The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-01-23
"WHERE,s BoBBY9,,
THE TROUBLES OF A CoNGREssMAN's FAM
ILY-wHAT ZACH. CHANDLER FOUND
IN a HACE-NARROw ESCAPE
OF A PRECIOUS CHILD.


telegraphed of new member who arrived
with his family, consisting of wife, five
children, and nurse. The economical
member of Congress packed his family in
one hack at P. NJ, and drove to Willard 5.
They had been car riding for many nights
and days, and were in consequence exceed
ingly fatigued.
Arriving at Wizards they paid the
hacllman, ordered their trunks off, and
trudged YEARLY, half asleep, into that ia
nous caravansary. The husband, wife
and four children were escorted into the
supper room, after which, elevated by the
coffee and the elevator, they were carried
beyond the jurisdiction of the Board of
Public Works to rooms under the roof
When the good lady entered her bedroom
she encountered the nurse, and both ex-
claimed
''Where's Bobby ?''
"Why, miss, F" said the nurse, 81 thought
you had him."
Nancy screamed the Mrs. NJ. c.,
'didn't you fetch him in ?''
''No, mum; had the three carpet sacks,
the cloaks, baby's clothes, and l thought
you had him.
Now Bobby was the baby, and the
frightful discovery was made that the
baby had been left in the hack There
was frantic rush for the elevator and the
stairs. The insane NJ. G.. tried to burst
open the door SO as to precipitate himself
down the well. He then pulled away at
the bell until he broke IL; then shouting
''Fire - rushed down after his wife and
four children, who by this time were in the
clerks office trying to make the corpulent
and amiable Mr.. Bagley understand the
horrible situation.
Some one suggested the telegraph, and
all the police stations were advised of this
loss of Congressional Infancy. But the
worst part of it was that the crazy repre-
sentative could not remember the number
of The hack, and the hacks are not remark
able for their ready return of lost parcels
In the meantime the unhappy husband
made short excursion into the neighbor-
hood. He hurried through the hacks on
the hack stands and had all the retired
to go and search for the lost child FOR two
and half hours. Each one was ready to
make affidavit that he knew the hack, and
one driver, who ought to have been hung
long ago, swOre that he heard the child
cry as the hack drove by. From the hack
stand the husband hurried to Newspaper
Row and stirred up the Bohemians to the
highest pitch of excitement by his tale of
woe. The corpulent Tamsdell sat down
and wept Adams blew his nose, while
Boynton philosophically remarked that the
loss of baby was somebody's gain, and
Preston added that it was loss easily re-
paired ; and SO the night wore on.
What became of that hack, with the
precious little burden, is the most interest
ing part Of the narrative. 1t seems that
our old friend Zach Chandler, the Michi-
gander, who goes moonirg about at all
sorts of late hours, found himself on Four
and-a-half street in such state of absent
mindedness that he couldn't tell where he
was or where he ought to be. In these
emergencies he instinctively calls hack.
All the hackmen in town know the great
Michigander, and entirely regardless of
what he orders or says, they invariably
drive him home, stopping at all the sam
pie rooms and bars on the way. On this
occasion he halted hack, and getting in
said as he did SO.
''Takeme' 'omedamnyou -
Sitting down upon the back seat, he was
startled by wild cry that almost sobered
him. This will sound like exaggeration,
but it's a fact. II came very near being a
case of spoiled child, for old Zach had
hinged two hundred pounds of Senatorial
beef and whiskey on the lost child of the
lower House. He started up with such
violence that his head struck the top of the
hack, nearly bouncing the driver off his
seat, more, however, with astonishment
than jolt.
Old Zach resolved himself into an invest
igating committee, and, sitting down ON
the front seat, felt around. He gathered
up the child, and for minute sat turning
the situation over in his gigantic intellect,
then, sticking his head out of the window,
he shouted with that voice which has made
the British lion tremble:
''Driver, go'omeqpick-- we got baby"
As the infant continued its screaming
the driver had no doubt as to the truth of
this startling revelation, and SO tore along /
the street at fTightful rate, considering
that his team consisted of one vicious
kicker and one runaway. Pulling up at
the palatial mansion, the great Michigan
der tumbled ont and rushed in with the
child in his arms. Presenting it 10 the
Mrs. Chandler, he said
''Moststrornary fair-sot-down-baby
.on-hack. Going-tO-dopt-him .
The good old lady did not receive the 1
new conner with the same enthusiasm, but
sent for policeman, not to arrest the Sen /
ator, bat to remove the encumbrance. /
this means the poor little waif
was returned TO its frantic parents.
We are happy to say that bo:h Chandler
and baby are as well as could be expected,
- Washington C?tronjcle,