The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-06
IN A BLACK DISTRICT.
The Natives Lived i'm World of
Their Own and Were Satisfied.
Washington Post

washington PoSt.
ut is not always necessary to go abroad
to find things with which to stump zap
community" said a third, an old-time tele-
graph operator. when the Republican
convention that nominated Harrison for
President met in Minneapolis, the people of
a certain small town, located in the noun
famous region of the South Ca section of
country that remained loyal to the Union
during the war, and to the Republican par
ty and the Pension Bureau ever snce),
dubbed together, and arranged to have
Geographic service during the progress of
the convention, and while the nominations
were being made L was sent down from
Cincinnati to receive the messages as they
arrived, and read TO the gaping, expectant
crowd.
"Apropos of the matter let me explain
that the people of this particular hamlet.
we'll as those for miles around, were
dead stuck, If l may be permitted the use
congressman who represented the district
in which all this took place, and actually
entertained strong hopes of his receiving
the nomination for President. Here in
Washington Mr.. Congressman stood about
so high, but in the eyes of his constituents
he was a veritable COLOSSUS of Rhodes.
Well on the day Harrison was nominated
great crowd gathered about the railway
depot in which the instruments We're To-
Gated; many of them had travelled thirty
miles. The rural contingent filled up on
wildcat whisky, and whenever / received
message and read it off 10 the crowd these
wild and woOlly hill billys would set spurs
to their horses and go circling and career
ing around the depot, yelling like CO.
manches. firing pistols and hurrahing for
their favorite congressman and candidate
for the presidency. In fact. it was about
the best wild West show | ever witnessed.
l was not aware of il when | began work,
but it was not long afterward that began
TO realize that all hands were on the qui
vive. momentariy expecting a message an
nouncing the nomination of Congressman
O., and as the day wore on and not line
came in regard to this distinguished person
age they grew restless, peevish. and quar-
relsome, so that by noon nearly every bull
letin that / read to them was greeted with
remarks and EXPLANATIONS, such as HI,
we don't care nuthin' bout him. give US
sump'in' about @. What's he doin? or
yourn. mister; KANT you fin yout what
Q's a-doin? Finally to humor the crowd a
little | faxed a few messages to the effect
that q. had said or done some inconsequen-
tial thing, whereupon there was an explo-
sion of delight and shouts of Now they're
a-comin right. Hooray fer HI 'en dang
nashun,' ETC. At last the convention in
Minneapolis got down to business and mes
sages which, for time, came thick and
fast terminated finally by the arrival of
one announcing h the fact that BENJAMIN min Har
read look of blank dismay mingled with
disgust and surprise came over the faces of
the crowd and for a full two minutes you
could have heard pin drop Then some
one in the crowd ventured the following:
Who'd you say got the nomination,
mister?
BENJAMIN Harrison Of
"'Well, whom the HI is Harrison?' I
started TO explain, but my words were
drowned in babel of Indignation, and |
expect, or what was likely 10 happen. Then,
while | was wondering what they would do
next a tall. bewhiskered mountaineer
stepped forward and said:
"Lookee here, mister, thurs sumpthing
mighty dad-blamed funny 'byout this here
bizness; dye reckon that insterment o.
yourn haint made no mistake?
II assured him that the instrument was
in good working order, and that no mis-
take had been made in the transmission of
the news.
ter he replied, but sposin you tellygraft
back and make shore 'byout hit
Following his suggestion. 1 wired back
for confirmation, which was Immediately
forthcoming, and which 1 read to the as
Harrison! Well, don't it jest beat HI
What in dangnation ID they want ter NOM
ornate him fer? VIII yin HI didn't they
nomerHate O. a Teller everybody knows?'
and the crowd broke up, returning to their
homes, disguised and disappointed. Few
of them had ever heard of Harrison, and
even those few regarded him as person Of
no earthly consequence by the side of Hon.
c. NJ c. While the crowd was breaking
UP heard one valetudinarian mountaineer
well. hit amt so surprisin' after ALL
Hit looks zif a shore enuff greet man
couldn't git the no1nernatlon, no matter
how much the people wanted him to have
It, @. is jest In the same FIX ez Henry Clay
wuz when / wuz a boy. Everybody wuz
dead sot on him bein' President when here
KUN erlong a Teller named Polk that no.
body knowed, and got hit away FUN i'm
Jest the same identical way with @. Here
everybody in the United States hez been
a wantin him to be President, and now
here kums erlong Teller no one ever heern
tell of before an gifts hit away from him
by some dad blamed rascality. l don't
know what this country is kumin' to no.
how"