The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1895-12-25
ONE CHRISTMAS EVE.
A Member of Congress Tells of al
Experience He Had.

Experience He Had
Hon. David G. Colson, who comes from
the boom town OF Middlesborough, KY.
to represent the Eleventh district III Con-
gress, has good story to tell OF christ
mas three years ago.
Mr.. Colson's district is tie biggest, ter
ritoriaIIy. in tie State. 1t stretches from
the headwaters OF Green River n he west
to Cumberland Gap, and thence Dorth To
the edge of the Blue Grass, where he lines
up with diplomatic Gov. James b. Nc
Creery, for years representative from the
Eighth. Middlesborough Is the center OF
the mountain boom that came 10 Kentucky
with the extension OF the Louisville and
Nashville and Norfolk and Western to Big
Stone Gap, in 1880 and g l..
An English syndicate invested about
five millions there, and II is still waiting,
like Mr.. NIcawber, ''f0r something to
turn up" Land values at MiddlesborouSh
in those days advanced as IL by niraCie,
and the shrewd, conservative owner OF the
best-paying newspaper in the district
went down one auction day and paid $3.50
a front foot for ii lot in tfe center OF town,
which he was glad to trade later 10 Il Gin
cinnati paper firm fer white paper CROUCH
to get out an addition of his paper, 5000
copies.
Next door to the editors lot the syn
dicate had built the magnificent -Four
Seasons Hotel. 1t was intended as
summer home for the wealthy projectors
OF the great iron town Middlesborough
was to become, and they proposed TO enter
tain their friends in princely style. 1t
was laid with marble and flied up with
splendid mirrors, chandeliers that gllm-
mered and CLEANED with hundreds of
pendenis and flashed with. incandescent
lights in their graceful glass drops A
big arc light biaZed in the portal. Men
of note in the mountains came from every
direction to see the place.
1T was Christmas, 90, l think," said
big vehement Dave" Colson, as he sat
in his room at the RIGGS talking with
Hon. Ed. Parker, lie mail contractor,
and a number of friends. A friend or
mine named Hodgkins, noted Baptist
preacher over in Perry county, had come
over to see the town since the boom came.
They were having a big time up at the
hotel on Christmas eve-a hop or some
thing of that kind ] think they called 1t.
Nv Baptist brother got oD his store toys
and ! brushed up the best l could and we
went up. After We had seen a good deal
of the fun we We're sitting around the
lobby with a crowd of fellows who, like
us. had tired of the bali. and everybody
was admring the place and talking about
about the new ways and means of it.
.sHodgkins was "A bright, shrewd. sensible
fellow. and commented freely on every
thing.
AFTER he had talked about the marbles
and silver trimmings. the hardwood finish
a nd the like. we were looking around and
| noticed something had struck him in con-
nectiou with the electric lights. We were
just then talking with titled English
man and his daughter. ard my friend had
quite won their good opinion. by his keen
observations. l had a premouition when
his eyes squinted and danced with
| quizzical expression after good square
! look at a bunch of incandescents.
He was going to break up every thing
| by a backwoodsman's question. / stirred
| the conversation this way and that. but his
| eyes kept coming back to the incandescents-
| Finally he stepped over TO a cuspidor with
the grace of courtier. and dropped in the
stub of his cigar. returned TO where our
| little group was standing. I can see him
| now with his hands behindhim. His chance
| came. Throwing his head back little
and looking at the big arc light. he said;
| Il can see how a man would take ladder
and get up there to light that thing. but
| turning quickly to the incandesccnts. con-
| found me If can see-an' I've looked right
! sharp-where you'd ever get in to touch
| a match to these -.-
"Just then a bus rolled up TO the big
| door and called out quickly to friend
| who came in it. and introduced the party:
| 1t saved my life for Christmas next day.