CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1906-05-10
CO0NSKINS & POLITICS
BEATS "HUT" HUTTON

Hut Hatton was the coonskin buyer
away up ut Dawson's Cove on the ie:
Cumberland mountain. Hut decide. .
run for the legislature. All the mona
taineers were with him. He G.-Il', la .r
to promise anything in particular bas
he wanted to show his libcll.iry. AMI
he promised immunity from the sev,.-
nue. laws; he promised pensions fJr
sufferers with muinps and measles; iie
promised that the price of railroad ties
should go up ana that the price OF
whisky should go down.
Hut Hatton was elected by the lar
gest majority ever given a candidate in
his district, and in due time appeared
at Nashville. He saw men whom he
took to be legislators step into car
riages al the depot and ride away 10
hotels, but the memories of Dawson's
Cove We're still fresh in his mind when
he shouldered his carpetbaG AM head
ed up the middle of the street OF
course men smiled and women gi-glei.
and the hoodlums called direct atten-
ton TO the member from Coonskin
county. but Hut Hatton minded them
not He was thinking of plumps and
measles and pensions and was wonder
ing if he hadn't bitten OF more than
he could chew.
The member from Coonskin county.
as he was facetiously termed. found
trouble in catching on and did not
progress enough to even move an ad-
journment He could tell a prime"
coonskin three rods away. but there
was mystery about lawmaking that
puzzled him. He might have sat the
session out without once addressing
the speaker officially had not circum-
stances interfered He was still trying
TO find which way was up hill and
which way down when a delegation
from the Cove arrived. The railroad
had refused to raise the price of ties
to 15 cents each. aud the mountaineevs
We're weary of waiting for those pen
sions and front door bells. Bears had
become less plentiful. and 1t was gen
orally agreed that such scarcity
OF coons and possums had not been
known for twenty five years
Things were out OF joint up on the
Cumberland. and as they had heard
nothing from Hut they ventured the
journey TO remind him of his promises
and get hustle on him. He was easily
found, and his knees wabbled when he
faced the delegation. However, ever
three months of political life had given
him a reserve force. He put the best
face on the matter he could. and when
pushed to the limit he took a desperate
resolve. Somewhere he had seen a
sign reading IF You Don't See What
You Want Ask For 1t" He wanted
something-several things-and he de
termined to ask for them. A wabbly
feeling came over him as he thought
OF rising in his place and asking for
the things he had promised his constit-
uents. but he could see no other WAY
out of it. 4 man must have been n
politician for several years before he
can wriggle out of all sorts OF holes.
including broken promises.
An hour came when the member
from Coonskin county arose and was
recognized by the speaker. The house
had caught on and was as quiet as
death BY supreme effort of will
power Hut got rid of his ''skeertness"
and summoned up his gab. and in his
quaint way and queer vernacular he
told his wants He asked for every
thing he had promised, and his mumps
and measles pension bill stood ont 50
clearly that his fellow members felt
their Jaws ache as they looked into
each others face for signs of break
ing out" 1t was the effort of Hut'S
life. II was to stand out as the speech
OF the session. He hadn't the slightest