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Maryland State Archives Jeffersonian, Towson, Maryland mdsa_sc3410_1_81-0676 Enlarge and print image (6M) |
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Maryland State Archives Jeffersonian, Towson, Maryland mdsa_sc3410_1_81-0676 Enlarge and print image (6M) |
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Saturday, March 8, 1£24—Page 10
THE JEFFERSONIAN, TOWSON, MARYLAND
LETTER PENNED TO JUDGE F. DUNCAN RECALLS EPISODE IN LIFE OF AUGUSTUS A. PIPER.
Well Known Attorney Of County Seat Thirty-Nine Years Ago Packed His Grip For Jacksonville, Fla., Where He Intended To "Hang Out Shingle"—Gives Experiences On Trip.
(Continued from Page 9) scanned its pages, since I was interested in a paper published in my recently adopted city, and noticed an advertisement something like this: "The Elite, The Misses Furguson, Proprietors."' This word "Elite" sounded good to me, and the "Miss-ess Furguson" sounded equally good to me, so right off the bat I concluded to make my home at the "Elite" for having, as I felt, established my eligibility by the lesson I learned on the boat to enter Southern society, "The Elite"—I mused. This is where I shall make my "debut" in the inner circle of the Southern high-steppers.
Our train had now pulled in to Jacksonville Station, so to the "Elite" I post haste went. Reaching the "Elite" I pulled at the door bell; a colored servant answered the hell; invited me in and be seated; I did 30 and told her I wished to see Miss Furguson. Presently a lady came in bowing aristocratically and smiling sweetly—and she could smile too —saying "How do you do.' I bowed too and almost lost my balance in trying to put on lugs while bowing. Miss Ferguson was good to look upon—nothing like 'the present-day flappers. After our greetings, I said: "Miss Furguson, I am a lawyer from Baltimore, Md., and came here to practice my profession and board here indefinitely." Smile! you should have seen her; she smiled to the Elite's taste. She assigned me to a beautifully furnished room overlooking the St. John's River. The Elite stood on an elevation in the most exclusive section of the city, having about twenty-five rooms, and its architectural design was quite attractive. My first meal at this place was dinner (the dinner hour I think was 7 P. M.) Shortly before the dinner hour I was invited into the drawing room by Miss Furguson to meet "society"—her boarders. Frank* old Pal, I sure was stepping high. There were soma fifteen persons in the drawing room, most of them middle-aged ladies, a sprinkling of girls of the debutante age and three or four men; and the whole "darned" bunch was in their society toggery and I with an ordinary suit on, perrceptibly rusty from wear, and the only suit I had to my name. You can imagine the state of my mental equilibrium. But I hadn't forgotten the diplomacy that carried the day for me when on the boat, and haunted by that blasted glass bowl, and the course luncheon, I again resorted to diplomacy. I called Miss Furguson from the drawing room saying: "Miss Furguson, pardon me, but I am in an awful predicament. Your boarders are all dolled up for dinner and I have no clothes here but these I have on; all my good clothes are in my trunks and they have not arrived. What am I to do?" She looked at me for a moment, smiling all the while (I told you before she was a good smil-er) finally she said "Oh! let me see, I think I can find a suit for you until your trunks arrive." So she went upstairs and in a short while came down and told me she had put a suit in my room for me. Then to my room I went; put on the suit as quickly as I could, took a good look at myself in an old-time looking glass, and concluded the suit fitted me better than I had expected; the only trouble was sit was sstoo tight across the chest—I could not button it. On my return to the drawing room the folks were still there; so we all went immediately to the dining room. The dinner was served in coursses. Dinner over, the glass bowls again appeared upon the scene, but they no longer seemed like hydra-headed monsters to me, for I used the glass bowl as much as I could like Captain Billups did on the boat. By this time I felt as though I was serenely sailing down the social sea with nothing to mar my contentment except the non-arrival of my trunks.
On going to bed that night I realized that the trunk matter would have to be expained in some fashion, sooner or later, to Miss Furguson, but this did not bother me much, feeling that my store of diplomacy was still going strong; but the matter that did worry me considerably was, would I make good in the law business in Jacksonville. The next morning right after breakfast I told Miss Furguson I was going to hunt for my trunks, but I would be back for luncheon. When I got to the postoffice on Bay street I approached an old gentleman leaning against a post of some sort, and I said "How do you do, captain? I am from Baltimore; I came down here to practice law. What do you think of the
idea?" The old gentleman straightened himself to his full height, stroked his long beard methodically, removed a goodly supply of tobacco juice from his mouth and looked me over critically, and after a moment's pause said, "Young man, you seem fairly well dressed and look as though you get enough to eat where you came from; my advice to you is, go back where you came from if you do not want to starve." You can imagine what the condition of my feathers was. Why, od pal, ray whole blasted bunch of feathers was as flat as a flounder, and I shall not, to my dying day, forget the gaff that that old man innocently hurled into my brain.
From Bay street I walked around to take in a little more of the city, but found no encouragement and began to realize that there, was some truth in the old man's statement.
