The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-22
Another Mighty Fallen.

Among the fallen in the last battle
of ballots in Mississippi is "Bill'
StegaIl, of Pontotoc, longtime repre-
sentative from that county, and one Of
the unique characters of the house of
Representatives.
Bill did not run counter to the pre-
vailing sentiment, which was for Var
daman right considerably, as it gave
him a majority of 1,O45 over both his
opponents. Just what was the matter
with the voters and what was between
them and Bill has not been figured
out.
In "BHl" Stegal1's defeat the house
loses one of its picturesque charac-
ters, with as much originality as David
Harum, and homely humor such as
is seldom found.
Stegall has a voice like the celebrat-
ed bull of Bashan- When he began to
get fervid, the chandeliers ratified.
Wnen his eloquence and perspiration
both got up, so did those whose ear
drums were not strong.
He spoke largely in parallels, and
never made any attempt to disguise
his rural dialect. 1t has been charged
against Bill that he sometimes com
mltted mayhem on the English lam
guage on purpose to reassure the peo-
pie that he was from Pontotoc and un-
corrupted by city ways.
On one occasion he rose in the house
that was years ago when the seat
of government was in the old state
house, and it was BiIrs first term in
the house-and introduced a bill ito
prevent Heck Thompson and Bill
Woods from fishing in Simmons
Creek and made a speech on the sub
ject His opening sentence is a classic
about the capitol
''Mist-oo Cheerman!" remarked Bill
The gentleman from Pontotoc," re-
sponded the speaker.
Il jist want to say in relation to this
yer fishing bill, that 1 represent some
country folks-the reel country folks
them Whut rises in ther mornfn' an
bitches old Beck up 18th paw-paw bark
ter tn bull tongue plow, an then
spends tn rest of tn day a wrassIfn'
with tn soil, a tossin' the c1ods. pro
and con, from one furrer ter ernotherr
During the senatorial caucus Bill
was asked what he thought about an
other member of the legislature who
was hard to place in the fight
Wall" remarked Bill, as he bit Off
a dimes worth of plug at one mouth
full, that feller is Jist persizely like
an old feller what lives up In Pontotoc
county. This ole feller is one of those |
hyar albineys-these hyar white
haired, pink-eyed, foolish Iookfn' alb
bineys, an he's got two boys jist like |
Spot. I was to this feller's house one |
evening, and he called them boys and |
says ter 'em:
Boys. you go bring up ole Spot, |
hits about milxin' time. One Of you /
git on one side er tn crick an t'other /
on t'other, fer yer jist as liable ter find 4
ole Spot on one side as t'other an |
maybe both That's the way that fell /
Ter is
In making a speech in the house one /
lay he said of one Of the opposition to
a measure Didn't have sense enough |
TO set a duck on the side of hill. or
bell er buzzard." "
Discussing the charge that money
was used in the secret caucus Bill |
was heatedly arguing with one who did
not see it his way, and demanded /
proof.
Proof h-lt" said Bill Some
things yer don't have to prove. When
see the buzzards a swarmiu' and fly
in round round and hanging about
one place, don't have to go up thar
an stick my nose agin a dead COW to
know there's carrion up in tn forks of
III crfck-"
Bill VIII be greatly missed-and
Pontotoc could have done a good deal
worse than send him back--Jackson
dispatch to Memphis News-Scimiter.