Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1920-11-26

and the way he could make them eat
out of his hand half an hour after
being formally intr"d,ccd to them, was
q sight worth going miles 10 see. He
always had ilnncns" crowds AT his cX-
h!bitions. and il seemed that his future
was assured. I.ut one day he was
loafiny around u livery stable. just
because he liked tn" atmosphere Of
the place and an old. weary hack
horse reached out IL long. crooked limb.
handed him one with II, AMI broke his
leg.
"IIc had to 90 10 Il hospital for
while, and when he came out. his Oc-
cupation was gone. He was ~ good q
horse breaker as ever, hut people
wouldn't pay their hard-rari,d money
to Sre the exploits of II "onqucring
hero who had been unanhandl,d by an
old hack horse. Tnn must admit that
there was some s:ir,lonic Intelligence
back Of such II ioIi" as that. If the
man had been hooked by COW. or run
over by traction engine. or chcw"d
up by an honest watchdog. il wouldn't
have hurt his rcnnwn and prestige.
But. no. A blamed "ld relic Of ii horse
had to put him ont of business.
"a long time ago, II very important
case was tried in an Irish court. Th"
people were greatly wrought up over
II, and the courtroom was crowded.
When IL was announced that the Jury
was ready with II verdict. III" Judge
addressed the audience. snyin. he
knew there was much feeling over the
case. but the hall Of Justice was no
place for n display Of II. and if th"r"
was q least sign of disturbance when
the verdict was made known. the gull
ty parties would he arrested.
'"Thc jury brought in its verdict. and
the people heard il in silence. but just
then a whole doggOne gallery, with
about n thousand people in it. came
crashing down. and the noise could
have been heard forty miles out at sea.
After the Judges solemn warning
against disturbance. the fall Of that
gallery has always seemed to me like
q painful joke.
"A long time ago. ! was called upon
to address crowd Of voters on the
up a speech that would have been n
credit to any orator. swiped 1t from
Roscoe COnkling. and I have always
insisted that ne was one Of the great
est Of American speakers. The house
was full of refined and cultured pPo-
pie, and I was determined to make the
hit Of my life. was just getting
warmed up to my work. when tho
lights went out. and the hall was
plunged in black darkness. There's
nothing makes II man feel more idiotiC
than to have the lights shut off at
such q time. The women in the audi.
ence were gigglng. and the men hnw.
having. 1t seemed funny to everybody
but me.
IT thought I knew where the little
table was, that held the pitcher of ice
water, and I moved toward 1t. and
fell over chair. and ilnltpned m!
nose against the edge of piece Oi
scenery when the lights were
flashed on again. nS suddenly as they
went ont the audience hrlad The
silver tongncd orator on his hands ant
knees, climbing slowly to his feet, ant
trying to mold his nose into its origi
nal shape.
II never saw such II drliriOus crow(
in my life. Some Of the wOmrT
laughed themselves into Mysteries ant
the fool men weren't much better
They never heard tn" balance of tha
orntion. and the last part was thu
best"