Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-08
Ne,v York Star.

S&AAUc1 SCOkkFOIp@ k6GCOlecklOn9.
Neg York Star
Next gentleman, were the familiar
words which fell on the ears of a Star
reporter the other evening while he sal
waiting his turn in q small and old.
fashioned, but clean and well-ordered
barber shop on De Kalb, Just above
Nostrand avenue, Brooklyn. The sum.
mons came from the proprietor Of the
place, an aged colored man, named
| Samuel Scottron. The barber is q
man of short stature, inclined tc
cOrpulencY. and of light yellow color.
His hair is long, and grows in fringe
around bald spot in the centre. He
speaks with great precision, and uses
language which marks him at once as q
student and a man of intelligence
Among the people of his race he must
occupy prominent position.
Been in the barber business long 9''
| queried the reporter, as the barber
soaped his face with hand as soft as
satin and touch as light as a woman's.
About fifty years, was the reply.
That seems to me long time"
You must in your time have shaved
some distinguished persons ?"
Yes, sir; l have shaved almost every
distinguished politician, divine and pro-
fessional mau of the time I knew
Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and John
Y. Mason, and host of others"
What sort of man was Webster to
shave ?"
"Well, he was tactiturn and uncom-
munlcative. The first time | shaved
him he spoke in monosyllables only.
Next time he came he asked Capt Peck
for me. He asked where the boy was
that shaved him the last time. | was
sent to him, and he asked me where /
had learned nv trade. | told him in
Philadelphia. and l said | knew Mr..
Clay. He expressed some surprise at
that, opened his mouth, and we had a
long talk. Mr.. Webster was a most in
| teresting cOnversationalist, and | learned
good deal from him. After that he
came several times, and we always had
a talk together. He got to calling me
| by my Christian name-Samuel
you say you knew Henry Clay ?"
Eyes, l knew him very well in Phila-
delphia He was a great friend of my
father. When he was Chairman of tn e
African Colonization Society he tried
to persuade my father to send me to At
RIGA. l objected strenuously, but the
more | objected the more he wanted to
have me sent there. The last time l saw
Henry Clay was in New York CITY, at
the end of the City Hall Park. where
! the post office now stands. He was
/ candidate for the Presidency then He
had arrived by the boat, and had been
| brought up from the river in caval-
cade. Clay's carriage stopped just OPP
| pOsite to where l was standing, and he
saw me in the crowd. Samuel he said,
reckoning to me. | was allowed to go
up to the carriage, and he shook hands
with me and asked me how | was get
ting along. When left the carriage he
Jegan to deliver his address. Clay was
a splendid man, and everybody that got
close to him loved him. He couldn't
help it."
How did you come to know John Y.
MasOn?"
II saw him in Philadelphia. | shall
never forget an incident about Mason.
He was to make speech to the Sons of
Toll in that city, and he did make it.
When it was over the Sons of Toll came
up to him to shake hands with him. He
was looking towards the Presidency then.
After hand shaking for about an hour,
he Joined the committee who had charge
of the meeting, and, addressing one of
the number. said:
81 am not a Democrat if have to 80
through any more of that hand shak-
ing"
81 overheard the remark, and said to
my uncle who was present that believ-
ed the hard fists of the Sons of Toll had
hurt Mr.. MasOn's delicate fingers.
"Of course you often shaved Uncle
Daniel Drew?'
Eyes; and for nothing, too. He
thought he had right to be shaved free
because was allowed the privilege of
barbering upon his boat. Once he gave
me ten cents for shaving him, but then
he was bantered into it by old Commo-
dore Peck. He said
Drew, I've watched you; you never
pay that boy. Now let's see you pay up
'Mr. Drew once gave me fifty cents for
watching all his family baggage all night
and carrying it up stairs at the house.
1t was the hardest earned half dollar l
ever took. But after l had got through
with the job one of the ladies of the
family said:
Goodbye, Sam; come and shake
hands. and she put a So bill into my
hand. heard Mr.. Drew say once to
some of the Hudson River Railroad
people that after they had sold the road
twice he would own it. That came out
true Mr.. Drew once put away $40, 00O,-
600 where it should never be touched,
and you may be sure it never was
touched, but is in the family now. The
times Pm talking about for the most part
were before the railroad. There were
no railroads built then, and the people
from that section had to use the Housa-
tonic. New Workers in those days were
Jealous of Bostonians and Bostonians of
New Workers"
what other great men do you remem.
berH"
"Some time when I'm not busy can
talk to you of number more. In 1855
Capt. Peck put Gen. Grant under my
charge. The Captain told the General |
had favor to ask of him. had son
that was in the army sick. had long
talk with the General, but said nothing
about the. favor. He didn't forget it,