Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-08-16
ANECDOTES Of PETTUS
How the Alabama Statesman
Became a Senator.
LOVER OF POKER ALL HIS LIFE
Playful Rebuke For Young Player Who
eluffed Him Out-His Standard Of
Honor-tew He and His Law Part
ner Kept Out Of the Poorhouse.

atOr Edmund Winston Pettus of Ala.
bama.
Senator Pettus was credited with
having the best acquaintance with the
Bible of any member OF the senate. and
1t was quite usual for him 10 fire Scrip
tural quotations AT opponents in the
course OF debate In 1913 during the
gold fever. Mr. PetuS Travelled from
Selma. Ark. his native town. 10 Cali.
fOruia on horseback. and during that
long riie his chief pastiIne was reading
his Bible In this way lie was almost
able to learn the contents OF the good
book bv heart.
The story of how this veteran south
eruer OF the old school came 10 be a
United States senator is worth retell-
ing. says the Boston Globe.
James S. Pugh was senator from
Alabama and had been elected largely
through the efforts of Pettus. who was
practicing law in Selma. as he had
been for the last fifty years, except
during the time he served as an Off
4 vacancy occurred in one of the fed
eral jadgeships of the state. and Mr..
Pettus decided that he would ike TO
round out his legal career by serving
on the United States bench. He packed
up his satchel aud made a trip TO
Washington for the purpose OF enlist
Ing Pugh's support for the appoint
ment..
The train on which Mr. Pettus trav-
eled arrived in Washington about )
o'clock in the morning. 1t was too late
10 go to bed and too early TO do any
thing else hut go and see Pugh. SO
the Alabama lawyer clambered into
cab and drove to the senator's house.
He rang the bell loudly. cOlored
woman answered after a lapse Of time
long enough 10 Indicate that the serv-
ant had been called from her bed.
Sticking her head through the door,
she asked what was wanted.
Il want to see Pugh," answered Pet.
tuS.
He's In bed"
That's all right I'll 60 to his
room
And he went
Hey. there. Pugh, wake up" said
Pettus when he had discovered the
slumbering statesman
Pugh awoke. for Pettus' voice was
in proportion 10 his frame.
There's a vacant judgeship down in
our state. and want IL" said Pettus
while Pugh was rubbing his eyes.
"Pettus. you are too old" said Pugh
as he rolled over in bed.
"Pugh. you are a fool" retorted Pet
tus, ''and If am too old 10 he Judge
! am not too old to be a senator"
He strode out Of the room, frothing
with anger, The cab went straight
back TO the railroad station, where
Pettus took the first train home. He
had not been back in Selma five min
utes before every one in the village
knew that he was candidate for
United States senator He stumped
the entire state. going into the far
thermost counties to press his claim
for recognition, His campaign cry
was Too old to be a judge, but not
too old to he senator" He won an
overw helming victory.
Senator Pettus was a lover Of the
game of poker all his life and had the
true southern skill says the New York
World. He had the saving grace of
humor also. 1t is told of him that
one night year or so ago he was
sitting in game OF poker at his
home with some of his friends around
the table. One of them was young
and rather eXuberant person. The
game was for small stakes, but lively.
Once Senator Pettus and the young
man We're in pot together. There
were good many raises. Finally the
venerable senator laid down his hand
The young man laughed and placed
his cards on the table. face up. He
had nothing. The senator had been
bluffed out. Looking at the ceiling.
he said:
The most alarming and discOurag-
ing sign Of the total degeneracy of the
times is the lack of respect the young
er generation shows for the older"
The punctilious standard of respon-
sibility set up for himself by Senator
Pettus was illustrated a few years ago.
A dapper young man called upon him.
the grandson of an old southern friend
long dead, says the Kansas City Jour
nal. The caller talked Mr. Pettus out
of $50, promising TO return 1t in a few
days, but the senator learned that the
young man had Immediately deserted
his wife and gone to parts unknown.
The fine old gentleman lost no time in
hunting up the deserted wife, gave her
enough money to meet her pressing ne
cessties and also paid her way back to
her girlhood home in Alabama. III
hadn't loaned the young scamp mon
ey," said Senator Pettus when asked
about the incident, "he would not have
been able to get out of Washington and
desert his poor little wife. | therefore
hold myself responsible for her unhap-
by plight. and of course there was moth
ing for me to do but send her back to
her people"
Senator Pettus, who had served as an
officer In the Confederate army, re-
turned to his home in Selma, Ala, at
the close of the war and With charac-
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