The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-30
Good Old Days in Congress.
How Buck Kgore Kicked in the Door to Attend and Red
Headed Jim Belford Played the Races.

greeted the representatives ears as
they gloomily made their way to the
waiting automobiles.
One of the representatives arrested in
his hotel room came perilously close to
committing a break when he was sum-
moned.
This representative, very much I'M
dressed, was stretched out on the
couch in his room taking a nap, when
the assistant sergeant-at-arms raped
on his door,
When informed that he was under ar
rest and required instantly at the bar
of the house the disturbed representa-
tive fulned and stormed around, but he
knew that the summons was not to be
denied and he started to dress, while
the assistant sergeant-at-arms waited
for him in the hall outside.
There is every reason to suppose that
the representative was greatly preoc-
cupied with his wrath while he was
dressing in his cool, darkened room,
for when he finally yanked open the
door and announced to the assistant
sergeant at-arms that he was ready,
his captor's face expressed the most
acute establishment.
Come on said the representative
starting TO stride down the hotel hall
and not noticing his captor's expression
Oh cOuntendnce. Got wagon walt
ing?"
Come back! Come backr' gasped
the assistant Sergeant-dt-aTnS.
What's that?" said the representa-
tive, turning around.
Er-dOnt you think, sir, that you d
make better appearance on the floor
of the house if-er-you had 'em on?''
The representative took look at
himself in the streaming light of the
hall. and then he made two bounds OF
it to regain his room.
In his haste and in the dimness of
his room the representative had neg
lected to don so important an item of
his apparel as his trousers.
Old-time employees of the capitol tell
an incident of what befell an arrest
ed member of the house who was one
of that body'S most famous characters
many years ago.
This ia nous character was Bedford
OF Colorado, the "Redheaded Rooster of
the Rockies. Bedford, a big-hearted
though decidedly iIliteIate man, was
perhaps the most openly and persistent
ly convivial individual who ever occu-
pied a seat in the house of representa-
tives. Almost unbelievable stories of
his prowess around the board are still
current among the fogies down here
and when the Redheaded Rooster of the
Rockies felt in a cOnViVial mood he re
earded the capitol as just as good
place to indulge his mood-as any other.
One day while the horses were racing
at the old and long gone Ivy City race
track near Washington there was big
business in the house, the opposition
demanding the presence of a quorum.
Bedford was known to be out at the Ivy
City track. for he had been full of a
good thing upon his arrival at the
house that forenoon. Speaker Car!:cle
sent an assistant sergeant-at-arm out
to the Ivy City track i'm a carriage to
nail Bedford.
The scout found Bedford swaying hap
PLY III box i'm the stand. 1t was just
before the fifth race, and Belford was
hilariOusly confident that his good thing
was going to come home alone. He
had $50 on the einch at 80 TO 1, and
was prepared to make the root of his
life when the horses struck the stretch
The scout told Bedford that he'd have
to get into the carriage right away. Bel
ford, however, was stubborn. He was
going to see that good thing of his win.
house or no house. The assistant ser
geant-at-arms finally cajOled the Red
headed Rooster out of his box in the
stand, telling him that he could watch
the finish of the race from the lawn be-
carriage. Belford agreed to that, and as
the horses were already lining up, the
scout was willing to permit the Colo
RADIO member to wait and see the finish
of the race
Belford's horse shot out of the bunch
at the eighth pole and came home on
the bit TO the music of series of c!ar-
ion crowings from Bedford that no TO-
900 ROSTERS working in unison could
ever have equaled.
Bedford was willing to jump into the
carriage then, for he knew the book
maker with whom he had made the
winning s2,50O bet, and he told the
scout that he'd get the coin in town
that evening.
Bedford let out a huge triumphant
yeeow! and wcw-ee! every minute OF so
during the carriages rapid progress
into the city. and when he reached the
capitol he was flaming with victory and
things. After reporting at the bar of
the house he leaped into the house res
taUrant and yelled:
Wine, Baskets of it! Everybody
line up"
Those days were different from these
Everybody lined up. representatives.
employees and all. Belford kept them
lined up for hours, celebrating the tri-
wine was cleaned out and more had to
be hurriedly sent for. Belford's expen-
diture for the wine item ON the strength
of his win had just totted up a matter
of $3.50, when an employe of the house.
who had been out at the races, remain
ing till the finis Of the card, stroIled
in and informed the Rodheaded Roost-
er of the Rockies that his good thing
had been disqualified for interfering on
the back stretch and had been placed
last.
Most of those who were present on
that occasion are now old men, but they
say that for utter prolonged pictur-
esqueness, force, clutch, inventiveness
and sheer, shriveling originality, they
never expect to hear the observations
of Bedford, of Colorado, as made upon
that occasion duplicated.-Buffalo Elk
press.
DE PROrUNDtS.
i T. l.