The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-09

to two other votes, as it seemed that |
could do. But Just as he was leaving me
/ told him that he was mistaken in saying
that we had never met before. That sur
prised him and he sat down with me
again while | told him of our first meet
ing. / said:
Senator Bogy one hot afternoon, about
dozen years ago, when you were a mem
ber Of congress anu one of the most dis
tinguished men in your state, you were
hurrying down Olive street 81. LOUIS to
catch a departing steamer. Owing to
your weight you We're making slow pro-
gress and your speed was diminished also
because you We're carrying a heavy vallse
You would have missed the boat but Tor
the good fortune which threw in your
way young and athletic nigger boy, to
whom you offered IL quarter to carry the
valse to the boat. The boy jumped at
the chance, for he evidently needed
! quarter. You hastened on. while the
young niger shouldcred the valise ana
tagged along close to your heels until the
boat was reached. She was already null
ing out into the stream. but her wheels
stopped when the captain saw that Con-
gressman Bogy was coming, and a plank
was thrown out ana you rushed aboard
The boat proceeded, but the boy held on
to the Val.se.
BRUCE GOT A UALF-DOLLAR
For no other man i'm st. Louis would
that boat have returned TO the wharf, but
for you she turned around and came
back. As she nCared her mOoring place
you shouted: Throw that valise aboard
you black rasCal!' The boy replied.
First throw ne my quarter" You threw
him half-dollar, with an oath, and the
valise was chucked aboard and the steam
er proceeded. You were very angry, sem
ator, and shook your fist at that poor
fellow, but he merely laughed and went
away. That poor fellow was hard up and
that half-dOllar was as big as "A water
wheel to him, for it bought him a good
lo-cent supper that night. was the boy,
senator, 50 you see we have met before
! never was more pleased with any
thing in my life said Senator Bruce,
than with the manner i'm which Senator
Bogy received that story. lie laughed
immoderately and told me that it illus
trated the possibilities of this rembliC
He said that ! deserved more credit than
any white boy would have deserved for
| had risen from lower social and intel
lcctual level than white boys of nv age
at that time He became one OF my very
best friends and we lunched together
several times in the restaurant. Instead
Of retaining his old-time preiudices he
tried to Danish them. but that was impos-
slble' lie was too old to change the
luedS ol Il Hleumei ana did not blame
him. ] always liked him ana have re-
garded him as one of the greatest men
of his age. The race of caste distinctions
in this country are almost ineradicable
BRUCEs CANDIDACY FOR SHERIFF
"'Whon senator BUEy told me | de-
served credit for having risen from such
lowy conditions l told him another story
| When ] was Il candidate for sheriff of
my county my opponent started out 10
make speeches with me. on the secold
evening, i'm his address to the peopIe ne
said II am of one Of the first families of
this state. My opponent is niger lie
came from slaves and is fit only to be a
| slave Circumstances have given him an
! opportunity TO rival a white man. | do
not believe that my fellow-citizens will
| vote for him. They cannot 80 degrade
| themselves by degrading me-" When II
came my turn to reply, | said:
My opponent has told you OF my
| lowly origin. II is true that / was born a
slave and have risen from my thralldom.
| The evidence is before you that / have
| risen. If he had been born slave he
| might have been in the darkness of ig-
norance and serfdOm. Depending upon
| his family, he would never have learned
| to depend upon himself. | believe that
these people will encourage me In my ef-
| forts to rise above unfortunate circum-
] stances ana will vote for me-"
"'And they did laughed the senator.
| They elected me shern and afterward
stood by me manfully in the fight for the
| senatorship."