Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-18

its resources and commercial respec-
liability. Those of my hearers who
were boys with me in the village will
readily recall the famous character OF
"Lige' who was, while addicted to ex-
cessIve drink, yet a noble hearted and
generous mana man of keen wit and
much mentality, and when in mis- cups,
which was as frequent as an oppor-
tuntty would suggest itself. he was
the innocent cause of much fun with
all US boys. We never could get the
better of him. His sharp and quick
wit and his pointed and incisive re-
partee, was always dangerous. He
never would become angry at US, and
was ever ready to take a joke.
Not Ignorant of Scriptures.
81 well remember a certain Baptist
preacher who had tilt with Lige over
the burial of Elisha. He inquired of
Lige why they buried Elisha and asked
why they did not cremate him, and
if there was any encouragement in
the bible for cremation No encour-
agement whatsoever replied Ligc.
they tried that on Shadrach, Mishack
and Abed-nigo, and it didn't work
"One day this same minister pass
ing by where Lige was working with
his hat off and the sun pouring down
upon his unprotected head. says the
preacher: don't you know the sun will
injure your brain if you expose it like
that% Lige stopped, wiped the sweat
off his forehead and looking at the
clergyman said: Yes l do, but l am do
ing this all day hoping l may get my
brain into a condition to become Il
preacher
MANY Of you will recall and remem-
Der Rev. COnger, who in the early days
used to lead the faithful from Edg-
ingtOn down to the river on Sundays
for baptism of converts One day he
met Lige with his dog of which Ligc
was very fond, and Lige was in his
normal condition and Conger was tell
ing him of an old and dissipated sin
ner from EdgingtOn whom he had
converted and baptized. Lige cooked
up his eye and said, See here Mr.. Con
ger-your reverenCe-We are ready. l
and my dog, baptize US both. no d-n
Edgington gaIOOt shall get the better
of Andalusia for piety.'
"Lige was very fond of pets, and one
time when two of US boys had been
skating and had fallen into the river
we went up to Lige's cabin to dry our
clothes. We found Lige lying on the
floor in happy and normal condition
anu he JOlu US II1S STORY ne says -
while ago as | turned over to take a
drink l spilled some whisky on the
floor, and as l lay there a little pet
mouse I have ran out of his hole and
being thirsty took a nip. 1t tasted
strange and it went back to its hole,
and pretty soon it came back and took
another nip, and then ran back to its
hole. In a few minutes it came out
again and took a big drink, then it
jumped up on the wood box and stood
on its hind legs, bristIed up its front
paws and exclaimed Now bring out
that d-n cat
Speaking of Rev. Conger, the
Baptist minister who created such a
religious revival out at Zion in the
early days, l remember an occasion
when a number of US boys had been
playing marbles in the streets, and we
were all sitting around the hole and in
the center of the ring we had a dog.
and behind us was standing a certain
little girl in her bare feet, who by the
way is now a grandmother, when
along came Rev. COnger and asked:
What are you boys doing with the
dogs? One of the boys answered
Whoever tells the biggest lie gets it
Says Conger: I am surprised at you
little boys, for when / was like you I
never told a lie There was silence
for a minute, when Sadly shouted
Hand him the dog
"Andalusia, today, is like tho col
ored sexton. A col@ed sexton of
wealthy church had a very stylish mu
Iato wife. Finding his domestic in
come not quite equal to his expenses,
he determined to apply for an increase
of salary. So he wrote a letter to the
committee in charge with an expla-
nation at the close It's mighty hard
to keep a sealskin wife on a muskrat
salary
Pays Tribute TO the Departed.
while, my hearers. Andalusia, like
Israel, left a numerous and to my
thinking, a much more pure and good
progeny. many of them are gathered
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