Evening journal., 1911-08-23
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Speech That Cured a
Great Orators Headache
BY Holland.

When Zachary Taylor was nominate
ed by the Wings for President in
1S4S one of the great orators of that
day, who today is famous in history
as one of Americas greatest orators,
was Rufus Choate, cousin of Joseph
II. Choate, formerly ambassador to
Great Britain. Rufus Choate had also
/ long enjoyed the distinction of being
one of the country's leading Wings,
and because of this fact and his great
oratorical powers he was besought 70
take part I'm the presidential cam
paign as a supporter of General Tay-
/ lor Though his law practice was
| then almost overwhelming him, Mr..
Choate promised to make a few
| speeches.
Among the places where he was as
signed to speak was one Of the i'm
portant suburban towns near Boston
-Brookline. But when, on the day
for the speech to be made there, the
committee called upon Mr. Choate at
his house in Boston to escort him to
the hall in Brookline the great law
yer was found to be suffering from
raging headache. The agony was 50
great that he could hardly speak; and
in the hope of getting some relief
from the pain he had saturated his
long curly hair with some sort OF
counter irritant, the odor Of which
was very palpable TO the members Of
the committee.
Notwithstanding this physical
agony, Mr.. Choate, saying nothing,
went from his house to the carriage
that was awaiting him, and the jour-
ney to the hall was begun. All tho
way there he pressed his hands to his
temples supporting his elbows upon
his knees; and he gave other signs
of such dfep distress that the com
mittee was afraid that he would be
unable to make his speech. In fact,
the members advised him not to at
tempt it, saying that they would pro-
cure a substitute speaker But to his
suggestion Mr.. Choate shook his head
most decidedly, and that without re-
moving his hands from his bursting
temples
With great misgivings the commit
tee escorted Mr.. Choate to the plat
form, and as he stepped upon it it
seemed TO them as though the great
law tIA " as VII Ailt NtiE6 VI NOlldUhts
The whole expression OF his face was
that Of man suffering almost UNI
bearable pain, and he was most un-
steady on his feet
At the moment OF his introduction
to the audience he stood leaning heav-
lily with one hand upon the speakers
table. In that position he remained
for the first minute or two Of his
speech, and his opening sentences
were delivered in a voice so faint
that even those nearest to him were
scarcely able to catch what he had
said. The committee, who knew Nj.
Choats's condition, were sure that he
would speedily be compelled to de-
sist, when, suddenly, he was observed
to stand erect, and the next moment.
to their intense establishment he had
gained his voice. and soon was In the
midst of one of the finest political
! orations which had ever been deliver
ed in Boston or its vicinity. And until
! he had spoken his last word he held
the great audience enchanted.
Then, while the applause was still
filling the hall, he turned to the COM
mittee, saying that he was ready Ia
go home. A member asked him if he
did not feel like taking little rest
before undertaking the trip
NO. was the reply. 81 am per-
fectly well. was not standing before
this grand audience two minutes be-
. fore every throb of agony in my head
vanished. knew that if I had the
? chance to speak my headache would
be cured"
| tell this story on the authority Of
the late George d. Robinson, who was
, a member Of Congress for a decade
, from the Springfield. Mass, district
and then, from 1884 20 1887, was Gov
! ernor Of Massachusetts,, defeating Der
: Butler in a whirlwind campaign.
: Copyright, 1911, by Il. ]. Edwards
All Right Reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwarde will faU n