River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-07-22
+" References Required"
Detroit Feee Press.

References Required"
Detroit Feec Press.
Between II and Il o'clock yesterday
forenoon Il middle-aged man stood on
the steps Of Congress street boarding
house with an old grip-sack i'll his hand
and cobble stone and lot of old
papers in the grip-sack. The papers
and the cObble-stone are mere suppO-
sitions, but they were doubtless in there
all the same When the strangers
ring was answered he INDUCED in bows,
scrapes and smiles, an announced his
readiness to take room and board III
the house until he could transact some
very important business which called
him to Detroit.
YES, we keep boardcrs, but well, you
know-we have to be so careful, you
know,I presume you have references? p
References! madam, have a thous-
and. | am delighted to find that you
are SO choice of your guests. | pre-
sumo you have heard Of Senator
Smith p
Smith! Smith! She wasn't quite
sure"
Don't know Senator SMITH" he ex-
claimed as he held up his hands.
'Well, you western people are so sin
gular 1--we been i'll swimming with
Senator Smith thousand times. We
used to run bank together. I'll have
to tell him when | get home that |
found a lady in Detroit who had never
heard Of him. You must have heard
of Gen. Sherman
ooh, yes"
"Well, Sherm and sleep in the same
bed when he can get an excuse for be
ing out all night. We are always out
strawberrying together when I'm i'll
Washington. The day | left he came
down to the depot and wanted 70 pay
me an old debt of 81 900, but wouldn't
take it. Just drop line to Gen. Sher-
man and ask him if he knows Judge
Collins"
She seemed to study over the matter,
and he presently continued:
"Maybe that would be too much
trouble. Do YOU know the mayor of
Buffalo,"
mo"
''Sorry, very sorry, because it
wouldn't take ten minutes to telegraph
him. We rent the same pew III church,
and our wives look like twin sisters.
Nice man, he is, and can imagine how
he would look if some one was to ask
him if Judge Collins was all right Per-
haps you know the governor of Indi-
ana 2"
She seemed ashamed to confess that
she didn't
REALLY don't know him ~ he went
ON. Glow unfortunate, as | am just
from his house, where he obliged me
to tarry for three weeks. The last
thing he said to me at the depot yes
terday was: Now, Judge, when you
get to Detroit don't go to any of the
first-cass hotels, where all is hustle and
| confusion, but put up at some quiet,
modest boarding house, where they are
very particular about their guests, and
where the landlady has the appearance
of genuine aristocrat.' That's what
he said, and that's why | am here.
Some women would have softened
under that, but she had had two men
climb out of back window the night
before, owing her 81, and the hattery
didn't soften line i'll her face. She
asked him if he could give local refer
| ences.
"Why, madam, how can II" he re
piled, II am u stranger here, | came
here to transact about $50, 900 worth of
business with the banks, secure plans
for new block ON Woodward avenue,
and perhaps set my son-in-law up i'll
| the wholesale dry goods trade, but sew
eral DAYS must necessarily elapse be-
| fore any one will come to know me for
what | am"
Our rule is to require references,
She said as she noticed his siX-day old
paper collar and almost buttOnless vest.
Madam" he replied, as he backed
down the steps, 81 am both surprised
and grieved / had intended, before
leaving your house, to give you a set
| Of silverware which the governor OF
! Connecticut presented me last Christ
mas, but your hesitancy shows that
you suspect me. Suspicion is some
thing that touches me in tender spot.
| am now forced to go to a tirst-class
hotel and the silver will probably go
to the cook. Adieu, suspecting wo-
man"
Maybe she feels bad over it and may
be she doesn't She probably doesn't
| if she heard him ask a boy he met on
the corner if there was penny restau-
rant in Detroit.
THERE was Kansas City Journal re
porter on the train that carried Grant
from Galena, and one his first exploits
was to sail through the cars getting up
a list of the people aboard. One of the
persons he struck vas short. thick-set
man with beard, who sat gazing pen
sively out of the window with cigar in
his mouth.
Are you one of the invited guests?'
asked the reporter, tapping the man on
the shoulder
The man said he was, and kept on
smoking.
From st. Joe or Leavenworth?
asked the reporter, note book and pen
ell in hand.
Illinois" replied the man, still smok-
ing.
''Ill have to trouble you for your
name" persisted the reporter
Grant, said the man, still smoking
Initials, please" asked the report
er.
Ulysses S. Grant, replied the man
quietly.
ooh, faintly calculated the reporter
And strange light came in his eyes
And he moved on.