Then with a heavy heart I went back to the "Elite" and told Miss Furguson that I could not locate my trunks. After luncheon I explained to her that I was going to find my trunks if I had to go all the way to Baltimore to do it. However, I paid my board bill, thanked her for the many kindnesses she had shown me, and hoped to be back shortly. My exchequer now contained about four dollars. Yes, only four dollars. Then I rented a room on Bay street for a week and paid in advance fifty cents, knowing full well that I could not get far on this sum of money. ¦ I started out to get a job of some sort as laborer so ass to earn enough money for carfare back home, but to my surprise and consternation I failed to get a job of any sort after diligent search at all the saw-mills, lumber yards and railroad shops in the city. I was now up against the real stuff, the like of which I had never faced before that time nor since. Even the palms and the water lillies, which smiled so sweetly upon me when I entered the portals of their city now seemed to hiss at me like serpents. The fame and fortune that I had thought were to be mine had vanished and the air castles that I had built with so much care were shattered by clouds of gloom and despair. So back to my room and went and lay on my bed for a little rest and t hought. At meal time I ate two oranges and could have eaten a square meal, but my pocketbook being judge of the law and the facts, had declared that two oranges without the benefit of the finger bowl was all I could have; my decretory repast over, I plunged headlong into the question: How am I to get home? And to better enable my feeble thinkers to think more clearly I left my stuffy room for the open air and walked to the north end of the city, and while standing on a little plateau facing south I could see over the entire city and the St. John River. I had no grudge against the St. John's River, of course not—but Jacksonville—
well, I should say; I damned it with brimstone and fire
Then facing northward, with head elevated, I gazed, and while gazing I was amazed at my pose—which re-
cost me one dollar. This discovery was as much of a thriller to me as the discovery of America was to Christopher Columbus.
I boarded the boat as soon as pos-
minded me of an old fox hound with sible. My sleeping quarters were in his nose up sniffing for the scent of a r00m large enough for the accom-a fox—saying to myself in an audible i modation of about fifty steerage pas-tone: 1200 miles to Baltimore and sene-Rrs. having hunks nn ail «irio.
only four dollars in my pocket." Thinking now was my profession— not aw—Yes, thinking of everything; I even thought of old Ponce de Leon"s troubles, who, ages ago went to the land of flowers to regain his youth and vigor. But my mind constantly reverted to "Baltimore, 1200 miles" (a long tramp sure) but I concluded to attempt the trip a-hoof.
An examination of my clothes passed muster—the shoe question proved a failure. I was not too proud to work—not at all, but getting the work along the route was to my mind doubtful, and should I fail in getting enough work to pay tramping expenses, begging would be in order, and ultimately arrested on a vagrancy charge; then a trial before a Judge of the law and the facts; then sentenced without benefit of clergy. But I intended if such a thing should happen to make use of the only defensive weapon I had— my certificate of admission to the Bar. But the thought struck me that possibly a scalper's ticket might be secured to carry me to Way Cross or Savannah, Ga., which would ease up the situation somewhat.
After some little effort I succeeded in getting a ticket at a nominal cost, and boarded the first train pulling out of Jacksonville for Savan nah. The trip up to Savannah reduced my cash in hand to about three dollars and released my troubled mind to the extent of knowing I was a little nearer to Baltimore. In Savannah I made my bread-basket acquainted with a couple of bananas. Then I set out on an exploring expedition to discover ways and means to get to Baltimore, and in a little while to my utter surprise and delight discovered that a boat would shortly leave Savannah for New York City and my fare on it would
sengers, having bunks up all sides of the room, and a number, of mattresses on the floor—there were but two passengers in these quarters besides myself.
The bill-of-fare consisted of hard tack, a hunk of nameless meat and something resembling coffee. The hard tack and meat were served on a tin plate and the coffee in a tin cup—finger bowls were not included in the service. Before the next meal hour my co-bunkies had secretly arranged with the steward of the boat t oserve them with meals in our bunk quarters. They were good meals, too. And while they were eating their meal so served I looked on wishing I could join them. I then drew from my pocket my certificate of admission to the bar and handed it <*ti one of them, remarking "look at this." He took it, looked it over quite earnestly and when he was about to hand it back to me, I said "tough luck, hey." He said "yes, come join us." I did join them and continued to eat with them until we landed in New York. I remained there long enough to get a scalper's ticket to Baltimore. On reaching President Street Station, Baltimore, late in the night, I walk
ket where I spent the night in a chair. The following morning I walked about ten miles to my home. On examination of my cash in hand I found onl yone cent. Sincerely yours,
A. A. PIPER.
DEFECTIVE BAGGAGE CAR
BLAMED FOR WRECK AT
LAKE ROLAND.
Excessive side-bearin clearance of the baggage car on the Harrisburg Express, which was wrecked at Lake Station on the banks of Lake Roland in which S. W. Gerhart, of Lynchburg, Va., lost his life, caused the accident according to railroad offi cials investigating same.
There was no indication of carelessness on the part of the train crew.
PARKVTLLE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY ELECTS OFFICERS.
At a recent meeting of the Park-ville Volunteer Fire Company the following officers were elected: M. S. Buttner, pres.; J. C. Die, vice-pies.; George Simon, treasurer; C. Kraft, financial secretary; D. Clugston, recording secretary; M. Die, sergeant-at-arms; Joseph Miller, captain; Wm. Miller, first lieutenant, and J. Wild-berger, second lieutenant.
Tires and Tubes Repaired. Retreading a Specialty.
ALL WORK GUARANTEED
HARRY A. RANDALL
York Road Garage
TOWSON, MD.
Phone, Towson 525
*<^.^».K*fr$***********<~>**
S. C. RHODE ISLAND REDS!
Hatching Eggs and Stock...
From the very best Exhibition and Laying Strains in America. Can furnish single birds, pairs, trios or pens. Eggs for hatching.
CHARLES W. HELD,
Towson, Md.
ed to some tavern near Belair mar- |