Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1860-03-17
A Texan Colonel in Search of a Pa.
tent.

The Washington correspondent of the New
York Leader says;
| WASHINGTON, 18th January, lsGO.--At the
Presidents Levee last Tuesday night, a very
odd scene occurred--grotesque enough to be
worth recording. II appears that there is a
Texan COlonel-no matter what his name
/ running loose round our city, in search of n
other useful notion and this Colonel is the he
ro of the following veracious history:
! Some wag Mt the Patent Office suggested
that il had become very difficult, of late, to Sc
cure patents and that to obtain one, il would
be requisite to attract the Presidents very par
man" said one ef the patent clerks. He is
fond of pomp, so you must dress yourself to
death, and-attcnd his first levee"
:" But there will be thousands there said
the dismayed, though inventive Colonel "There
will be all the first men OF the land so how
can hope 10 draw any personal notice?n The
clerk winked one eye when he heard about " all
the first men in the land" and pointed with
his retroverted thumb over his left shoulder.
This was chnldaic sign to the far-down
Colonel, who knew nothing save his mother
tongue, and a trile of broken Spanish "But
what am to do % he urged. ain what mode
can /, as you say, arrest Mr.. Buchanans atten-
ton? Suppose carry my new churn in on
my head ?"
The clerk looked grave, and suggested the
difficulty OF passing such an article through
the cloak-room, where gentlemen have to leave
behind them cloaks, sticks, hats, and all other
not needfal full dress ssappurtenances. Atlength
n bright idea seemeaB strike him, and his face
became illuminated with smile.
"The old man" he said having himself serv-
ed in the artillery at the battle ofLundy's Lane
Is especially fond of that corps; and the uni
form of an artillery man, with pink sash and
crimson rosette, would go far to secure your
patent"
"You don't sayp exclaimed the inventor
glad TO find that his wishes could be accom-
plished SO easily, "Fll get them, or die in the
attempt and when my churn has been patent-
ed young man, you may look out for its first
iirkin of butter"
He was about to hurry away; but the Pa
safe game, recalled him. "Say here there's
another thing must tell you. The old mans
two tavorite virtues are endurance and patince.
He loves to see men waiting silently for his
HWelI?
"Well Now, to charm him completely, you
must have the sash made as broad as possible,
and of the brightest pink in the market The
rosette must be crimson, and not less than sew
enteen inches in diameter a little larger than
a common-sizcd dnner-platen
at shall be big enough" said the Texan
firmly. $50 on"
"Well: You must enter the room in the
uniform ofan artillery sergeant-that was the
old mans grade-with sash and rosette. When
you approach the President, you must knit
your eyebrows in significant but not un-
friendly style. Then fold your arms across
your chest, when he offers you his hand. Bow
three times in solemn silence, and after that
proceed to march round and round the great
East room for not less than two hours-three
you can-being very particular that no qucs-
tion shall tempt you to break silence ~
The Texan looked down at his fgure-n tall
and rather plump one-which he thought
would look well in uniform. He stroked his
military whskers, passed his hand over his
brown hair, and smile of prophetic trinmBb
al the sensation he was about to make lit up q
lambient flame in his gray eyes.
I'll do it," he said, bringing his fist down
on the clerks desk. al guess if my churn de-
pends on my attracting his attention, that you
may count in as fixed and begin to make out
the papers"