White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-12-03
|sTAGE COACH
5 TALES
}By E. C. TAYLOR
The Congressman's Joke

The Congressman's Joke
| TOM CORWIN, famous Ohio states
l man and popular orator of GEN.
fury ago, has keen sense Of humor,
and because Of his dark complexion.
played joke on an obsequious tav-
| ern keeper one time that was often,
related, up and down the length of the
National road and at Washington.
Tom in his early days was wagon.
err, driver of freight wagon trains
along the great east-west highway.
and the rallying cry of his friends in
the campaign that elected him gov
ernor of Ohio was, "Hurrah for Tom,
Corwin, the wagner boy!"
Because of his dark complexion.
Tom frequently was mistaken for a.
negro by strangers. At that time the.
race distinction was very much pro-
nounced.
Once, when he was a member of
congress, he passed over the NATIONAL
road in a chartered coach in company
with Henry Clay and other distin-
guished gentlemen, en- route to Wash
ington, D. G.
The party stopped one day at an,
old stage tavern, kept by Samuel
Cessna at the foot of Town hill, in a
place also known as "Snib Hollow"
Is miles east of Cumberland, Md.
Cessna was fond Of entertaining,
guests and was particularly anxious
to cater to these distinguished tray
elers.
The tall form of Tom Corwin at
tracted his attention. He noted TOMS
swarthy complexion and heard his
companions call him Tom and sup
posed he was the servant Of the party.
Cessna had met Clay before and knew
him.
The party ordered dinner, and then
someone suggested drinks all around
to relieve the tedium Of travel and
excite an appetite for the expected
dinner. Cessna hurried to his store
room and produced a bottle Of fine
old cognac, the ''tony" drink Of the:
old pike. The finest drink Of the day
was brandy and loaf sugar, lighted
by taper and burnt. Popular tradi.
ton had it that "if burnt brandy
couldn't save man" in need Of physi-
cal relaxation, his case was hopeless.
The Jealous old landlord produced
this drink, and handed it first to the.
other gentlemen in Corwin's party.
After each of the others had stepped
up to the bar and been served, Cessna,
in patroniZing way, offered q glass
to Corwin, saying:
"Tom, you take drink
Corwin drank off the glass in an
humble manner and returned it to the
landlord with modest thanks. The
others in the party saw what was
transpiring and kept straight faces.
Il Dinner then was announced and
when the party entered the dining
room, they saw that a side table,
after the custom Of the time had been
set for their servant"
Corwin went over to the side table,
and sat down, while the others gath.
cred around the sumptuous feast at
the main table, All by himself in the
corner, Corwin enjoyed an excellent
meal. Clay occasionally would CALI
over to him:
'Tom, how are you getting on?"
Corwin would modestly reply:
"Very we'll"
Dinners in those days were elab-
crate affairs, and this continued for
nearly two hours. When all had sat-
isfied their appetites, the landlord pro-,
duced cigars, and passed them around
to Clay and the others. Then he took
one from the box and laid it on the
servants" table.
"Take a cigar, Tom" Cessna said
condescendingly. Corwin expressed
his humble thanks, and went outside
to light it.
Soon after the meal was over the
coach was ready to depart, and the
distinguished party said good-by to-
the landlord. Clay was the last to-
appear, and with him was the "ser-
vant.''
"Mr. Cessna" Clay said, permit
me to introduce the Hon. Thomas Cor
win Of Ohio"
It took the flabbergasted landlord
Il long time to recover, and whenever
Tom Corwin passed through after
that, he was given the best in the
house.
"a. 1891, Western Newspaper Union)