Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1901-10-12
CHAMP C[AREal|R|B
Gathered In and About tie
Halls Of Congress-

Method Of Seating Members ofcthe
House-Aneedotes Of Judge cuiber-
son, the "sIeeping samson"-How
He Turned the Laugh on q aFeiIow
Member When Crisp Arrested
Reed-BiiPs Liquid Argument-Sai-
ary Came Regular.
copyright, 1901, by Champ ClarG3
Every once in awhile 1t is announced
that some newly elected congressman
has gone to Washington to select his
seat In advance II that's his purpose
In going, he might as well stay at
home. He doesn't select 1t, for the oil
sufficient reason that he can't For
better or for worse, he gets It by
species of lottery, In which a green
horn has the same chance as a veteran.
The seat drawn has some influence
on a members career. In this matter
was extremely lucky when / first
came to Washington a member of the
Fifty third congress, being the fifth to
select. picked the best on the Demo
cratic side, having no idea who would
sit near me.
David Browning CuIberson.
/ shall always consider 1t among the
greatest blessings of my life that Da-
vid Browning Culberson of Texas was
my closest neighbor on the left-"Old
Dave" as he was affectionately called
by Texas papers; Judge" as he was
generally addressed; Colonel" as a
few ex-soldiers named him; 'the Sleep
ing Samson" as some fanciful newspa-
per man dubbed him.
His wealth of dark brown curly hair,
the style of his beard and his frontal
development recalled to me the pic
lures OF Charles Dickens when the
great novelist was In his best estate,
only the Texan was cast in a larger
mold. He stood @ feet 2 inches and
weighed 240 pounds and was a splen-
did type of physical and intellectual
manhood In its rich and golden autumn.
Judge Culberson was a big bodied,
large headed and warm hearted man.
To us younger members he was
sort of congressional father. We went
to him when In doubt, especially on
any legal proposition, and he generous
ly gave us from his inexhaustible store
of wisdom and law learning. He didn't
make as much noise and get into the
papers as often as Reed, Burrows,
Crisp and many others, but when he
did speak 1t was an event in the
house. His colleagues always heard
him gladly. He was willing to unself-
ishly furnish ammunition for 'the
boys" and delighted to see them win
ming honors and golden opinions.
There was a massiveness about him
very suggestive Of reserve power, of
which he had more than any other man
in congress. had for years heard much
of his prodigious ability, but after sit
ting by his side for three months and
seeing him take absolutely no part in
the fierce parliamentary contests rag
ing around him 1 concluded that he
had been overrated.
One day, however, he spoke on the
Torrey bankruptcy bill, and when he
finished that measure was wounded
past all surgery. Others had crippled
1t, but Culberson gave it it's coup de
grace.
"You'd Drive the Crowd AwayI"
1t was a great speech, worthy Of his
towering reputation. 1 never In my
life saw such a complete transfigura-
ton and sublimation of the human
body by the activities of the human in
head taller and infinitely handsomer.
Were Judge Culberson alive today he
would probably not thank me for plac-
ing him In the category of humorists,
yet a humorist he was, and in that
great speech he unconsciously exer-
cised that great faculty.
Mr.. Boatner of Louisiana insisted
that Judge Culberson should yield to
him for a question, which he declined
to do. Boatner persisted, but Culber-
son waved him off, saying: "No, no!
You'd drive the crowd awayw The ef-
feet was electrical, and the house roar
ed. Judge Boatner himself joining in
the merriment.
Judge Culberson's tenderness for
others caused him to regret that happy
shot, and in his printed speech he so
modified 1t as to dull its point mate
rally.
When the Sherman law was repealed,
Judge Culberson summed up his dis
gust In the sententious and enigmatic-
al remark:
"a lot Of free niggers could have
done betterp an utterance luminous to
us who have passed our lives in the
slave states and can remember to Pc
riod back of the war. But all the
bright young Faber slashers exercised
their wits for weeks to discover why
he said "free niggers' and not simply
''niggers."
Jumbo and His Stake.
The day that Speaker Crisp peremp-