198 



THE ILLmoIS FAEMER. 



July 



on this subject. You may cross over into Queen 

 Victoria's dominions and you will hear no adverse 

 opinion expressed. Without urging my own claims 

 farther, I appeal to the large number of gentlemen 

 from those regions which I see present." Several 

 members from difierent places then successively 

 gave their warm commendation of what had just 

 been said, and the chairman was about to put the 

 question on Mr. Baldwin's claims to general public 

 favor, when a person arose in the back part of the 

 hall and said: "Mr. Chairman — I am from the 

 State of Illinois. The fame of Mr. Baldwin has 

 extended to our region of country, and for several 

 years we had employed him in our service. I am 

 sorry to say he has proved an utterly worthless 

 fellow — he has been of no use to us whatever, and 

 we demand that he be utterly banished from our 

 State. We want no more such imposters." Sev- 

 eral Western members here sprung to their feet 

 and made the same assertions, some of them not in 

 a very decorous manner. 



Mr. Baldwin rose a second time, his face fairly 

 crimsoned with indignation, "Mr. Chairman — I 

 protest against this wholesale denunciation. These 

 western men have not given me a fair chance. — 

 They have, it is true, a deep, rich soil, but it pro- 

 duces nothing but a rank, watery growth, entirely 

 unsuited to my purposes. Their summers are so 

 long and hot as to throw me entirely out of my cal- 

 culations, and their winters are occasionally so sud- 

 denly and intensely cold as to be only fitted for 

 hunters and wood-choppers — no well bred gentle- 

 man can endure them." Several western members 

 were about t© spring to their feet, when the chair- 

 man remarked in a very conciliating manner. "We 

 must not ask too much of Mr. Baldwin. It is evi- 

 dent the West does not suit him — but let him have 

 a fair chance in the eastern and northern part of 

 the middle States, and he will doubtless give entire 

 satisfaction. Now allow me, gentlemen, to intro- 

 duce a relative of Mr. Baldwin — Mr. King, of 

 Tompkins county." Here the gentleman designa- 

 ted arose and stepped forward. He was somewhat 

 tall and ungainly in appearance, but possessed a 

 fine, large countenance, and, although a stranger 

 to most present, evidently made a very favorable 

 impression. He said he should say but a very few 

 words — although he had given much satisfaction 

 to his employers in Western New York, he was 

 unwilling to promise anything in other places until 

 he had made a further trial of his ability, although 

 he had performed some successful experiments in 

 New England. All he should ask would be that 

 gentlemen from other places should allow him a 

 fair chance, and if he did not come up to the mark 

 he should request the privilege of quietly retiring 

 from their lands, and would ask little for his ser- 

 vices. In the meantime he would caution them to 

 make small expenditures on his account, till they 

 had learned whether he was able to give satisfac- 

 tion. 



Several other characters were next successfully 

 introduced ; one of them, of fine and promising 

 appearance, but a stranger to most present, the 

 chairman remarked, was known in the neighbor- 

 hood where he was best acquainted, under the so- 

 briquet of "Ben Davis," but in other places as the 

 Ked Victoria, the Carolina Red, the Kentucky 

 Streak, &c., while some of the more intelligent 

 planters preferred to call him New York Pippin. | 



He only stated that he had never sojourned to any 

 extent except in Southern Indiana and Illinois, and 

 in Northern Kentucky, and experiment only could 

 determine whether he could accomplish much in 

 other places — and the chairman be^^poke a favora- 

 ble notice for him on the part of those present whe 

 did not know him before. Another, having a 

 large, noble, clerical appearance, was introduced 

 merely as the " Minister," but he declined present- 

 ing himself in any other than in his commercial 

 character ; he did not lay claim to high excellence, 

 but thought he could assist the owners of land to 

 large profits. Several members said they did not 

 wish to say anything n gainst the reverend gentle- 

 man in his presence, but that they had found^ while 

 he made an agreeable impression at first sight, they 

 were rather disuppointed on long acquaintance. — 

 However, there was a number from different parts 

 of New England, and some from western New York 

 and Michigan, who asserted that the Minister 

 claimed no more than his real merits, and that they 

 had found him a profitable servant. Another oc- 

 cupant of the platform came forward, with a re- 

 markably pleasant countenance, and was introduc- 

 ed as "Mr. Peek," but was commonly known as 

 Peck's Pleasant ; he siiid he should offer no re- 

 marks, but should simply appeal to those who had 

 witnessed his merits for a recommendntion. A 

 large number of members from southern New Eng- 

 land, New York, northern Ohio and Michigan, ex- 

 pressed their highest opinion of his character, and 

 they had found him a particularly agreeable com- 

 panion during the early part of the winter ; as 

 spring approached he became rather more dull and 

 prosy, and was then eclipsed in company by other 

 claimants, known by the name of Swaar, Red 

 Canada and Northern Spy. At the mention of the 

 latter name there was a call for his appearance 

 from various purts of the hou?e, particularly from 

 several gentlemen of western New York, who 

 showed a little excitement in the matter. He came 

 forward, and at his fine upright, noble appearance 

 there was a strong expression of applause, and at 

 the same time I could distinguish a few hisses. — 

 "The famous Spy of the North," announced the 

 chairman, and the Spy immediately began by ob- 

 serving: "There is no person on this platform that 

 has been more misunderstood thau myself. The 

 trouble is, my friends have claimed everything for 

 me, however great the disadvantages under which 

 I may chance to labor ; while a good many fast 

 people, destitute of patience, can hardly wait a 

 single year for me to make a return of their ex- 

 penditure. I freely confess that I cannot endure 

 the rough and neglected treatment which my two 

 old friends here on my right, from Roxbury and 

 Rhode Island can bear so well. I have been ac- 

 customed to cultivated and civilized life. I cannot 

 endure the banging and jamming which they so 

 commonly receive. And I protest against the has- 

 ty feeling which expects instant returns from me. 

 I am strictly American in all my feelings, but I 

 cannot help admiring the slow and sure way of the 

 English, which so well exemplifies the paradoxical 

 but excellent saying, 'to make haste slowly.' Give 

 me time enough, and good and fair treatment, and 

 I will do by you, gentlemen, as even Mr. Baldwin." 

 To be continued. 



— The above, from the pen of J. J. Thomas, can 



not fail to please and instruct our readers, as it 



