The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-07-26
Tho MYSTERIOUS visitor.

Tho Mysterious Visitor.
Who does not rejoice in the unearthng of
an illnstrious incognito? When We recently
treated our readers to an epistle from West
Point, written bys P. W." which we found
in the Keokuk Journal, and when we INDUCED
ourselves in few feeble commentaries upon
what we thought to be production of pro-
digious literary and scientific interest, our
rapture knew but single drawback. Who
was "V. p. V.p" Having long ago made up
| our mind that "Junus'' was either Sir Phil
ip Francis or the devil, we have encountered
| another problem quite sufficient to embtter
the remainder of life. We were on fire to
know who it was that passed the evening with
Mr.. Justice Roosevelt, chatted with Miss Har-
riet Lane, shook hands with the Swedish Min
lister, embraced Frank Wuddell, beat Gen.
Scott at whist, dined with Gov. kemble, and
then wrote a long letter to say what he had
for dinner. Our readers will be pleased to
learn tina. "V. p. wis not a mythical per-
sonage, that he lives, moves, eats and en-
braces, in reality and not in mere romance.
A concentration of wonderful circumstances
has given US the name of the person who won
rubber of Gen. Scott, and reduced MIR.
Kemble's stock Of choice old wines. For be
| il known that this scientific gentleman, when
he saw our comments upon his letter, which
he did at Cleveland, where be was visiting
somebody else, was thrown into frigid exu-
dation, and forthwith sent TO this metropolis
| letter which will be found in another place.
1t now appears that ssV. P. w. when he
wrote his genuine sparkler of an epistle, did
not mean to have it published in the keokuk
journal, or in any other Journal, it being
| merely intended to solace the lonely hours of
Keokuk friend, and to assuage his grief at
| the absence of "V.o But this friend was
not selfish. lie could not tolerate the thought
| that 90 much brilliancy, shrewdness and &c
NAL gossip might be lost to the world could
not resist the temptation of letting the people
| of the good CITY of keokuk know that he had
a friend who had beat Gen. Scott at whist ;
could not lock up in his writing desk facts
so important to the world. He took the re-
sponsibility of publishing the letter, being
we suppose, "very much Of a gentleman
one of your superfne sort, in comparison
with whom, men only commonly well-bred
are mere clowns. We congratulate ssV p
"" upon the remarkable good breeding OF
his eliminate and valued friend" We set
J how much Importance is to be attached to hi,
criticism of men and manners, when his BIO.
, som companion-the man with whom he may
be said to sleep-the recipient of his person
al condolences, takes his letters to the news
papers and publishes them, signature and nj
. exposes their scareless freedom of expires
sion" to the cold and whitening glance Of th
: unfeeiing critic, and sends the chastity writ
ten communication" down the tide of immor
. tality. There is n nice, gentlemanly frien,
for you! That is the style of man with which
it pleases ssV. P. W. when bereaved of hi
Crank Wuddell,o to associate.
: The polished ssV.n will do us the ustic
] to believe that, not moving in the lofty Cir
. cles of refined society, which he adorns, W
!, could not be supposed to know, when W
: found his letter in the columns of a newspa
per, that il was there against his desire 0
without his sanction. We poor devils of tn
!. lower strata are rather scrupulous about re
porting what We have to eat when we on
asked to dinner, but we did not know that
d might not be vigorously correct proceedin
i on the part OF a gentleman who associate
II familiarly with Mr.. John Van Buren,, take
o tea with MIR. Justice Roosevelt, hob-nobs wit
J. Miss Harriet Lane, embraces Frank Wuddel
i shakes hands with the Swedish Ministe,
i liquors with Kerr OF North Carolina, SIN ok I
= with Page OF Mississippi, eats mutton an
o wines with MIR. Gov. Kemble, and beats Ger
}, Scott at whist, thereby "d-bly ANNOYING
d that veteran brave. As Mr.. VS. friend. al
y though the best Of fellows--we know that
II must be good fellow because he is v.
'e "valued" friend, although the precise amour
20 OF his value il not stated-as this Orson
in Valentine V. is SO deficient in good breedin
o. there are three courses which v. can pursue
30 Imprsnis: He can break tie golden core
b, which bind him to HIS we'll beloved frient
90 although the stern duty may lacerate tho
ct interior portions OF his physical system v hic
to since they we're saturated and smoothed b
OF Gov. Kemble's Madeira, have been in such
ts sweetly solaced condition. Secondly,
n can break his "valuod" friends head.
Thirdly, he can summon his faithful co
e. hdant to the cory arbitrament Of the duell
TO Or, il he has constitutional scruples in refe
an ence to murder or monomachy, and desir
n to live TO eat another dinner upon anoth
gh day, with Mr.. Kemble, or some other GENT
M man who "lives as a gentleman ought
by live," we advise him to purchase and or
de sent TO his svalued friend,n cheap COPY
,bt some standard work on etiquette-one
lly those invaluable little manuas which M
rty be had for couple Of dimes at any sire
ers stall and each Of which usually declares
its title page that it is the humane legacy
the dying D'Orsay to an unpublished worl
A 1t is evident that v. must either kill, cut,
ges correct his friend, who quite inadvertently
it publishes private letters. Not moving OF
selves IN the upper circles, we are not qua
say lied TO give advice; but, If pressed for 0
TIL opinion, We should strongly dscountenar
ON In this case an appeal to the God Of Battl
ent and for this reason, which will certain
up commend itself to gentleman who has
our good appetite aud is partial to dining out
our suppose that IN moment Of indignant,
by Mr.. V. should insert that pointed uteu
the called bowie knife in the abdominal
49, gions Of his fnithless friend. Very rood
my He only spoils the dinner delights Of his !,
ssly Achates. But suppose Achates, also, il
ind moment Of indignation, should make a La
ont hole in the digestive arrangements OF En-
v. Suppose, that at the moment Of
sinking in his perforated condition to