The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-03-27
Ihelrmurrat-S Star
WON BY STORY.
HOW ALLEN, OF MISSISSIPPI, SETTLED
THE CONTEST FOR A UNITED
STATES MARSHALsII1P.

NhS . - A'N'f '"s
the New York Herald. Quite as true
is it that humor often has much TO do
with the winning OF the coveted prize.
There was that little story, as every
body knows, Of the delegation that
waited upon Lincoln to urge Mr..
Somebody's appointment to IA district
attorneyship somewhere. Lincoln told
them that they had made an awful
showing for their mar and that his
only chance for getting the job was
that others might make a worse one.
Soon thereafter Lincoln sent a little
note to the first delegation, Informing
them that the other fellows had done
even worse than they had done, which
meant, of course, that their man had
won.
just now Allen, Of Mississippi-one
OF the racontners Of CongresS-is en-
PERTAINING his fellows with a little
story showing how he recently won
for his candidate from President
Cleveland an appointment to the
United States marshalship in the
State.
The old marshal had died, and Allen
went to the White House with the
name Of somebody whom he deemed
fitted to be his successor. President
Cleveland advised him to secure the
Endorsements of the other members Of
the Missi ssippidelcgation. Allen knew
full well that the effortt0 secure their
Endorsements would be regarded only
as an invitation by every man of them
to find Il candidate of his own. And
so it was. The result vas a lively
cross-hauling on all sides, and the sit
uation became so bewilderingly COM
plicated that Allen almost abandoned
hope Of winning his fight. One day,
while the fight was hottest, he drop
ped in at the White House.
"Ha," said President Cleveland as
lie greeted him, II suppose you have
come to talk about that United States
marshalship"
NO." Allen responded, shut a
mighty good story just came into my
mind, and thought as | was passing
l would drop in and tell it to you"
always ready to exchange the i'm
portunitics for place for a good story"
was the assurance Of the president.
"It's a little personal, Mr.. Presi-
dent" Allen said, ''bccausc it's about
myself and one of my clients. My
clients father died and left his estate
in rather a bad kind Of a muddle, and
l was called in to straightcn it out.
There was a fee in it, and Of course |
took charge of the matter right away.
The moment ! began to try to
straighten it out | flushed a c0yey of
collateral relatives, who laid claims to
part OF the estate, and caveatcd.
There was an awful long litigation.
We and the collateral fellows pulled
and hauled at each other until the tug
of-war about tired us all out, and my
client, who had expected to take pos
session Of the property without any
obstruction, became especially weary.
Scarcely a day went by without his
wanting to know how the thing stood
and when it was going to come to a
head. He was ovcrjoycd when | told
him that at last the case had got up
to the judge and was to be heard the
next day, and would probably be de-
cided right away.
81 went ovcr to court, Mr.. Prcsl-
dent, anG presented my case in 50
clear and convincing IA light that !
was satisfied the court must be with
me, and you may imagine my surprise
when, after the argument, the judge
announced that lie would take the
papers and reserve his decision. The
next day my client rushed into my
Office, breathlcss.
"'Wcll," he exclaimed, sis it all
over?"
son. said to him, 81 made a
beautiful argument before the court.
Why, it was 50 clear that there was
no room for the court to have any
doubt. talked for two hours, showed
the court all the bearings Of the case
and
"'Ycs, but, my client gaspcd, what
was the result"
"'To take the papers and reserve
his decision. lie shouldn't have done
1T after such an argument and such a
speech as l made, and the case so
clear. But, then, l did the best l
could for you.'
"My client was awfully chopfallen.
His Jaw fell and a shadow OF gloom
spread over his cOuntcnancc.
"'What's the matter, John p /
asked him.
"'Nothin', nothln',' lie answered
with a broken air, only | begin to
feel sorry that the old man ever
died."
President Cleveland is quite as
quick to see the point In a story as lie
is to see a point in finance or tariff, and
he saw the deadly parallel of the story s
with the m%arshalship contest at a r
glance. There was the dead father :
for the dead marshal, the warning :
Mississippi delegation for the warning \
collateral heirs in the will case, and q
himself for the hesitating judge and /
Allen for the client who was begin /,
ming to be sorry that the old man was :
dead-and he was touched. d,