The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-02-28
16y [LL@G177[E[R YV[ED6yo
,snecial 10 News and observer.)

Especial to News and ODsefVerD
Washington, Feb. 27.-It is not often
that Representative Henry, of Connecti-
cut. pushes himself down in one of the
easy chairs in the cloak-room and spins
yarn, but when he does it is safe to
Iuy pools that it is a good one. One
dav recently he said in his quiet way:
"Back in the old days of Connecticut
there was a distinguished divine who
every Sabbath expounded the Gospel al
q country church. He was not an edu
Gated man. and usually called upon some
friend to read the text, usually explain
ing that it made no difference from what
chapter or what verse the Gospel was
read he could expound it. One Sunds y
the parsons assistant read from the
twenty-second chapter of Genesis. which
contains the words: These eight did
Micah bear to Major, Abrahams broth
err
=" Now, my brethren and sisters, be-
gan the parson, as the Good Book was
closed and he stepped behind the high
up pulpit. we will consider these blessed
words, these spired words which should
teach us that we are In better fix than
the Christians of the old days-the days
when that blessed old book was written
on pages of stone. We have cows, horses,
ecats. sheep and all kinds of animals
and chickens, ducks and turkeys and SO
on, an our hearts ought to be overflow
cd with gladness and thankfulness. We
have our women folks an cows for them
to milk, an all our wants are supplied.
Back in the days of old Abraham the
case was different, for as you have hearn
from the reading of the Scriptures it
took eight to milk bear. Yes, stree, it
took eight to milk bear and the chances
are that that one old she bear didn't
give as much milk as common goat. ,"
Representative Wiley. of Alabama. has
in his district the. celebrated county OF
pike, made famous by one of Its iu-
habitants originating the expression,
.'just sloshin about.
1t seems that at certain ''court time"
in days a-gone there was trial OF sew
eral citizens for participating in gen.
eral row, fist and skull knock down and
drag out, the kind of set-tos which were
often INDUCED in in the days before the
war One of the witnesses kept repeat
ing in his evidence that Jenkins Just
kept sloshin' about" The counsel for
the defense asked the witness:
Come, witness; tell what Mr.. jenkins
had to do with this row."
Jenkins? Why, / told you several
times that the rest of 'em clinched and
paired off. but jenkins, he Just kept
sloshin' around
Yes. but what did he do: Just kept
sloshin' around is not legal evidence,
sir "
''well, John Brewer and Jim skyes. they
clinched and fit--that's legle, amt it?"
Eyes; go on
elem Green and Dan Vaughn. they
clinched and went at it-that's ieglc, too,
amt it?"
Certainly; but go on t
ABE Elliott hammered Joe Davis and
bit him on the ear-that's legle, amt
it?''
"Guess 1t is. What nexte"
ED Skinner and Bill Graves fout like
t;gors-that's legle, amt it?''
go on, sir"
And of all the bitin', gougin', and
scratchin' yer ever seed Will Ph!pps and
Big Bill Owings done it-that's legle
ART it,"
"Thunderation, yes; but what did
jenkins do-what do you mean when you
say he was Just sloshin' around'?"
Jenkins? Yes, well, he just walked
aroun', backward and forward through
the crowd, with a big stick in his hand
ard knockin' EN- right an left whenever
he found a man who wasn't fghtin'
That is what call Just sloshin' around,
All it hain't legie, either, by Cad, sab"
1--WE never miss a good man until he
is with us no MORE" says New York
Representative. Il remember having fire
Quontly heard my father tell about the
death of an cid negro in New York. At
ter slavery had been abolished in my
State many of the slaves remained in
the families of their former owners as
servants. Frequently they were as much
of a burden as help, but there was
that attachment which forbade letting
them go. A family named Elmendorf
had q young negro named Pete. full of
devilment, never useful, always trouble
some, and thorn IN the flesh of the
eitire family. He had been petted and
spoiled and believed that he was as good
or better than the white folks
But Pete died, and all the colored
folks took part in the funeral services,
and good old man Elmendorf and his
family stood around the grave as the
body was lowered Tears were in the
eyes of the white folks, and the old
negro minister took occasion to say:
DE white folks am chen droppin'
tear ober. de grave of poor Pete. When
dis young niger was libbin he wuz good
fer nothin'--we all knows his failings,
but now dat he am dead, Mr.. Elmendorf
lab lost er powerful fine niger"
Representative 1ittlefeld, of Maine,
tells this good one:
"A really good minister generally has
a ready answer for he would cast a slur
on the Bible or on religion. It seems
that the good Lord has furnished them
with the ammunition which is always
ready to be fired into the scoffer and
sinner.
In my State good minister had an
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