Elkhart, Indiana, was the town I closed out in, and while stopping there at the hotel I became acquainted with a physician and surgeon from Chicago, Dr. S. W. Ingraham, whose office is now on South Clark Street.
He had been called there to perform a surgical operation, and being obliged to spend an hour or two in the hotel office before taking a return train, he became an interested listener to several stories told by a couple of drummers and myself. He finally told one or two which convinced us that we had struck an old-timer. After we had related some personal experiences I learned, to my great delight, that the Doctor's experience had been almost as varied as my own. He began by relating the different kinds of business he had engaged in while a young man; but he was unable to mention a single thing that I hadn't embarked in and of which I could show up a smattering of knowledge.
Finally he said:
"Now, Johnston, I am going to head you off right here."
"What is it, Doctor? I am anxious to know what it is."
"Well sir, I'll bet you never made a political speech, and I stumped Ohio during one campaign and made one speech a night for ten consecutive weeks."
"I can beat that. I stumped Ohio for Hayes and Tilden, and made two speeches on the platform for one consecutive night."
"But how could you speak for Hayes and Tilden? One was a Democrat and the other a Republican."
"No matter, I did it anyhow, and all in the same speech, too."