Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1885 — Imagine Senator Beck’s Feelings. [ARTICLE]

Imagine Senator Beck’s Feelings.

Senator Beck, of Kentucky, and Representative Wilkins, of Ohio, were talking, when the Kentuckian espied the picture of a horse hanging oh the wall. “There,” he exclaimed with rapture, “is a picture of Lexington, the grandest horse that ever stood on four feet.” “Yes,” said Mr. Wilkins, “he was certainly a very remarkable horse. Was he a trotter or a runner?” A look of ineffable scorn passed over Senator Beck’s broad, expansive countenance. “Was he a trotter or a runner?” he repeated, astonishment, pity and profound disgust being blended in the tones of his voice. “Was he a runner or a trotter? Well, well, I do declare. I never heard of Buch astounding ignorance before in the whole course of my life, excepting on one occasion, and that was three years ago, and a fellow-Senator was the frightful example. Iroquois had won the English DerJ>y, and we Kentuckians naturally felt proud of the success of the American racer abroad, * and waited with breathless anxiety for newS from France that would tell us of the victory or defeat of the Kentucky bred Foxhall, who was entered for the Grand Prize of Paris. The day of the race I opened up my newspaper and looked for the Paris date line the first thing. I was overjoyed to find that Foxhall had indeed won, and sent a page for Senator Allison. When he came over to my desk I pointed to the Paris telegram, and asked him to ‘read that.’ He read the paragraph and calmly expressed his great gratification over the victory. After he had run on a while he paralyzed me by the inquiry, ‘Was it a trotting or a running race that Foxhall won ?’ “Imagine my feelings. Words could not express them. I fell back in my chair speechless, and didn’t speak to the Senator from lowa for two weeks. Brother Wilkins, I would like to see you ih Kentucky, buj; as a friend I must advise you to read up on Lexington before you cross the Ghip. If the Kentuckians should suspect you of not knowing whether Lexington was a trotter or a racer it might go hard with you. ” —National Republican.