Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-19
INGERsOLL's REPARTEE.
An Incident mt a Political Meeting
Where He Spoke.


Where He Spoke.
II had the pleasure Of meeting Col. Rob-
ert ]. Ingersoll the other day. said a
prominent New Yorker to Star writer,
land I reminded the colonel Of time back
in 1881, when I met him at the town Of
Mutt, down in the Lake Valley mining
region of New Mexico. Those were the
days when Col Ingersor was in the first
blush of his great Ivanhoe mine specula-
ton.
eyes, SIR said the colonel, to a coterie
of sympathizihg listeners, as we stood at
the depot in Mutt, on the occasion referred
to. YOU won't iSnow this part of the world
in two years. The Ivanhoe Mining Com
pany will putin quartz mills and smelters,
as well as stores, warehouses and dwell
four months fham now we viii have 1000
men at work. That means a community of
10000 people, who will make this place their
home-good, honest, Industrious men and
women, whose willing hands will make this
wilderness blossom as the rose'
''Ingersoll believed in his dream, and such
were his powers of persuasion that on his
return to Washington. Ivanhoe stock be-
came almost a craze, and people mortgaged
their homes to buy it. When the bubble
burst and the Ivanhoe was a fiat failure
the sensitive 1ngersoll purchased over
$2OO.OOO worth of the worthless stock at
par out Of his own pocket, and all to save
the hapless vendors from utter ruin.
can better lose 500, OO0.' said the col
onel, than any of these poor men can lose
500. and feel that they bought on my
recommendation. 1t is but right that / give
them back their money
"My meeting with Col. Ingersoll at Mutt
was not the first time ever saw the great
orator. One time during the Hayes cam
pafgn for the presidency, Ingersoll was
down to make speech in Cleveland. It
was In the evening and the open air. and
some 10000 people had assembled to hear
the celebrated talker. Judge Sherlock J.
Andrews, himself an orator of renown, pre-
sided. Just as he was about to introduce
Col Ingersoll few drops of rain fell on
the waiting multitude. and Andrews, turn
ing to lngersoll who was taking off his
duster. said:
m sorry It's going to rain, colonel. I
trust 1t will not spoil the meeting
Never mind, Judge, about the rain,' re-
them
Stepping to the front, he began. T have
never forgotten his first sentence which
succeeded In fixing every man in his place,
last.
Mr.. Chairman and fellow-citlzens,' he
began. the democratic party is the hun
griest organization that ever wandered over
the dreary desert of political disaster and
defeat. Thus launched. he sailed boldly
out on the heavfng political sea. His speech
was like the movement of trained racer
Rapid as the wind from beginning to end,
nc never SidcheueQ speed nor lost his feet
for a second. It was a relief to listen. for
while the effort was supreme, SO careful
was his training and 50 great his strength,
MS intellectual pulse was as even and his
mental breathing as regular as though he
We're suiltiess of the least exertion. Dur
ing the progress of his speech l recall an
interruption.
Another reason said Ingersoll, why
Tflden should be defeated is that he is a
nacneior. It's against the policy of a pop
ular form of government to place ba Oh
eior In the presidential chair We never did
1T but once. That was old Jimmy Blu
chanan, and the best thing you can saw
about him Is that he's dead At this tunc-
ture an Irish gentleman. whose resen tment
was rising with his drinks, shouted:
You're liar, by heavens
without turning his head, Ingersoll
pointed his finger in the direction of the
protest.
sit down, my Conamara friend he
said; sit down. 1 want nothing to do with
you. l came here to kill the democratic
dog tonight. and I've no time to waste on
the deaS'"