Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-10-13
atlisttllamen,ts &eading.
BUCK KILGORE.

Washington Post.
There are men in every quarter of
the Union who will regret to hear Of
the death of Judge Constantine B.
Kilgore, of Ardmore, I. T. For eight
years "Buck" Kilgore was notable
man at this capital. In person he was
the typical Texan. Above 6 feet tall,
above 16 stone in weight, above the
average congressman in ability, above
the average man in sincerity, straight
as an Indian and strong as an OK,
."Buck" Kilgore was a marked man
wherever he appeared. 1t was the
kicking down of the door leading from
the legislative chamber to the house
lobby that gave him notoriety. 1t was
characteristic of the man. He wanted
to go into the lobby, the messenger
shut the door in his face; he knew he
had right to 60 into the lobby with.
out asking the consent of Tom Reed
or any other man. He raised his foot,
clothed in an enormous cowhide boot,
and kicked the door down and went
his way. The notoriety that attached
to him on account of the act was al
ways distasteful to him.
Except Dick Bland and Amos Cum
mings, there was no more Democratic
looking man in congress. The boys on
the Avenue called him "Buck," and
after he kicked the door down every
gamin in Washington was ambitious to
shine his boots. Many of them boast
ed of the honor, who drew on their
imaginations, as George ~ did wheD
he claimed to have borne conspicu.
Gus part in the battle of Waterloo.
Kilgore did not have his boots shined
every day. When he first landed he
took rooms on G street, not far from
the Capitol. After breakfast he went
out for stroll. A cololed boy pro.
posed shine. "What's your name! !"
asked "Buck." "George Washington"
replied the boy. "It's an honor I did
not expect" replied Kilgore "you
can pitch right in" During the whole
session "Buck" would walk half a
dozen squares to give that boy the job
of shining his boots.
During the war he was ordered home
to assist in gathering up some desert
ers. One evening about dusk he was
out in the country in quest of a deser-
ter who had been off the "layout" for
a year. He was very hungry and very
weary. He called at house by the
roadside and there he found woman
Just taking from the spit nicely
broiled chicken. The SAVIOR of the
fowl made him ravenous. He had
Mexican dollar in his pocket, which he
had carried for years and to which he
was much attached, but he was bound
to have that chicken, and he pulled
out the dollar proposed trade-the
coin for the fowl. The lady said the
chicken was for a sick friend and that
she could not sell it.
"But," she continued, I'll jump you
for it,"
"What do you mean?" said Buck.
II mean that we will see which can
Jump fartherest from this doorsill out
into the yard, and the one of US that
beats shall have both chicken and
dollar"
gall right; that suits me exactly"
said Buck. The dollsr was placed on
the dish beside the chicken, and his
gun was leaned against the wall by
the door, and Buck slung his arms
and made O tremendous leap of over
l2 feet. He recovered with difficulty,
and when he turned to the door there
was the lady with his cooked gun in
her hands, with the butt against her
shoulder and finger on the trigger.
"Now, you just fiirt the gravel
down that road, young man, or III
make buzzard's food of you before hell
can SINCE gnat," she ordered.
There was shoot in her eyes and
"buck and ball" in the gun. So,
'Buck" firted the gravel" his bosom
swollen with impotent rage.
By this time it was dark. Over in
q field "Buck" spied a ginhouse. He
went to it and climbed into the loft,
laid down on the floor and was soon
fast asleep. After time he was ava
kened by voices down below. He
listened and made the discovery that
one was a female voice, and, a moment
later he realized that she was relating
the dumping" episode to her compan-
ion, who gave vent to peal after peal
of laughter. There were the chicken
and bis dollar which he could see by
the light of the tallow dip. Peering
about he saw his gun also. There was
big hole in the floor Of the loft, and
Just as the man took hold of the dish
to eat the chicken "Buck" plunged
through that hole and seized his gun.
Before they recovered from their as
tonishment "Buck" roared out, "Ma-
dame, you just flirt the gravel back
home, and as for this gentleman he
and 1 will firt gravel to the office OF
the provost marshal. He is the de.
serter have been after for week"
There was shoot in "Buck's" eye
now. The woman left. "Buck" re-
covered his dollar, ate the chicken,
and before midnight surrendered his
prisoner to the provost marshal. 1t
was worth q journey across the conti-
nent to hear "Buck" tell the story.