor, and when you cannot live any longer some one will shed tears. Don't commit suicide, but wait. A mob may get you. Ifiyou want to see me, come to Martinsville. If I am dead, come to heaven. Your friend, JAP MILLER. Jap has written an account of his first meeting with the poet in paper read at an Epworth league entertainment. He says when he first saw Riley he knew he was either poet or 8 confidence man. They got acquainted quickly, though their questions and answers were all in the shortest possible meter. They sat in an alley back of Miller's store, and Riley made Jap promise to read Dickens. Before leaving, the poet promised to come back at 10 o'clock that night and tell Jap a Dickens Christmas story.
 "That night at 10," says Jap, "I went back to the alley, and he was there. No one said anything for some time. Finally the Christmas story was begun, and it was finished at half past 1. We went home. He did not say good night. l did not say good night. In fact, we said nothing at alive simply faded out of the alley" MISS Oklahoma Payne is one of the pret- , tiest girls in the west and is the belle ot the Cherokee Nation. Miss Payne claims direct descent from Pocahontas, whose blood John Randolph of Roanoke was proud to acknowledge. If her famed an. centress was as pretty, it is not surprising that John Smith was impressed.