The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-01
GIoak Room Stories from
y Gbe National Gapf9L

Written for the Globe by J. s. Van Ant
werps
The house and senate cloak rooms fur
nish good stories. 1t Is here that the
statesmen gather when there is really
nothing entertaining going on in the house
or senate, and many of the yarns are
capital good ones. A few days ago Rep
resentative Adamson, of Georgia, told the
following: Down In my district quar-
terly meeting was going on in one of the
churches, and during 1ove-feast' a
rich farmer, noted for his penuriousness,
was called on to give his experience.
He did so, thanking Providence that ne
lived in land of religious and civil free
dom, land of free speech, free schools,
free churches and free salvation; winding
up with, I have belonged to the church
seventeen years, and thank God it has
never cost me a quarter of dollar The
Stingy old cuss got shot from the shout
der when the preacher shouted out, And
may the Lord have mercy on your stingy
soul, which met with hearty amen
from the entire congregation. That old
duck never darkened a church door after
that"
speaking about churches and preach
ers, put in New Jersey member, 're-
minds me of the epitaph in Cranbury
church yard, which the Rev. James Alex
ander copied and sent Rev. DR.. Hall:
Her blooming cheeks were no defense
Against the scarlet fever;
In live days time she was cut down,
To be with Christ forever"
DR.. Hall sent him back the following
inscription from a stone in marble yard
in Trenton. N. J.:
The boiling coffee did on me fall,
ana by 1t l was slain;
But Christ has bought my liberty,
And In Him will rise again.
Senator Joe Blackburn has on hand a
rich collection of stories, and one of his
latest is this one: 1.-THE Hard Shell Bap-
lists are decidedly in evidence in my
state, and many years ago there was held
at Mount Washington. Bullet county, a.
meeting of this much abused and some
what eccentric sect. For some time
they were Hospitality entertained at the
home of old Uncle Tom Benson, a most
worthy Baptist of the old line, who, In
accordance with the customs of Kentucky
and the we'll known habits of the people
who We're now his guests, supplied them
plenttfully with the good creature One
day the party was invited to go home
to dinner with one of the brethren who
had not reputation for hospitality equal
to that of their present host A leading
Hard Shell objected to accepting the in
vitatton He was. however finally over
ruled. and the party set off, Arriving at
the house they were kindly received. The
man who objected to accepting the invi-
tatioH left the party for few minutes,
but soon returned, broad and beaming
smile upon his face, and a huge bowl of
egg-nog In his hands. Presenting it in
triumph to the party, he roared out:
Well friends. brethren and sisters, !
thought We ought to have staid at old
Uncle Benson's. but 1 find we are among
Gods people up here wherever we CO. -
According to Representative Brownlow,
OF Tennessee, there was once an itinerant
preacher In his state who possessed con-
siderable natural eloquence, but had be-
come possessed of the idea that he was
an extraordinary Biblical scholar Under
this delusion," says Mr.. Brownlow, "he
would very frequently, at the close of his
sermon, ask any member of his congre-
cation who might have 'knetty text to
unraVel, to announce it, and he would ex-
plain it at once, On one occasion, in q