The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1881-10-29
TOM OCHILTnEE'S TONGUE.
Although Not an Unruly Member 1t
Tells Some Very Remarkable
Yarns.
The Story Of a Hunt for Elephants
Tusks for Empress Eugenie's
BOudOir.
The History of Adventures that Would
Make Munchausen Blush for
Envy.

fore it is fair to presume that every body has
heard OF Major Tom Ocbiltree, of Texas,
after whom John Chamberlain, the we'll
known sportsman, named his famous race
horse. Major Tom was Marshal of Texas
under Grant, and is known as one of the
distinguished travellers warmest adherents.
The Major has the gift of speech developed
to the remotest limits of exaggeration,
which has caused him to be called by his
many friends the "Arabian Knight" But
although his vivid imagination will not
permit him to reply to simple question
about the weather without decorating it
with what he calls rainbow here and there
it must not be inferred that in serious mat
tiers the red headed ranger of the Rio
GranGe is at all wanting in veracity. His
word is quite as good as his bond in bust
nees matters Perhaps l can not better il
lustrate the fascinating characteristics of
one who is now national charact than
by relating a scene which took place the
other night at the Union League Club.
which was recently removed to new and
magnificent quarters on the southern slope
of Murray Hill. 1t is, of course, impossible
to put in dull type the Majors graceful ges-
lures his
KALEIDOSCOPE CHANGES OF THOUGHT
and the magnetism of his ardent manner,
)ut good idea of the peculiari les which
nave made him famous may be obtained
from what l was enabled TO catch from y
sofa on which / sat an amused listener. 1t
was rather a slow evening at the Union
League, and the few members sitting around
the fire asked Major Ochiltrce to enliven
them with one of his adventures Tom
threw searching glance around the circle
to take in" as it were, his audience and re-
lated as follows:
"Well, gentlemen, I've nothing more in
teresting in the caves of my memory than
a wide range of travel and some very emf
nent people I've met will be, but l will try
to entertain you until my latch-key runs
down In the spring of 1855 | found n.y.
self in Paris / had been sent by the State
of Texas II negotiate loan to build rail-
road b, tween Galveston and the Citv of
Mexico. Some of you NAV doubtless re-
memb'r that General Santiago Barboss,
then Dictator of Mexico. was in favor of the
scheme. OF course my presence on the
Bourse attracted considerable attention, and
| was approached one fine morning on the
Boulevard des Capucines by a mgnifcently
costumed chssseur,
ALL GOLD LACE AND RED PANTS
looked noble, tell you-who said in q sort
of Algerian French, 'His Majesty COM
mands your presence at the Tuileries to-
night at 10 O'Clock" ] told him to say to
my fellow sovereign that 1 would be on
deck sharp at the hour named, and not to
forget it."
4 90
sumptive-looking member, in a modest, in
curing tone.
Eyes, sir; 1 spoke just as good French
then as l do now. met His Majesty at the
appointed hour, and by Jovel the Empress
was with him, and hadn't come dressed to
see ladies. Not to dwell too long on phase
of European society which is now familiar
to so many travelled Americans, His Majesty
wanted Inc TO 20 to Central Africa ard buy
about $4,000 pounds of elephants teeth
ivory, you know-for him. Eugene wanted
to deck her boudoir in the palace at Fon-
tainebleau in ivory, and the European mar.
kets we're exhausted. At first l pleaded the
importance of the interests Entrusted to my
care, but the Emperor interrupted me with
gesture of Impotence, and exclaimed:
Consider that loan placed I'll make Italy
and Belgium take 1t all this week. The
Empress, then the most beautiful woman
in Europe and
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN EVER SAW,
except one-a ST. Louis gamblers wife
added her entreaties, paying compliment
to my native State, and saying she heard
that had faculty for finding my way safely
around Greasers, Navsjos, newspaper re-
porters and hackmen. That settled i'll 1
started the next day with letter of credit
on the French Consul-General at Cairo for
100000 francs, about 100000. The
Egyptian Government-Said Pash was In
pvwer-rendered me every assistance, and
in four months was up the White Nile,
5000 miles from tie Delta and 900 miles
inland toward the Nyanzas, the guest of
Mtess, the King of Unganda.
''Did you hear anything of Livingstone2'
asked fat member.
IL haven't come to that yet" replied the
Texan Major, fixing bad eye on him. 81
became great friends with Mtesa. He was a
fine. looking, splendidly formed niger, six
feet seven inches tall He was rather too
fond of merissa, strong native beer, and
when under its influence would do things to
make your hair stand on end; very much
such man as Jim Bennett One night az
ter we had been on hunt and knocked
over a few lions. some blesbok, a dozen
giraffes and brace of hippopotami-"
.'Is it strictly 'p'itami or 'potamusesp
meekly inquired the thoughtful listener.
AS FULL AS A GOAT.
The Major darted a fiery glance at him
but without reply went on:
"One night, 1 say. before / was interrupted
by this lineal descendant of Noah Webster
Mtesa was as full "a goat and for some tri-
fling infracton of court etiquette he ordered
up his corps of executioners and struck of
the heads of 1900 of the first mobiles about
the royal town and court / was forced to
witness the inhuman butchery or run the
risk of losing my own head If l exhibited
the slightest sign OF disgust. So 1 nerved
myself up to it by pint of old CognaC
Victor Hugo had pressed upon me the
morning l left Paris, and smoked an ex-
quisitefy carved meerschaum pipe presented
to me by Marshal Canrobert, who had
received it as a wedding gift from Victor
Emmanuel, the king of Italy, you know
Sir" said Major Tom, severely as one of the
circle began to cough violently and hold hi
head down, what did l understand you Il
say?"
The circle looked a trife embarrassed
but no one replying the ornate Texan wen
on.
"Yes. sir, by the living Jingol he cut of
500 human heads"
Thirteen hundred think, was the ex.
act NUMBER" said the convalescent mem
ber
QUITE PICTURESQUE.
"Oh, damn figures I've got no head fol
'em. He cut off all these heads before day
break, and when the sun rose over the snow