The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-02

THE FIRST OF APRIL.--Yester being
the first day OF April, a number OF tricks were
played on the unsuspecting in several quarters
OF the city. Among the best Jokes of the day
was that which appeared in one of the Sunday
papers 1t was stated, ia what purported to be
a genuine telegraphic despatch, that President
johnson had arrived in the city late on Satur-
day night and would address delegation OF his
admirers hailng from the Twenty-second Ward,
on the political issues of the day, at the Girard
House, ON Sunday morning at ii o'clock. At
the time stated quite number OF persons as
sembed before the hotel in question, but 1t is
almost needless 10 add that President johnson
dld not make his appearance, and the light soon
broke on the minds OF those gathered together,
that they had been badly sold"
Among the persons sold on the above an
nOunCement was a corpulent gentleman con-
nected with the repo1torial stall OF the city.
Not wishing to miss a verbatim report of the
speech OF President johnson, he repaired at an
early hour to the house of u phonO2rapher, for
the purpose of securing the speech for morning
paper The reporter who was called on, not
feeling disposed TO leave his house, having
retired ut a late hour in the morning, positively
refused to perform the work. The anxious gem
tleman then sought for another person, but in
accomplishing this he was also tOied.
He then repaired in person TO the Continental,
and took hls position with many others with
pencil and paper in hand, ready TO take down
the remarks of the distinguished speaker.
After waiting for some time, one after another
discovered that they had been duped, and the
crowd soon became much diminished in num-
bers.
The modification of the anxious reporter can
be better imagined than described, when, with
| the lew remaining ones he was obliged to leave
| the spot under the conviction that he had been
led into an error in respect TO the real meaning
! of the despatch, it beng intended solely Tor an
| April fool trick.
1t was also stated that the President would
| attend divine service mt church in the western
! part OF the city, The effect of this was that
number OF persons wended their way during the
| afternoon to the church in question. The SER
| mon Of the pastor, however, constituted the
| only attraction, and the hoax was the means OF
| making not few individuals attend church for
! the FIRST time in a long period.
At the American Mechanics Hall large con-
| course of persons were assembled to Listen to
| discourse from a clergyman of the Methodist
| Episcopal Church. A lady, Just previous to the
| sermon, handed to one OF the gentlemen present
| a notice to be read from the pulpit, which was
! given to the clergyman officiating. The notice
| purported to be that of a meeting to be held in
| aid of the First Congregational Church.
number of names OF prominent clergymen
| were alluded to in the notice ms those who were
| to take part in the exercises. Among the names
| were those also of a number OF laYmen, one Of
whom was announced to deliver poem entitled
''The Young Man who Never Saw a Woman"
The clergyman at this point becoming some
| what confused, appealed TO Il gentleman in re.
| gard to the matter. Not having any explanation,
! he became excited, and tOundit hard to proceed,
| declaring that the notice was not orthodox.
| The affair created no little stir among the audi
| enCe, and the matter was not explained Satstac-
! torily until it was suggested that the notice was
| intended as q first OF April sell. The most anus
| ngpart was the apology offered by the reve-
rend gentleman for his confused manner while
| reading the notice.
| At WASHINGTON street wharf a number of
! cannon of large calibre were on some freight
| cars marked for and en- route to different forts.
! A fiteen.lLch Columbiad was lying on the ground
awaiting transportation, and had not been regu-
! larry labelled, when, some wag procured some
! white paint, and the following words were soon
| blazoned forth conspcuously on the piece of
| aItillery:-'"rO Colonel John 0'Mahony Head
! Centre Fenlan Brotherhood, Dublin Castle,
| Dublin, Ireland,n