The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-15

AT tho recorder, VINO mas now put IN"
pen to its legitimate use. Don't know,
boss" says the electcr expectant; spect
is forty" This is manifcstly an untruth.
for the head has decidedly youthful
appearance. The Chairman deems IL ms
/ duty to cross-exarnine. How 90 you
know you are forty?" when were you
borny These are stumrers. Inc appn-
cant becomes confused and exhioits some
! inclination to bolt, but. being nemineu
in by the crowd. finds that impossloic'
He therefore takes refuge Ill snenoe.
Nothing will induce him to venture any
/ further opinion as to his age. Inc 'haii-
man becomes embarrassed and INC re-
corder resumes operation on the wrong
end of his pen. Silence reigns Tor ABOUT
a minute Then a rather corpulent neg
ress on the outskirts OF the crowd with
her head done up in yellow bahdahha'
testifies as follows: II knows uat Niger
ebber since he was pickanniny' re
was horned on Mars Popes piantalioh
de var de sorrel colt bruk MS leg. ihis
important piece of information was con-
sidered bv the crowd conclusive as to
age. but the Chairman stiil seems unS
satisfied This looked like obstinacy. and
murmurs were heard. At last the Chair
man driven to desperation ana detef-
mined not to have a failure IN the nrst
case. turned to the recorder ana SAD,
Put him down forty, Mr.. Simons; put
him down forty" The recorders pen
having again done its legitimate duty,
the recorder reads I'm a rather loud
vioce. George Washington, aged forty"
by way of information that to that oX-
tent the applicant had been registered.
The Chairman, then anxious to get rid
OF George puts the question as to resi-
dence very suggestivcly: Residence,
Pope's plantation" To which George
assents, and is hustled from the window
just as the old aunty who settled the
question OF his age begins to take him
to task for lying.
The first restored voter no sooner lett
the window than another. his exact
counterpart. took his place. lie also
claimed George Washington as his name.
His age, however, was only tWeny-h'e'
This was an Improvement, and mani
testify fifteen years nearer the truth
than number one Tie chairman was
pleased. II might he possible to get down
IN hard facts in coarse of time. lie was
on the point of complmenting NUMBER
two on his modest estimate, but gave up
the idea The possibility OF inducing
further reference to the era OF the ac-
cident TO the sorrel colt stopped his
mouth. George Washington number two
was got on record, his place OF resi-
dence being kindly suggested TO him oy
the Chairman.
The Board now began TO brighten up.
The business was fairly started. inc
| Chairman was particularly happy ana
disposed to he facetious about the two
| G. VS. When the third bullet-head pre-
| scented itself at the window he straight
| ened himself up In his chair and, look
| ing the applicant straight in the eye.
| said, in a tone of scme severity. perhaps
YOU claim. 10 be called George Washing
! ton. toO?" The darby promptly answer
ed. Yes. sah." and the Chairman wilted.
| His brain was fairly In whirl. Per-
haps they were all George Washingtons.
The routine questions were asked me-
! chanically, and several voters registered
| before the Chairman recovered complete
| consciousness. At last an old gray-head-
| ed darky gave the name Of Julius Caesar,
and the Chairman was himself again.
The next, however. created more trouble.
His name was Hannibal. lie had no
other name. lie never heard his father S
name mentioned. His mothers name
was Dinah. She had no other name.
Here bright idea occurred 10 the Chair
man. The darky's name should be Han
nibal Johnson.
His old masters name was Johnson.
lie was so registered and SO informed.
| Then the list was revised. George Wash
ington number one became G.. W. Pope
number two. g. W Smith; number three
G.. W. Calhoun, and so on. The same
principle was followed throughout. 1t
was capital idea, and made the regis
tration lists look respectable. whatever
| the voters did. ! have no means OF
knowing If the names thus given adhered
TO the individuals. but presume they did
| noticed that all the Julius Caesars,
Hannibals. and Pompeys were old men,
and that the George Washingtons Were
young. A horrible suspicion has haunt
Cd me ever since that the younger neg
roes never gave their right names. They
had heard. perhaps, tha\ George Washing
ton was the father or the country OF
which they were TO become adopted sons,
| and they may have thought il the
tight thing to mention the old gentle
| mans name on the occasion.-James
! Chester. Captain 81 Artillery.