Show reste d in a tall nt A beegum beegun hat once caused me ro considerable ns i 1 I crabl 0 embar embarrassment rass in 0 n t said howard johnson an enthusiastic geologist in 1873 1 I was vas malting making some explorations in the mountains of north carolina and eastern tennessee the natives were a very primitive lot and few of them had seen a locomotive or a town of inhabitants they spun and wove their own clothing and lived on corn com bread salt pork barbs and sassafras tea one evening I 1 reached a village of perhaps two dozen houses and created as much excitement as a circus in the black belt everybody turned out to stare at me and follow me about and couriers were dispatched to the country folks to come in and view the curiosity they were soon arriving 0 afoot on mules and steers and one old follow came in hot haste astride of a bull wearing g a rope bridle I 1 was vexed and p puzzled u z aled A 1 I secured quarters for the night and wont went to my room but the crowd hung about the house and talked in subdued whispers finally a committee composed of two of the oldest citizens was appointed to wait upon me their mission was to inquire if my head really ran up to the top of that tall hat I 1 removed the and they inspected it and took a careful survey of my head they looked disappointed and said they see any use for more hat than head after that I 1 wore a regulation slouch until I 1 got back to civilization I 1 did not care to afford any more circus pageants st louis glo globe be democrat |