Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-07
LONG TIME BETWEEN DRINKS
Modern Version of the Celebrated
ReprOach of the Governor of
south Carolina


handed the stirrup cup to Mr. watterson,
In New York, on the eve of his going
away to SPAIN some good stories were
told In the hooks of the dining room be-
fore and after the regular program. This
one was listened to with much interest:
You kentuckians." said a guest from
Georgia have heard all your lives about
that remark which the governor of North
Carolina received from the governor of
South Carolina. The story has been passed
down from one generation to another, each
generation believing in the tradition
little more than the previous one.
We'll fellow colonies, I was down in
the Palmetto state a few weeks ago. and
while I was enjoying the hospitality of a
kinsman of Wade Hampton he assured
me one evening while we were indulging
In the conviviality characteristic of a south
ern home, that the story was fact. I am
going to tell you what he said as we'll as
I can recall 1t, trusting to your charity to
make due allowance for lapses which events
Of this sort entail
"A governor of South Carolina was the
guest OF a governor of North Carolina
The latter. in honor Of his guest had pre-
pared Tarheel dinner That is to say,
bacon and yam were the great tempta-
lions.
after the feast the Tarheel executive
invited the Palmetto guest to have a pipe
on the veranda of the mansion. Between
the two big chairs a capacious demijohn
was placed. 1t was filed with corn cop
per-distilled whisky from a North Carolina
retort.
"As often as the pipes were refilled the
demijohn was tilted and the liquid CUR
gled into a gourd. This the North Caro-
lima governor handed to the executive from
| South Carolina, who drank off to the half
way mark and handed the gourd to his
host, who finished IT,
81 was even told the main topic of con-
versation between the governors. 1t was
! the turpentine Of one state and the rice of
the other state.
''The governor of South Carolina said
my host, was a large man and full Of pores
Such man can drink thin man to a
finish any day. The liquor exudes as fast
as It is swallowed.
80 the South Carolina executive was in
a fresh condition most of the time The
Tarheel executive knew his weakness and
began to mig on his gourd early and in
doing so he ladled out about three drinks
to the Palmetto man to one for himself
But gentlemen-I mean colonels-the
! ANOi III NaAohid BONcIIlOT III spite OF MS
caution and in spite of his computation as
to the capacity Of his guest was the first
to be overcome. His pipe fell from his
lips. He careened in his great chair and
fell asleep.
| 1.-THE governor of South Carolina was
too polite a man to notice the somnolent
condition of his host Continuing his ar
gument on the staple product of his state
| he held his gourd near the mouth of the
demijohn, which had run dry, and finally
noticing that the gourd was not as moist
as 1t should be the governor of South
Carolina cut out his remarks on staple
products and asked abruptly:
Governor. don't you think it's damned
long time between drinksT
THE governor, Of North Carolina slep
on. His faithful body servant, hearinl
the inquiry OF his, excellency from South
Carolina and not wanting to be chagrineC
by the failure of his master to extend hi.
great hospitality, slipped of the edge of tn,
veranda and took to the woods.
THE governor OF South Carolina, motto
ing the continued absence of languag,
from his host and also noticing the de
camping of the servant likewise having
tapped the demijohn and finding 1t like ;
last years birds nest, slowly arose, lait
aside the gourd, ambled to the stile block
mounted his charger and rode away.
is said that his horse never hesitated un
til he bore his master across the stat
line.
'Then the governor OF South Carolin
looked back and shook his gauntlet in tn
direction whence he had come. When tn
governor of North Carolina came out o
his comatose condition and realized hi
humiliation, he broke the demijohn an
smashed the gourd
You have heard of the young Englis
prince who was lost at sea and how tn
king when he heard of 1t never smile
again7 My host in South Carolina assure
me that the poem originally referred t
the governor of North Carolina, the poer
. as first written beginning:
1.-THE jug that held the rye run dry,
The gourd was scorched within,
The Tavheel gov'ner woke too late;
The Tarheel gov'ner woke too late;