Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-08-10

hat and that ho was taught to do without books when but young practitioner by old Joe Baird, a leading criminal lawyer in northern Kentucky, some decades ago. Blackburn had gained some repute as a plcadcr and had been compared on ono or two instances to this veteran, Baird. One day tho young man visited the old one who, though not college graduate, was noted for his shrcwd Sonsc and was a jury plcader who could not easily be matched. Blackburn found Baird's office almost void of furniture and containing but two books-a copy of the statutes of 1S43 and ono of tho criminal code. Where do you keep your library?" inquired the visitor. Tho old man jcrkcd his thumb in tho di rCCtiOn of the tSvO old books. Don't ever buy books, Joe, ;" he said "Thcy'll only bother you"
 Liko all real Kcntuckians, Blackburn loves horse, and all his constituents know it. It was probably the knowledge of this characteristic that led the authorities of a raco track, not a thousand miles from Louisville, n few years ago, to select Black burn as ono of the judges, the late Sena- tor Beck being tho other. Of course it is improper for judges to bet on the horses in n race they are judging but tho two sena- tors laid wager all the same tho stakes being $lO and straightway forgot they wero to makeN decision at the close of the contest. Now, it so happened that the horses they were hacking ran very close all the way around tho track, and neither of the backcrs was nblo to tell >:hich was in tho lead when the half mile post was reached.
 As they came around the bend to the home stretch, however, Beck s horse pushed his nose ahead, and Beck began oxcitedly yelling that he had won. Black burn was quirter, but he, too, got excited, and before the wire was reached tho two men were animatcdly discussing the qucS- tion as to which horse would pass under first. At the moment of passing neither was looking at the horses, and for the life of them they could not tell how to decide tho racc What shall we do, .Joe?'' queS- toned Beck anxiously. "DOn't worry Jim," said Blackburn. II guess it wasn t very close, and if we just keep quiet things will adjust themselves" It turned out that way, luckily for the reputation of the senators The attendants put up the figures, and Blackburn saved the reputation of himself and Beck by simply nodding cor dially to the jockeys as they came up. Senator Beck used to like to tell this story, and at the windup he used to add that he never sat in q judges stand after that, being quite satisfied thenccforth with the accommodations furnished by the grand stand. Senator Blackburn has an other quality not entirely unknown among Kentuckiaps, and that is tho fondness for polysyllables which, combined with the ability to utter them glibly, results in what | is known as the gift of gab." In his young days he was sometimes accused of | being grandiloqucnt, but as ho usually won his cases he was not generally criLi 1f. 1Nyy I, It | these, who was beaten in this instance, by ] the way, was onco moved to say in speak | ing of Blackburn: "If you or wanted tC state that two and two make four wet l be just fools enough to blurt it out in SC | many words, but if Blackburn wanted tC l make that statement he would say: If by | that particular arithmetical operation l known as addition VIC desired to arrive at l the sum of two integers added to two in | tegers, we should finland 1 assert thi: boldly, sir, and quite without tte fear o
 successful contradiction-we, I repeat
 would find by that particular rule of arith
 metic, properly applied-and, sir I holt myself personally responsible for the asser
 tion am about to make-thatHt the sum O
 two given integers added to two othel
 given integers would be four.'
 The man who produced this take off oI | Senator Blackburn was unQuestionabl,
 disgruntled by defeat, but it is neverthe
 less true that on occasion he has beer
 known to multiply words. It is also true
 however, that when he desires so to do h'
 can make as clean and direct 0 statemen
 upon the platform us any man living
 And undoubtedly his varying abilities a'
 an orator have been among his stronges
 points in holding tho affections of his fel
 low citizens of Kentucky.
 CHARLES APPLEBEE.