The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1869-11-11
General Butler in Distress.

AT about s o'clock yesterday morning
Major General Butler appeared IN the AS
tor House, wearing porter's coat and
looking very seedy about the shoulders.
He was met in the corridors by General
William Merriam, the great adjective war
correspondent, and in Dutch Gap times an
intimate friend of the General. Merriam
beheld Butler with establishment. The
General had small satchel and wore an
expensive pair of black doeskin trOwsers,
beautiful velvet vest, the finest OF linen,
an exquisite cravat, and pair of boots of
the finest French calfskin. But the coat
was curiosity 1t was threadbare and
ragged. 1t had evidently seen some years
service A huge brass badge was sewn on
its left lapel. The legend, Porter, No.
49," was engraved upon it. The coat was
covered with dust, and had patch of
leather upon each shoulder
General Butler looked at General Mer-
RAM as f overpressed with a weight of
woe. General Merriam gazed at him sew
eral seconds seemingly unable to trust his
eyesight Then he seized the Major Gen
eral warmly by the hand, saying
By my Parian and intellectual brow,
you are the world renowned warrior
whose ferruginous executive ability, so
graphically described by Fanny Ferns i'm
mortal husband, has given you the most
grandilOquent pre-emlnence among the
statesmen of Massachusetts,"
General Butler dropped his satchel, and
placed his kidded hands in the pocket of
the porter's roundabout. Then casting
enc eye upon his satchel, and throwing
the gaze of the other eye into Merriam
blue Orbs, he said:
"Lcnd me 500. / want to buy an
undercOat and an OvercOat, and l want to
get back to Boston,"
General Merriam started back as ifstruclx
by a club, and looked at Butler as if he
doubted his identity. At this moment an
elderly gentleman approached General
Butler, tapped him on the shoulder with a
silver headed cane, and, pointing to an inn
mense trunk near the head of the stairs,
said:
Here, my fine fellow, hoist that trunk
up to 147 for me right away, and be quick
about it, will your"
General Merriam at this sprang forward,
and threw several profane adjectives at
the gentleman for insulting General But
Ter. The old gentleman, who was hard of
hearing, wanted to know what in the
world the butler of the hotel was doing
with a porter's badge, and why he carried
leathern chips upon his shoulders, if it
wasn't to keep the trunks from cutting his
cOllar-bOne. General Butler looked
troubled, but Merriam shouted an explana-
ton at the top of his voice, and the veneer
able gentleman, after an apology, sought a
baggage-smasher elsewhere.
A second time General Butler asked his
friend Merriam for the loan of hundred
OF nfr to -
turn to Boston. He said that his coat and
overcoat had been stolen from the sleep
ing car at Philadelphia, while on his way
from Washington to this city. He always
carried his money in his coat pocket.
when he got up in the morning he found
himself destitute. He borrowed a coat
from negro porter and walked up to the
Ast0r, hoping to meet some friend that
would advance him money to buy coat
and to reach Lowell. General Merriam
told him he thought he ought to
know better than to endeaver to bOr-
row money from a newspaper writer. and
advised him to apply to the Stetsons for a
loan. He said he had lost $500 in money.
besides number of checks, payment of
which has been stopped.
by this time number of persons had
gathered about the General. A dozen
gentlemen offered money, and one man
advised Stetson to lock up his spoons.
The General gratefully accepted the loan
OF $3.50 from person wearing a pair OF
cracked eyeglasses. Then turning to
General Merriam, he handed him two
fitty-dollar bills, and asked him to hunt
him up a coat and overcoat. AS it was
Sunday, General Merriam struck out for
Chatham street. He returned within
half hour with black frock coat
and a dirty white overcoat, companion
To the one worn by Horace Greeley, foi
which he paid $75. The coat was little
tight under the arms, and the overcoat
had slight attack of the Grecian bend
With these exceptions the General ex
pressed himself as satisfied. After warm
ing himself and making a few inouirie,
about the Gold Ring, he visited st. Paul,
Church, and passed on to Boston in tn,
afternoon train, without waiting to figh
NIT Greeley.-Neso York Sun, Nor. 1.