The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-09-28
DOWN SOUTH SORGHUM.
Kansas City Hotel with
MoInsses.

Col. Carter, Of Cartersville, never
smiled more benignly nor carried him
self with easier grace tnan this son
of the Bluegrass state who entered
n Kansas City hotel dining-room the
other day and looked about for the
head waiter. Taking as his natural
right the deep obeisance Oh the said
waiter the stranger soon found him
self at n table where several other
travellers were deep in a discussion
of the Boer war. The southerner at
tracted little attention from the other
guests until he began his order to the
black boy in the Tuxedo coat, says
the Kansas City journal.
Look hyar, ooy," said the stranger,
81 want yo' to bring me some con
braid. ] don't want one or two little
pieces, but l do want a plateful. Do
yo' underestimate"
The travellers smiled at one another
and winked across the table. The
southerner paid not the least atten-
ton to his fellow guests. When the
corn Dread came it was piled high on
a large plate. The winks and smiles
were renewed. The southerner sur
veyed the hemp of corn bread with
grave satisfaction. ne called the
waiter and ordered an empty water
glass. BY this time the newcomers
actions had aroused deep curiosity
among the board of strategy around
the table, and this curiosity was
heightened TO greater intensity
when the southerner slowly drew from
his inside pocket n large bottle, the
contents of which he poured into the
water glass 1t was n black, viscous
substance, and il took n full minute
for the operation of transferring it
TO the glass. This was trying time
TO the war theorists.
"What in the world is that?" asked
one traveller of his neighbor.
Looks like coal tar" was the reply.
more like crude petroleum." said
third guest.
at must be aXlegrease, with which
he is going TO Intricate his digestive
apparatus" finally observed the wit
of the table, and this gave fimsy
prcteXt for n general laugh of relax
alton.
"Yo' know what that is. all right"
observed the southerner TO the negro.
81 guess | does, boss. Umm, but it
do smell mighty fascinatin'"
As the waiter disappeared he
stopped long enough 10 whisper some
words into the ear of another waiter
and in another minute every boy in
the room was gazing with transtixed
interest at the southerner.
The board of strategy at the table
dropped the consideration of the AT.
rican war and the travellers fixed their
eyes on the southerner. At last one
| of the travellers could, contain himself
no longer, and. leaning across the
table, he addressed the southerner:
mo offense, sir, but would you
mind telling us what that is you are
eating2"
"Why, ce'tainly. It's sorghum mo.
lasses. The real down south kind.
always eat lots of it and carry II
around with me, as | don't often fine
it in yo' no'th'en hotels"
10 you mean Iuut mat is Jne stun
we used TO eat when we were chill
! dren?"
Exactly, the same. Hyar, try
some. I have mo than l want" sac
the southerner, pushing the half-ful
glass across the table. In few min
utes the travellers were digging intC
the glass with their knives, spreading
the molasses over corn bread anC
gorging themselves as they had no
done since their boyhood. And soor
they were exchanging stories of th'
childhood days on the farm during
sorghum time" and the southerne1
continued to look on with grave sat
/ isfaction