The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-09-23

Stories Ct Webster, Clay, Mason,
Dan1oa Drew and Others Told
Between the Strokes Of q
aa8oe-Samuel Scott
yun'e RoCollcCtions.

86809-S8m00l 9COtC~
son's Rsoollections.
Next. gentleman" were the ia
miliar wards which fell on the ears
ofa Star, reporter the other evening
while he sat waiting his turn in
small and old-fashi0ued but clean
and we'll ordered barber shop on De
Kalb. just above NOstrand avenue,
Brooklyn. The summons came from
the proprietor Of the place, an aged
c0l0red man named Samuel ScOttrOn.
The barber II q man Of short stature,
inclined to corpulency, aud Of light
yellow color. His hair Is long and
grows In . fringe around . bald spot
In the center. He speaks with great
precision and uses language which
marks him At once ~ . student and
. man Of intelligence. Among the
people Of his race he must occupy
prominent position.
''Been In the barber business long,"
queried the reporter ~ the barber
s0aped his face VITA q hand as soft as
satin and touch as light Us wO-
mans.
"About 80 years." was the reply.
THAT seems to me long time"
"You must in your time have
shaved some distinguished pcrsons::"
"Yes, sir; l have shaved almost
every distinguished politician, divine
and professional man Of the time. l
knew Henry Clay, Daniel Webster
and John Y. Mason, and q host Of
Others"
"What sort Of a man was Webster
to si,ave::''
"Well, lie was taciturn and uncom-
municative. The first time l shaved
him he spoke In nlonosyllables 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 ask
ed me where l had learned my trade.
told him in Philadelphia, aud I
said knew Mr.. Clay. He expressed
some surprise at that, opened his
mouth, and We had long talk. MIR.
Webster was most interesting COM
verSationalist and I learned good
deal from him. After that lie came
several times, and we always had
talk together. He got to calling NE
by lny Christian name-Samuel."
"YOu say you knew Henry Clay::"
"Yes, I knew him very we'll in
Philadelphia. He was q great friend
Of my father. When he was chair
man of the African colonization So
ciety he tried hard to persuade my
father to send me to Africa. l Oh
jecte.l xtrenuOusly; but the more l OBJ
jected the more he wanted to have
me sent there. The last time l saw
Henry Clay was i'm New York City,
ut the end Of City Hall Park, where
the lostoffice now stands. He WAS
candidate for the presidency then.
He had arrived by the ioat, and had
Leen bnoaght up from tlle river i'll Q
cavalca6e. Clay's carriage stopped
just opl.xite to where I was standing
and he saw ME in the crowd. sam
uei,' he said, Leckoning to :,:. 1
was allowed to go uy to the carriage.
and he shook hands with me and
asked me low I was getting a!"ag.
When I left the carriage lie began to
deliver his address. Clay was u
splendid man, and everybody that
got close to him loved him. He
couldn't help H."
"now did you come to knew John
Y. Mason::''
~ saw him in Philadelphia. ]
shall never forget an incident about
Mason. lie was to make spscc!, to
the Suns " Foil in that city, ami he
did make it. When it was over the
Son. q: Tui; came UP 10 him t"s'iake
hands with kim. He WAS lc3kiny
toward the presidency !lhcn. After
hand-siIakiny for about al hour, lie
joined the committee who had charge
of the meeting, and, addressing one
Of ti,:, number, said:
al an, not a Democrat ii have to
20 through any more Of that hand
shaking
IL ovt r!,cayt' ihe remark, ansl l
said to my uncle who was prescnt
that l believed the hard fi.!> Of the
sous of Toll had hurt Slr. Ma-cD's
| delicate fingers
"Of course YOU often shaved ''ncle
Daniel Drcw":'
"Ye.; and for nothing, too. He
thought he had a right t. I've shaved
i free because | w:is allow. d the rsivi-
liye Of barher:nS upon l'is beat. Once
he gave me ~ cents for shaving. him.
but then he was hantercd into 1t ty
old Commodore Peck. He said:
"'Drew, I've watched you: you
never pay that hoy. Now lets see
you ray nn.'
mir. Drew once paid me ~ cents
. for watching all his family baggage
! all night and carrying ii up sta::> at
+, tac house. II was the isar:!e>t-e:rncd
half dollar I ever took. But after !
had got throuyl, with the job one %:
! the ladies Of the family said:
'GcNl-hye, Sam; come and shake
hands, and she rut $, bill ja:o my
! hand. ! heard Mr.. DR.. W say once
to some Of the Hudson River railroad
,.4pi. that after they had Sold the
road twice he wouit! own it. That
came ou: tr.:e. Mr.. Drew once pU:
away S.,.MM. 900 where it should nev-
or t.c touched. and you may te sure
! it never was touched, hut is III the
family now. Tie times I'm talking
! about for the most part were before
the railroad. There were no rail-
| roads t,uilt then. and the people (rOln
! that section had to Use the llOusaton-
! ic. New Workers in those days were
! Jealous Oi 1.s.onians and Bms!c'lians
of New Workers."
; "What other great men 10 you re-
! nlemi'cr::'
">onne time when ! am TO; busy !
can tall: to yoI "f Il number mere.
. III 1875 Capt. Peek pat Gen. Grant
/ under my charge. The captain told
] the general I had = ..:vor to ask him.
! I had Il son vino was III th,. army
ii. X. I had 4 hon: talk with the ."n-
! era, In. | said no:i,iny about the f;,-