Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-01-09

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dropped in on him and was putting the
| finishing dabs TO his necl1tie. Then he
buttoned up his vest and turned to me.
| Say, do / look all rightT he asked.
| ".Well, I've seen worse 1 told him.
| But, say, don't you think it would be
the au fait kink for you TO don pair
of-er--trousers?
yep, he'd forgotten 'em, and he
| little oversight.
, by George he gasked when he had
got fixed out all right, I'm glad that
you happened to come in, old man!"
Scientific Coon Hunter.
Mr.. Williams home is at Yazoo. Miss.
Democratic candidates there are chosen
by the primary system. When the fu-
ture leader was first running for con-
gress his opponent was a famous coon
hunter, a sport at which John Sharp
was not an expert. One county was
practically lost to him for this reason,
so he saw that something had to be
done. Going into this county, the first
thing that met him was an invitation
to hunt coons. He accepted with
alacrity, but explained that he was a
scientific coon hunter. Taking along q
bunch of Roman candles, he fired these
among the branches of the first tree in
which coon had taken refuge and
literally scared the animal off the
perch. Repeating this process each
time the dogs freed the game, the hunt
was record breaker and Williams
got almost the unanimous vote of the
county.
John Sharp once ran afoul of Tom
Reed. This is the way be tells the story
himself:
lone day." said Mr.. Williams. Il met
Mr.. Reed coming out of the cloakroom,
and he said to me in that peculiar
drawl of his, Williams, whatever
makes you such a bitter partisan?
well. Mr.. Speaker, that's pretty
good coming from you, isn't it? / re-
piled:
Never mind me- he replied. But
why are you such bitter partisan?'
"'Well, I'll tell you,' 1 said. You
know L never saw Republican until 1
was thirty-eight years old. and 1 can't
get used to them somehow
He looked at me reproachfully and
walked away without another word"
At one time Speaker Cannon wanted
the Democratic leader to place a man
from Mississippi on the river and har-
Dor committee.
Heavens, nor' protested Williams.
al own a lot of land, 1000 acres, be-
hind one of those Mississippi levees,
oil 4
in there because / want something done
to my advantage by that committee"
"Pshaw, John Sharp said Uncle
Joe. You ought to be willing to take
chance with public opinion if 1 do. ]
own 5000 acres of land behind Mis-
sissippi levee myself"
In the early part of 1904 there was
quite little talk of Williams for the
presidency, talk that he did not take
seriously and out of which he had not
little dry fun. One day young report
er questioned him concerning the mat
ter. and John Sharp, with exceeding
gravity, said he had quite some hopes
of getting the nomination. Reports
from Mississippi were especially en-
uraging.
''ToOmsuba, Ofanoma, Noxopater.
Nanachehaw. Toccopola, Tabbville and
Grubbs Springs, 1 am told" he said.
ARE already for me, while 1 have ev-
cry reason to believe that 1 shall have
the undivided support of such places
at Nittayuma, Wahalak, Bolatusha,
Ittabena, Pelahatchie,
Mittayuma, Skutch. Cinqupin, Paw
Octoc, Leggo, Yellow Rabbit,
a fhrrrll 70 IIor
lente and Whynot."
Upon being asked to spell the names
he did so with great deliberation.
On u later occasion, when the news
paper men asked him concerning his
he said that Mrs. Williams
had objected that with her sick head |
aches she never could stand the White |
House, so he would have to give up |
the presidency.
Mr.. Williams was temporary chair
man of the national convention OF 1904 |
The one disappointing thing about his |
speech on that occasion was that his |
voice was not sufficient to fill the great |
hall. Lung power is not oratory, but |
it is Il good asset in attempting to ad- |
dress 10000 people.
A Satirical EuIOgy.
One of the minority leaders most ia
nous speeches in the house was deliv- |
cred during the Sampson-Schley con-
troversy. 1t was Il satirical euloGy of |
Crowninshield, 1.-The bravest |
tar that never went to sea" In it he !
recited a piece of homemade verse on
that sent the audience
Off into spasms.
Almost as famous was his recent i
of kid congressmen,t
a designation that he fastened on to