Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1896-05-30
THE FIRST OFFENSE.

Billy Meekins never drank He didn't
make a principle Of it and in all other
respects he was like any other male hu-
man being, but for some reason or other
he simply hadn't learned to drink. His
wife, who was religious, put it on high
moral grounds She said she didn't
know what She would do If VIII came
home drunk-which was true; she did
not, as the following narrative will show:
The first winter they were married
company \ arranged for big military
ball and invited the governor. AS an
extra inducemont they got an appropria-
ton from somewhere or other and
bought a carload of champagne. The
evening of the dance the governor was
present with his entire suite and they
converted one of the ante-rooms into a
sort OF champagne shower bath. But
after the governor, who was very tall
and thin man of good old Puritan stock,
had led the grand march with the wife
Of the captain, who was a very short, fat
and redfaced woman of middle-age and
unmistakable Irish descent, to the admit
ration of all, and the fat prompter had
barked all the skin off the back of his
throat and nearly gone into apoplexy
and everybody had gone home, it was
discovered thatsthe company in its ex-
IRENE generosity had overestimated the
capacity of the invited guests. So, as a
last resort, and sort Of gentle bid for
the golden opinion of the press, the
newspaper men were invited in.
And after the first edition had gone
down as many men as possible adjourn.
ed to the city hall and sat down at a
long table in the ante-room with the
governor at the head Of course the
governor could not under the circum,
| stances refrain from letting his full hear
run over in speech. In it he said he
never could adequately express his grea
appreciation of the honor of sitting a
the table with the representatives o.
that glorious and powerful instrument
Of civilization--the press. He himsel
had always had the most profound con
fidence in newspaper men and he wa
proud to say they had almost unani
mously shown confidence in him. HI
was also proud to say great NAM
nice things about the press and its in
haence for good. A few minutes afte
these remarks the governor left for hi
hotel, having pressing appointment a
6:3o the next morning and having fei
during the evening unmistakable symp
toms of the return OF diphtheria or spina
meningitis or something of the sort h,
had contracted during the arduous la
bors of the last campaign, so he left tn
acknowledgement to represent him,
The acknowledgement, who was a ia
andIed,faced man, having representet
governors at champagne suppers for
great many years, was very able repre-
sentative indeed, and when the governo
went away much of the ceremony of tn
occasion went with him and 1t beeam
quite informal, every inducement to in
formality being offered by the manage
ment. Whenever you began To talk t
your neighbor your glass was filled u
by the colored waiter at your elbow witt
such naturalness that not even the mos
accomplished could get an approxim at
idea Of how much he had drunk until h
regained consciousness.
One Of the chief diversions Oft oe
casion was arranged to be furnished b
Billy Meekins He had been induce
to attend under more or less false pre-
! lenses, and when once there was place