Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-07-17
VESTS BOARDING HOUSE.
The Missouri Senator Tells a Story of
His First Visit Here.

Ihe missouri Senator Tells Story OF
His First Visit Here.
when first came to Washington, "
said Senator Vest to q Star writer, II
was entirely unacquainted and didn' t
even know my way about the city.
About all did know in Washington
was Joe Blackburn, of Kentucky.
felt that might rely on Blackburn,
and the first day l was here hunted
up the Kentucky Senator and placed
myself in his hands as sacred trust to
find me boarding house.
-" Why, certainly said Blackburn,
come right along with me to my board
ing house. It's a splendid place and
near at hand, too.
blackburn and I didn't 20 to the
boarding house right off. In fact, we
didn't get around to the caravansarie
IN question until about 10 o'clock at
night. 1t was dark and l had no op-
portunity to study the outward cyl.
dences of my proposed home. All II
knew was that Blackburn lived there,
and that convinced me that it must be
elegant and sumptuous, and every thing
else that a gentleman and Senator
could wish for.
"'Come right in, said Blackburn:
you'll feel in week as if you were in
your own home
Then he led me up a pair of stairs,
and saw that whatever the boarding
house was, it was at least in a store
building.
The next morning arose and after
paying the landlady for month in ad-
vance walked out on the street. l
found with some accession of gloom
that the lower floor, that is, the store
floor of the block, was an undertaking
establishment, and that right under
me-for my room was on the second
tioor-was as elegant an assortment of
collins as any dead man could ask.
That night when was alone in nv
room l got to thinking of these coffins
under me, and every night after that
while | stayed my mind would revert
to the undertaking business down in
the room below, and l must admit that
my reflections in no wise frightened
the joys of our boarding house.
THE undertaking business didn't
serve to depress Blackburn-coffins had
no terrors for him, and he didnt care
any more about a corpse than he did
about cold. But mine was a differ
ent case. Those coffins preyed on me.
felt lonesome and homesick enough
without them, and at the end of two
weeks l had fully made up my mind to
get out at the end of my month and
hunt new place for myself was
getting the worse of the boarding house,
anyhow; Blackburn was getting the
fat and | was getting the bones right
along.
ut was on Sunday night at the end
of my second week, and was sitting
alone in in my own room, forlorn and
sorrowful, and brooding over that
stock of burial cases just under my
feet, when in came young friend of
mine from Missouri. He had been in
Washington several years, however,
and worked in one of the departments.
He was light, easy talker, and had
begun to cheer me up e little, when he
suddenly looked about the room with
bird like air, and remarked
"'Your room here is very familiar to
me, Senator. used to be here quite
often
" How was that? l asked
why went on my young friend,
this room used TO belong to Jones.
You knew Jones-young Jones of Se-
dalia-used to work here in the War
Department. Committed suicide, and
and all that. Yes, indeed, committed
suicide right in this very room.'
my horror began to recur twofold.
My interesting young friend gabbled
on.
Certainly; l came up here one
night and lights were burning, the
door was ajar, but no one answered
when I raped. After rapping awhile
l pushed along in. Here was Jones
hanging by the neck to that chandelier.
Yes, indeed, cold dead. l remember
the incident clearly, and how his head
rested on that figure in the carpet
1T was at this point interrupted
him. l told him that l had business
to transact with my landlady. l called
that good woman and simply told her
that she might send my trunk the next
day 10 an address l would mail her.
As for myself, I would changed my
boarding house that night, and did.
To live over coffin factory and the
actual room of q suicide was more than
my nerve could bear. Wv Washington
Star.
Catarrh Cured,
health and sweet breath secured, by