The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-07-29
Thrlrmorrat-S Star
JOHN ALIENS WAR TALK.
v f. Lewis in Chicago Times Herald.

W +. Lewis in Chicago Times Herald.
Washington, ID. g.. July l2.-The
entertainer of the House Of Repre-
s~entatives is John NJ. Allen, Of Tupelo,
Miss. He is Il serious-f faced mar with
a black mustachc, which droops at the
ends, and large, melancholy dark eyes.
That is Allen at rest. When he talks
his mustachc curves with an engaging
smile, and his eyes CLEAN with mirth.
That is to say, when he is on a peace
basis. There are occasions when an
injustice has been attempted or Mis-
sissippi that the mouth sets like iron
and the soft, sad eyes blaze like head
lights. At such times it is well to
give the MiSsissippian the right Of
the thoroughfare. Members seats are
never vacant when Allen is due to
speak, for, = ! have said, he is an en-
tertainer. lie is a practical orator,
and relieves the dreariness Of argu-
ment with anecdotes. The other day.
while opposing a proposition from the
New York dairy district to add a tri-
weekly four ounces of cheese to a sol
dier's rations, Mr.. Allen, who claims
emincncc as the only Confederate pri-
vate who survived the war, c0ntribu-
ted a series of rebellion "reminiscences
to gladden. the pages OF the Record.
He offered to make n Of a company
Of Congressman to 20 to the front I'M
der command Of Gen. Grosvcnor. Il
make this offer in good faith" hc said.
land | desire no commission. | want
10 serve in the same capacity | filled
in the last war, to prove that can
fight as well under Old Glory as !
fought against it.
IL don't say | won't be frightened"
he continued, lapsing into the soft
Southern accent which gives a charm
to his stories. 81 was always pretty
much scared up when | went into an
engagement, but, | usually stayed it
out. l remember once myself an a
eomrade was lynn behind 4 nice pile of
rails. Gentlemen, | have long remem-
bered that as about the handsOmest
pile Of rails / ever noticed in the
Southland. 1t was comfortable and
it was picturesque. Although the
bullets were whining over heads
and an occasional cannon ball would
pass with Il rush an a roar, a lark
perclled in the tree above us sang
swcetly. My friend looked up to it
chokcd with emotion.
"'Ah, little bird.n he said 'ef l had
yo' wings | wouldn't be settin' round
ycre singin'. Id be in good ole Mis-
sissippi befo' night
'But about This cheese ration" he
said returning to his argument; "l'm
dubious about cheese keeping well IN
the tropics. 1t recalls a reminiscence
OF my youth. One day a negro man
was projecting around a grocery store
at the cross roads and discovered two
or three dozen boxes of axle grease.
The lubricant in such packages was a
novelsy, and David, after prying off
the cover Of one, determined its
identity.
"'What's dem lii brown cheeses
wuf, boss?:" he asked the proprietor.
"'They're with two bits each,
Dave"
"'I'm lowin' | takes one he said,
digging up Is cents. i suppose yo'
give a POI man a few crackers to eat
dat cheese wid?"
Certainly, Dave; take all you
want replied the humane store
keeper.
"Dave retired with his box of axle
grease and his handful Of crackers to
the rear of the store. lie took out his
jackknife, took a circular cut out Of
the middle of the grease ana spread it
on a cracker. 1t required powerful
effort, but the Niger put the last OF
the box into eventual circulation.
Niggers are economical that way, and