The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-02-28


them in their pockets. Ice-cream was served
as desert, but they wereused to that and did
not say. a. the Chinaman in California did
when he first tasted it: "Whoopee. Chinaman
eatee ice-cream, heezy belly allie same like ice
wagon"
One of the handsomest parties given by
johnson was in honor of his little grand
children. They were nearly 800 children and
| they danced in the east room. Arthur SAYS:
"Mr. johnson just let himself out that time.
He came down in the parlor, and | declare
he acted almost as happy as a child himself.
| don't know whether Mr.. johnson should
have been impeaehed or not, but he always
treated me kind and so | am glad he wasn't"
As Arthur tells it. there was great deal of
entertaining when Mr. johnson was presi-
dent, but he says that the time for nice par
| ties and
SWELL RECEPTIONS
was when the Grant administration came in.
When asked for his opinion of Grant, Ar
thur was careful enough to say that he liked
him, as he did the rest of the presidents
under whom he had served, "for, of course,
you know, he treated me very kindly, and 90
of course | had nothing against him" Il
tell YOU" says Arthur, II has a good word
| for all of them. cause, YOU know, they all
treated rue well and kept me IN my position
Now, when General Grant came you know,
| was out of the service, and was getting
paid as messenger. l went to the general
and told him j wanted 10 remain in my
! place while he was president oh, WE'LL said
he, without looking up from his paper, You
shall stay"
Arthur says the stories told about Gen.
eral Grant being drunk and unfit to transact
business, are all lies, made up by his enemies
and men who have failed to obtain from the
ex-president favors which they sought at the
White House. He says that he saw General
Grant nearly every day of his life for eight
years, and that he never saw him when he
was under the influence of liquor. He thinks
that the
FINEST SOCIAL EVENT
he ever witnessed at the White House during
Grants administration was the occasion of
Nellie Grants marriage. The faithful negro
is proud of the fact that during his 10 years
of service, with four different presidents,
he has never been censured for any
al OF his. Every one from the
president down to the clerks and messenger,
have implicit faith in him, and trust
him in everything. As proof of this ne says
that when Nellie Grant was married Colo
mel Babcock gave him So 900 in cash to carry
IT, the treasury to be converted into gold,
as wedding present from General Grant TO
his daughter. Arthur took the money, went
to the treasury, and brought back the gold
correct to cent AS he says himself, "Ohl
indeed, no one ever suspects me; L have
been here too long Although some Of the
boys did say in fun that l gave out the pres
dents message, but indeed that amt so. ]
could have done it, though, for tied them
all up in packages, ready to be mailed, and
| distributed lots of them around town, but,
of course, you know, 1 counted every one;
and when they were delivered, l brought
back receipt every time"
Arthur tells with good deal of satisfac-
ton how he once obtained
\ FREE RIDE TO ST. LOUIS
and return, besides staying in that city
for a week, with all his expenses
paid. 1t was during the time of the
"whisky-ring' trials. He was supposed
to be a good witness on account
of having handled all tho kilograms that
came to the Presidents private secretary. He
says: II was subpenaed as witness in the
trials at St. Louis; so L went down there L
rode in the same car with the rest of the pas
sengers, and, of course, | had nice time
When the trial came off, ana Arthur Sim
u.
attorney said: What do YOU know about
these telegrams?' | told him. / don't know
anything What did you do with them
when they Gamer well, if they was ad-
dressed to Colonel Babcock l gave them to
him; if they were for somebody else they
got 'em. L cant remember what / did with
all the kilograms that came there in those
days That's all, said the Judge, and | was
discharged loafed round the town for
week, at firstclass clearinghouse and then
came back to Washington
Arthur speaks of President Hayes
in the same way that he does of
all the rest IF his presidential friends:
"They all treat me very nicely
and so, of course, you know, have no fault
to find.' When asked whether this admin
lstraton was not more of temperance one
than any other he replied that he had moth
ing to say as how others did, but he was sure
this one never set out nothing TO drink. He
thinks that the social events are about as
numerous as of old, and up to the standard
of former receptions. Mrs. Hayes he says,
is in the habit of frequently setting out
lunch on cabinet days, and the president and
his advisers makeup
HAPPY FAMILY.
Arthur has great deal of matter slowed
away regarding past days at the White
House. He is, however, too much of Dip
lomat Ito give vent to his opinions to any
great extent. He has been in official life
just long enough to know that there is moth
ing to be gained by unnecessary talk, and
that often il is great benefit to keep things
to himself. He has nothing TO say about his
different masters. but that they all treated
him well and so he had nothing TO say about
them. He has good place in the White
House, and his only ambition is to stay there
until the time comes for him To depart for
that place where all good Scnegambians
go.
This African has long head and is a good
manager. He has been careful of the money
he has saved during his long term at the
presidential door, and is now in very
COMFORTABLE CIRCUMSTANCES
He owns neat two-story brick house on
al" street, which is very well fitted up The
parlor contains good piano and several
other articles of ornament and value. On
the wall, in tasty frames, hang the pictures
of three of the presidents, whom he has
known--Johnson, Lincoln and Grant. These
were given to him personally by the originals
of the pictures. President Hayes presented
him with IA cabinet picture of himself, which
he will have placed in frame and placed by
the side of his other presidential friends
He is very proud Of his gallery" ard will
leave il MS "A legacy to his children. Arthur
was married TO Washington girl, and they
have several bright, dark-skinned, curly
headed young Simmonses-"all going 10
school and learning more than their father
ever knew"