Show ST STAGE AGE COACH TALES by E C TAYLOR tho Congress mans joke tan CORWIN COI tWIN famous ohio states man and popular orator of a century turm Y ago has haa a keen sense of humor and ami because of hla his dark complexion played a joke on tin an obsequious ern keeper ono one time that was often related up and down the length of the national road and at washington tom in his early days was waa a jagow er it a driver of freight wagon trains along the great east west highway and tho the rallying cry of his friend sAu ID the campaign that elected him governor of ohio was hurrah for tom corwin tile the wagoner boyll boy I 1 because of hla his dark complexion tom frequently was mistaken for it ft negro by strangers at that time the tha race distinction was waa very much pronounced noun ced once when lie ho was a member of congress he passed over tile tho national road in a chartered coach in company with henry clay and other distin gulshen gentlemen en route to wash ington D C Q the tha party stopped one day at an old stage tavern kept by samuel cessna at tile the foot of town hill in a place also known as hollow 25 miles east cast of cumberland nid md cessna was fond of entertaining guests and was particularly anxious to cater to these distinguished trav elers elera the tall form of tom corwin attracted his attention he ile noted toms swarthy complexion and heard his companions call him tom and a supposed up ho he was the servant of the tha party cessna had met clay before and knew hinl him the party ordered dinner and then someone suggested drinks all around to relieve the tedium of travel and excite an appetite for tho the expected dinner cessna hurried to hla his storeroom 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 a taper and burnt popular tradition had it that if burnt brandy save a man in need of physical relaxation his bis case was hopeless tile the zealous old landlord produced tills this drink and handed it first to the other gentlemen in cerwins corwins Cor wins party after each of the others hid had stepped up to the bar and been served cessna in a patronizing way offered a glass to corwin saying tom you take a drink corwin drank oft off the glass in ia an humble manner and returned it to the landlord with modest thanks the others othera in the party saw what was transpiring and kept straight faces face dinner then was announced and when tho 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 corwan went over to the side table and sat down dow n while tile others othera gathered around the sumptuous fela feast stat at the main table all by himself in the corner corwin enjoyed an excellent meal clay occasionally would call over to io him tom abw are arc you getting oat corwin would modestly reply very well dinners lu in those days were elaborate affairs and this continued for nearly two hours when all had satisfied their appetites the landlord produced cigars and passed them around around to clay and tile the others then he took one from tho the box and laid it on the 11 servants table take a cigar bigar tom cessna said condescendingly corwin expressed hta fits hu humble rable thanks and went outside to light it it soon after the meat meal was over the coach was ready to depart and tho the distinguished party said goodby good by hy to the landlord clay was the last to appear and with him was the servant mr cessna clay said permit me to introduce tho the uon hen Tho thomas masCor cor win of ohio it took the flabbergasted landlord it long time to recover and whenever toni tom corwin passed through after that he was waa given the best in the house g 1311 Aven tern union |