The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-08
lightning Rod Mans
4th Of duly Grafton

lThe following orashun waz prepared >
be deliverd in Syracuse on the 4th ov
July but waz not 1 seven good recZons, 6
ov witch are that ! waz not askt par
tisipate. However its not me morn
az it waz the peepils loss not mine
went home > Niddcrsville , spend a few
dollars & the 4th e. when | arrived thay
askt me make speech, witch | very
kindly didl
THE SPEECH
Fclloe citizens, the signel onner witch
your kind and thawtful kommtti haz
conferG ON me IL grately apresheated I
assure yu. 1t makes my chest heeve with
pride stand be such a see ov intelligent
Il nthusiastiCk fascs 0Owd g. generus ap-
plawS). | am not gifted with a silver
tung there 1 yu must not Xpect a fiOwry
speech from me but what l due say will
be rite from the sholdcr & hit the nale
square on the he'd U was prepaid 4 ap-
plaws here but it failed mateerealize)
l yeer ago day waz "A CRATE day at
Santyago 1 the United States & yellow
iernalism. FcllOe citizens, nObudy IL a
crater XpanShunist than the spcokcr. I
am glad we hav Cuba & Porta Reeka g.
the Sandwich Hands but ! must say
that the Philpcens bares abowt the
same relashun the United States ~ the
Ncrmifuge appendix duz . the humcn bod
Il y
BILE. IL responsibal 4 meny deths & don't
| seam . be cssenshal our kumfCrt. cat
| this point sum smart click ndeVerd ? be
| phunny d Eroncd, but fortunately | wa2
| Ckwa1 the oCkaShun). "Fhere," Sed /,
| 'i2 livin proof ov my assorshun, our
| friend here" pointin my finger rite at the
pUsilanimus rctch, ''is suffern frum
| apendiscus!' CThis bong mawt made a
| CRATE hit with the awdienCc & wa2
greetid with az fine a burst ov latter, APP
plaws, etc. az ! ever witnesO. "War.
| ladies & gCntilmcn, IL a terribel thing at
| the best q and at the worst-at--th
| wOrst-at-the-w worst IL no better U had
"forgot my lines" as the aCtcr sen & came
neer loozin my presents ov mind.
This is onloy tru,' | kontinude,
war IL a tcrribel thing. 1t cumith out oN
| q CleCr ski like a theef i'm the nite II
wandcreth abOwt like a line seeking whom
| it may devOurath' & finally 1t striketh 4
! hOwSe with no litcning rOdCth; a then
where are you? ded stone ded!! fan
| beyond the power ov humen ade n pat
ent mcdisens, gone tO--we no not where
| aWl 4 the lack ov a little thawt The
bibel seZ "in time ov piece prepair
| var" q nobudy ever sed a truer thing
As I stand On this platform ADDRESSING this
vast fssemblidge ov hansum humanity
| see hear & thare amung va anNyu'
fases Uhis between VA & |, waZ not
strictlcy tru, but 1 waZ pretty well work.
up at the time, my name idea being
Iced up my climax witch I sune did
witch tell me yu are not prepaird.
wish state that | am in the litening roc
hizness myself. l will be hear i'm town
daze & will due what ! can fix any
who so desire, up in that time,
II have put up menny hundred rods
in aWl parts OV the country. How mennl
lives / hav saved i'm this manner viii
never perhaps he nown But ! didn't Gun
hear bras ladies & (au this point
waz interrupted by the same skally was
who groned at the beginning ov m!
speech lie waz now reinforst by sevra
ccmpanyuns i'm krime who showtid In
How'd tone Of vols "Cut II out "Breal
II oph." etc. etc, they akumpneed ther
showts by fusilade ov hen froot 4 we'd
lgtabels witch had long sints lost Their