Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-30
PUBLIC SPEAKING.
Accomplishments Of Some Man.
Moving SpeIIbinders.
Stopping a Raid-Taking tho Snap Out of
Fourth July Fireworks-FIeeinE From
an Audience-Fi Firing Into tho Air.
(Charlotte obsery,er1


c. b." (Which, being interpreted,
means Red Buck Bryant). moves one
to emulation by a like contribution
In which one might succeed if he knew
as good things, and could tell them as
well as the said Buck of vermillion
hue. 1 only know that, barring life in
camp in the great civil war, L have
seen more fun around the hustings
than anywhere else, and no little on
the higher plane of the lecture plat
form. | will try to give three or four
incidents, in the hope that they may
arouse the readers of the paper. though
the keenness of the ludicrous in the
situations has been blunted by the
lapse of time.
The older inhabitants of Fayettc-
vile knew we'll and esteemed highly
Mr. Blank-long since at rest with a
Soodly company of. revered city
fathers"--a tall. straight, slender built
old man, always dressed in black
broadcloth. with n silk hat, cautious
and prudent in his business affairs, as
honest as the day. very courteous. of
retiring disposition and kindly heart
| In speech he was precise and DELHI
| crate. and had a curious habit of
| smaclling his lips AFTER every three or
| four words of a long sentence. its close
| being uttered with q sudden velocity
| that sent the words out, almost fall
ing over one another in the race.
| One evening about sunset. toward the
! close of the war, Il young farmer from
| the eastern side of Cape Fear river
| Numbered over the old Clarendon
| bridge. dashed up Person street. and
| halted his foam flecked. mud-bespat-
tered horse on Market square, where
he was quickly surrounded by a crowd,
| always eager in those days for news.
| The rider told the story that Federal
| troops, advancing from New Bern and
Wilmington, were to raid Fayetteville
| by Warsaw for the purpose of destroy
| ing the Confederate arsenal at this
| point. The excitement was intense,
and the late Major II. NJ. Powell. then
| acting as mayor, called Il citizens
meeting Immediately after supper to
| devise ways and means of meeting the
| threatened danger.
The town hall was packed with peo-
| pie at the hour appointed. and among
| them was AIR. Blank in an inconspicu-
| GUS corner. Shy and silent as usual.
Many were the fervent speeches
| breathing defiance and undying hero
| ism, but no orator suggested a drastic
remedy against approaching Yankee
bayonets. until Mr.. Blank rose slowly
| to his feet. Mr. Chairman." he began
| in his measured tones. So rarely did
he obtrude himself on the public notice
thai; his coming to the front on an oc
| caSion so momentous attracted to him
| the eye and the attention of every man
| in the hall. Mr.. Chairman" he con-
| tinued, II move you. sir, (smack of the
| lips), that handblls be struck off
| (smack) and posted on all the high
ways and bywayS leading into Fayette-
vile (smack), saying to the Yankees
that IL they come here, they come at
the peril of their lives!"
The applause With which this was
| greeted was an uproarious laughter.
surging throughout the meeting, which
broke up in high good humor and went
| to bed. Not long afterwards one Sher-
| man, with mighty following, came
along; and not seeing any handbiils on
the highways and byways to give him
warning. marched in and took the
| town.
Not long after the lamented Vance
redeemed the State by the memorable
Gubernatorial contest of 1876. the peo-
pie of Fayetteville began to feel that
they were in the house of their ia
| TIERS" and it was resolved TO have an
| od-time white mems Fourth of July
| celebration. The orator chosen for the
occasion was young lawyer just be-
ginning practice. who has since
| achieved great success in his profess
sion, as we'll as prominence in public
| life. Unfortunately for him. the one
selected to Introduce him was an inti-
! mate friend, but us dearly loving a
| practical joke as Ned Brace in "Geor-
ga Scenes" TO this friend the young
| lawyer read and spoke his speech day
after day and night after night, until
| one knew ii about as we'll as the other.
On the eventful day. to the blarc Of
trumpet and the roll of drum, the pro-
cession marched to an improvised
| open-air stand. 81 great crowd settled
about ii and at the proper time the in
| PRODUCER advanced to the front to pres
ent the orator-first giving a running
| sketch of the significance of the ma
| tional day, in which he took in every
| one of the speakers strong points, and
| quoted every blessed line of the impas-
| stoned poetry with which he closed his
| glowing periods. The reader is left 10
| imagine the horrors of the situation.
| have heard the discounted orator say
| since that as he sat there. "betrayed
| in the house of his friends" feeling
every prop slipping from under him.
he felt as did the young orator at the
dedication of public building iii q
| rapidly grown, hustling Western town
Fellow citizens" he began, nifty
| years ago the place where we now
stand was bowling Wilderness" ana
| then ali his speech flew away and pitt
lcssly left him in the lurch. Again and
| again did ne make the interesting
statement that the place where they
| then stoodwas a bowling wilderness:
! and finally, with staring eyes and Grim
son cheeks. he yelled: And l wish to
the Lord it was bowling wilderness
now!" and sat down.
!
Another Fayetteville lawyer, who has
| worthily Worn the ermine of the bench
and has been a power in the forum and
/ = a ON
| himself disaster, which only the sand
| in his gizzard enabled him 10 avert