The Portland daily press., 1871-10-25
The Visit to ST. John.

II ad it not been for "Gen. Eli Perkins" of
the New York Commercial, we should never
have known why so many of our friends who
left the big tent at Vanceboro' for st. John
with Lord Lsgar, Gov. Perham, and other
dignitaries, in such an ecstatic frame of mind
came back so dsconsolate According to Eli
"thiDgs" were so cheap in st. John that the
visitors, particularly the remorseless Pennsyl-
vanans of protective" tendencies crammed
their pockets like school boys with kite strings,
tops and sour apples, with gloves, laces, vel
vets and SUCH On their way back Eli says
they were betrayed. Hear him:
What do you think that Yankee Custom
House officer does when We get to Vanceboro'?
Why. the kuss goes through our luggage and
pockets like bottle of Hathorn water. 1
have few rolls of lace fol- Mrs. Perkins, some
velvet for little johnnie, and some six-button
gloves for my Fifth avenue lady friends. This
insatiate monster takes them all. 10 Thomas
OF philadelphia, says the rascal searched the
President and cobfscated a pocket full of
Partagas. Inter grmis (nary time) silentur
teges. Governor Dennison has a dozen six
buttons, and he goes sadly away from this re.
morseless Yankee. He stands upon the rear
platform with his hands on dozen gloves
(small sizes), and whistles Yankee Doodle,
while the Custom House man makes his search
He escapes the general pillage, and comes back
into the train-a happy man.
Colonel Sam Shock, of the Columbia Bank,
the genial Mr. Ell. NJ. North. and Mr.. George
L. Sanderson, and DR.. r w. Shenk, of Ian.
caster, Pa, were very much excited over the
unexpected integrity of the Custom House Of
fer. They did every legitimate thing they
could think of to prevent the scar chipg of
pockets and baggage. They impovished euchre
parties, and covered their trunks like tables
They swore that they had nothing dutiable
about them except Esome brandy and cham
payne, which they drank at the banquet All
the Pennsylvanians escaped except Colonel
Shock, who lost beautiful silk dress, COMIC
ca4ed by the meddlesome officer. Colonel
Shock never smiled afterward. He came on to
Boston. sad and ruined man. At Boston the
wags made the Colonel a present
of Decent calico, with presentation speech
at the Revere House.
Our rations give out at Bangor after riding
all night. We all make rush for the little
7x9 eating house. Some, half starved, secure
a Yankee doughnut, some Boston cracker
DR.. Loring rushes for Water street eating.
mouse with hunger gnawing at his vitals He
Hamlin before he could finish his breakfast.
Twelve smart ex-Congressmen get nice |
lay out OF clam chowder at side table.
'All aboard Tor BostopW shouts newspap.
er man, who does not fear punishment after
death.
The ex Congressms run for the train. and |
the newspaper men run for the chowder.
Commodore Freley makes breakfast on |
scotch whlskey and crackers, and George
Washington Warren, the President of Bunker
alli Monument, breakfasts on one cracker and |
eleven gallons of water.
Eli may have drawn largely upon his exub- |
Grant Imagination for most of his facts as given
,bove; but those of us who did not 90 to st. |
John with Lord Lisgar will never number our
neglect to do SO among the great regrets of the
if the half is told us of the cold and |
lunger by all, and of the custom house officers
y Eli. |