The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-29

Washington, Nov. B.-(Special.) )-One day during the fiIst session of the Forty ninth Congress, in the spring of 1884, the sSrrsspOndents in the press gallery s,, were trees flaming red hair and equally red mustaches and face flash through the main door into the hall Of the House. It was not mere incident. it was an event | of greatest importance as the newspaper men intuitively felt while they held their breath. Arriving at his seat by leaps | and bounds. and the devils hurry alto gether. the luminous human beacon from Galveston harbor shouted: MT. Speaker"'-stentorious The gentleman from Texas calmly.
 T rise to question of the highest and most urgent personal privilege" still more calmly.
 T have just been threatened with bod fly assault and hurt within the precincts of this House." shouted the Texan breath !essly. and I demand the protection of the House.
 The sergeant-at-Arms will protect the gentleman from Texas from bodily as- sault and hurt-the House will be in or Ger" said Speaker Carlisle still more ctlmly and drily than before; whereat the House roared. and the newspaper men made rush for the main corridor on the | House floor. whence Colonel Ochitree had flashed with his startling announcement. There we found a Galveston man with painted black mustaches and white face swearing in considerable excitement that he never dreamed of assaultIng Colonel ochiitree It transpired that the man was one of a delegation from Galveston who were anxious to get through Con gress a bill which Colonel Ochiitree did not favor, and 1t seemed that the man had used threatening language. But the thing was not pursued and nearly ev- u ee's pranks: but 1t wasn't.
 one morning shortly afterward. Colonel Ochiltree walked over to Joe Blackburns seat. and, in answer to the Kentuckians indeed.
 Whats the matter. Tom?" asked Blackburn
 T lost twelve hundred and forty dol lars at poker last night
 That's bad. Tom"
 Its the devil and all" assented Ochil- tree for two dollars and forty cents of that money was cash, man."
 Ochiltree's father was one of the most learned lawyers and eminent men in the early history of Texas, having been the friend and associate of Sam Houston and Miribeau Lamar and Secretary of State up his father took him into law partner ship. Everybody doubtless remembers the shingle which Tom painted and hung out on the first day of his membership An the firm:
 Thomas Porterhouse ochiltree and Father. Lawyers"
 That proved to be the keynote to his subsequent career.
 Tom Ochiltree. in his one congressional term. was proud in boosting that he was the first native Texan elected to Con- gress. He Is said 10 have been 63, when he died at Hot Springs, on Tuesday last, but in fact he never disclosed the pre- else date of his birth, always answering friendly inquiries with the statement that he was born few years ago" He had powerful friends. in both America and Europe: but no friend was with him when death came
 He was the ideal bon vivant, though long falsely accredited with excessive drinking; he was a temperate man, ex- cept in his over -fondness for good din- ners. a form of intemperance which is more general and alleged to be more widely hurtful than over-indulgence in strenR drink.
 It was personal devotion to General Grant that made Tom Ochiltree a Repub- lican in politics. The Texan, who was a faithful Confederate soldier, found him. self sick and poor in Washington, when Grant was President. Grant had him conveyed to the White House and there nursed back to health. after which the President appointed him a United States Marshal in Texas.
 Ochiltree was warmly attached to Col onel Herbert, General Shelley. General Forney and Colonel Tom Williams, who were of the Ala abama delegation in the Congress of which he was a member. AFTER AUDREY"
 Tho dramatic critics are displaying lit-