Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-03-27
STICKET MINISTER.
Discourses on Various Topics of
Passing Interest.
A FEW "REMINISCENCES OF DOUGLASS
Women and their Excess of Rights-The
Big Hat and the Car Seat
Once More.
A FEW "REMINISCENCES OF DOUGLASS

Who that ever listened to him can for
get the marvellous oratory, the splendid
appearing man? Frederick Douglass
looked the great man, and nowhere
more so than when speaking. l have
heard most, if not all. of the great plat
form speakers of the past forty years,
and none of them ever impressed me as
Mr.. Douglass did. There was some-
thing in his pose, in his bearing, the
manner of that straight, towering six
feet of humanity which, to my way of
thinking, surpassed all others, and, SO
far as ability and character were con-
cerned, where were one more worthy to
be Senator of the United States?
For years, as many will remember,
Mr.. Douglass was in great demand
ON the lecture platform; and when l
lived in an Illinois town he lectured
one evening-following Gen. How
ard in the cOurse-at a town about a
mile distant. He was stopping at a
hotel, and as he was a friend of my
grandfather. at whose house had met
him, l called to pay my respects. l
was shown to his room, where l found
him sitting in rocking chair mending
the fire with large pair of tongs.
He seemed very distant, if not surly, at
first, merely bowling and not in the
slightest relaxing his efforts with the
tongs. But on my mentioning the
name of my grandfather, and inform
ing him that l was that tremendously
important personage-the village min
lister, and on his apparently sensing the
idea that 1 hadn't called out of idle
curiosity, but really to pay my re-
spects, his manner changed at once and
entirely.
He laid down the tongs, rose from
his chair, and walking toward me,
offered his hand. saying: pardon me,
sir; I am very glad to see you. l
thought-pray be seated" with which
he handed me chair. reseated him.
self in his rocking chair, laid his head
back and began talking. After short
time the proprietor entered the room
and informed Mr.. Doulgass that tea
was ready.
Thank you, he replied, 1 will take
tea later"-and when the landlord had
departed he said: I have been annoyed
SO many times at public tables that l
never venture if I can avoid it. "
Expressing some surprise, at this, he
said: Yes. have had people leave the
table where took my seat; and the
many black, scowling looks are quite
as bad" Recalling his remark that
Mr.. Lincoln was the only man who, in
the course of visit, did not remind
him in some way, that he was a
colored man, I held my peace. In
about half an hour the landlord again
appeared and extending me an invita-
ton l went down with Mr.. Doulgass
and had the pleasure of taking supper
with him.
On learning that l meant to be pres
ent at his lecture he invited me to re-
turn to his room where we sat until
the time arrived. Speaking of the
course of President johnson which was
then convulsing the country he said:
1t is terrible. How easily we are de-
ceived in men; but" he added as if
soliloquizing the matter Of social stand
ing, of caste, is as powerful in demo-
cratic America as it is in Europe; poor
Johnson couldn't stand it"
Not catching the force of his remark
l asked for an explanation. Why"
he said, don't you understand this
somersault of the President? Mr..
johnson, though an able. proud man
by nature, is "poor white" by birth,
and his position socially in the South
is extremely CALLING to him and his
family. The Southern aristocrats have
now got hold of him and the dangling
before his eyes Of the prize of social
recognition and equality is more than
he can resist. But let him do his
worst. 1t will be all for the best"
His lecture that evening was on 1.-THE
Evils That Beset the Republic" and
during the first part Of it he read
largely from his manuscript. He ap-
peared to be i'll at ease, and was,
observed, continually working at the
lapel of his coat with his left hand.
Before long, however. he turned from
the desk and his notes, walked slowly
round to the front of the platform, but
toned his coat, gave his name a sort of
shake, and then for nearly two hours
made that kind Of a speech which but
few men in this world have been able
to make.
At its close went up to him to ex-
press the pleasure / had felt, and l
recall that, as he walked toward me,
he had unbuttoned his coat and put
both hands in his vest pockets--ex-
pressive apparently of honest pride and
satisfaction at the performance.
When ] had finished my edifying re-
marks he said: II delivered that lec-
ture some time ago in Baltimore, and
at its conclusion pompous young