The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1880-04-02
A DAsTARDLy TRICK.
who Inf reduced the Game or fifteen
al she Wsaite Metse7 \
[from the New York Times.l

but in all probability the guilty person
was Southern Brigadier of more tlan
usual villainy. He must, however,
have been in collusion with one of the
servants, for on last Friday night the
puzzle was found on the table of the
room in which the Cabinet consults-
/. tions are held, and it had evidently
been placed there only few moments
before the Cabinet assembled. MIR.
Key was the first who noticed it. He
picked it up, and was examining it
carefully. when Mr. Evarts asked him
what it was, Mr.. Key explained the
nature Of the thing to the Secretary OF
State, who turned scornfuly away, re-
marking that as puzzle it was ridicu-
lousy simple when compared with the
civil service reform policy Of the Adj
ministration. The President paid no
attention to the matter, and opened the
meeting by bringing before it the sub
ject OF the Panama canal. Probably
the puzzle would have been forgotten
and the fendish purpose of the wicked
Brigalier frustrated, had not Mr..
Schurz walked toward the piano, re-
marking that ne would "blay some
ding"
Now, as is we'll known, Mrs Hayes
always locks up the piano and takes
away the key before each meeting OF
the Cabinet, and with this knowledge
the Cabinet, on this particular occasion,
felt safe What was their horror, how
ever, when Mr.. Schurz drew key
from his pocket, unlocked the piano
and began to play one of his own COM
positions. Mr.. Key, with great pres
ence Of mind, bethought himself OF the
puzzle, and called out: ''Schurz, here
is something you can't do" Schurz,
piqued by this assertion, left the piano,
saying: "Ah. you haf plan for man.
aging the Indians, don't you ?" and fell
unsuspectingy into the Postmaster's
trap.
Then the President, anxious to know
what it was that had the power to draw
Mr.. Schurz from the piano, asked to
see the puzzle, and after looking at it
n moment, said that he thought. be
could do it. at looks easy, he re-
marked. Phere are fifteen numbers,
and you have to arrange them so there
will be eight in one row and seven in
another. 1t certainly seems to me as
il had tried that puzzle somewhere,
though ! can't at this moment recollect
where it was. Mr.. Key corrected
him, and explained that the great diff
Guilty was to arrange the numbers in or
der. MIR. Sherman scoiied at the puz-
zle, and exclaimed that, to man who
had to spend his days and nights in
shifting Southern Custom-housc officers
80 as to bring six or seven Southern
States into the Chicago Convention pre-
pared to vote for the ablest living finan-
cier, the mere shifting of lot of
wooden blocks would be child's play.
Mr.. Hayes, after watching Mr.. Schurz
a little longer, became so much inter
csted that be sent out and bought
another set Of blocks, and undertook to
solve the puzzle before Mr.. Schurz
could do It.
AT S o'clock the next morning Mr..
Schurz was taken home in carriage,
completely exhausted and leaving his
blocks in the position l3, Is, a. Mr..
Hayes. who is a less nervous man, went
to his breakfast without exhibiting any
signs Of unusual trouble, and returned
to the puzzle Immediately afterwards.
Since that time it is alleged that he has
not been seen except by Mr.. w. X.
Rogers, who reports that the President
is closely occupied with public business
and cannot see any visitors Mean
while the Prigadiers are chuckling over
the success Of their infamous conspiracy
and spend most of the day sitting on
the fence in front of the White House,
waiting for Mr. Hayes to be removed
to an asylum.
r