The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-05-06
HOWD'YE" MARTIN.
THE ONLY CONGRESSMAN WHO
EVER BLEW OUT THE GAS.

L Picturesque Character from Texas Who
Added Much to the Gaiety of the National
Capital During His Term-Some Episodes
in His Stormy Career
William H. Martin, of Texas, the
'nly congressman, so far as the records
extend, who ever blew out the gas, is
lead. He died at Hillsboro. recently,
of pneumonia. He was seventy years
Did. With him went one of the unique
igures in public life of the decade He
had outlived his time. There is no
doubt that he did low out the gas in
Willard's hotel, Washington, D. c., on
The night of November 25, 1887; that
the people of the hotel broke in his
door, and that he was dragged into the
hall utterly unconscious. He was sick
for two days, but rs soon as he was
well enough to appear on the streets
ne hunted the newspaper man who had
been most instrumental in spreading
he tidings of his catastrophe and box
ed his jaws until his ears rang. If the
man had made the slightest resistance
Martin would have Killed him where
he stood
In person he was six feet high and
oroad of shoulder, bit 7ery gaunt. His
hair and beard were untrimmed. His
trms swung loosely and he walked with
;he long strides of the man who in his
early life had done most of his travel
ing on foot. His oaths were so plenti-
tul they ceased to be profanity. The
words rolled from his mouth as un-
consciously as his breath. l heard him
;ell once of the failure of a morning
stroll after squirrels. Il riz," he said,
'one-fine day an s1atched hold of my
old rifle. That-son of mine had
been a-wearin' of my kittredge belt.
went into the-woods an was walkin'
1own the-road when l seen a-squir-
rel settin' on a-tr9e. l pulled the
trigger and the-gln wasn't loaded.
The-squirl set thar and liked to
laughed his-head off. l loaded up an
she wouldn't work. got a-45-calibre
kittridge into the 44-calibre gun and
never killed a-squir'l."
On the morning of the day when
BUCK" Kilgore, also of Texas, and also
lead, kicked his way to freedom by
smashing one of the house doors. there
dad been a wordy passage between
Johnson, of Indiana, Republican, and
Crain, of Texas, Democrat The two
approached each otl er eXcitedly and a
collision seemed imminent At that
iuncture the eyes of quiescent members
we're transferred from the principal fig
Tres in the debate 10 the center aisle.
Grain and Johnson were not apt to
nurt each other with anything more
1eadly than their hands, but in the
center aisle dozen Democrats were
slowly bearing back 'Howd'ye" Martin
20 the cloakroom. His jaws were set,
his face was pale with the pallor of
1eath, and his eyes blazed. Tightly
sripped in his right hand was a 6-inch
,lasp-knife with the blade opened This
Was knife that he carried, not for the
purpose of offense, but to trim his nails
with every month. He spoke only
once, and then in response to a whis-
1ered word of soothing from the vener-
able David B. Culberson: ID it, let's
nave settlement" He was shouldered
out, however, and taken from the cap
tol. 1t is rather a singular bit of
Washington journalism that an ac-
count of this incident did not appear in
my print.
"Old Howd'ye'-so called because
hat was his invariable salutation to
man and woman, boy and girl, white
and black-took out a Texas regiment
n 1861 they went direct to Virginia
md faced the Federal lines. The state
ment seems incredible, but it is strictly
rue that in 1868 the personnel of this
'egiment was entirely changed. Every
man of the original recruitage. was
lead or incapacitated by wounds
'Howdye" went back to Texas and got
another. Not many of them were left
n 1865, when Grants mighty and vic
.orious host was bearing down upon
he starving and disheartened legions
If Lee. An old southerner has told me
)f meeting the Texan on the morning
Of the surrender" as it is Familiarity
called in the south. He was five miles
rom Lees headquarters and his dirty
'egulars were bivouacked by the sideof
country road. Martin asked him of the
Jews. He was told that General Lee
lad surrendered. Martin drew a pis-
oil from his holster. "Ef you say that
lg'in," he declared, 'I'll blow you're
lead off," He was assured that it was
rue. He turned to his men and said:
Boys, I'm goin' back to Texas, where
man can live an the blacks can't run
is. Who's goin' with me?" A few of
hHm responded. The others were too
weary and heartsiCk to move He
headed his little band due south, turn
ne his back upon the chilly Virginia
.ads. He got through the scattered
Federal line somehow and made his
way home. 1t was his boast to the
lay of his death that he had never sur
'endered.