The Evening critic., 1883-06-05
THE CRITIC ABROAD,

With few and far-between exceptions can
it be said that the Presidents of the United
States "looked not upon the wine when it
was red" or the beaded whisky when it was
"ready'' during their terms of office. Gar
field, it is said, was one of the view excep-
tions to the rule. Arthur is not. Neither
is he wine bibber. He takes the straight
old stuff. And not an inferior order of
goods either, but old Kentucky bourbon
whisky, at eighteen dollars a gallon.
AS the Critic passed through
the White House grounds this
morning the wagon of prominent
grocer drove up to the steps leading down
to the Presidential wine-cellar, and sable
attendant proceeded to unload a number of
medium-sized kegs from the vehicle The
labels on the kegs told the story. They
contained whisky.
"For the President" asked The Critic.
"Yes, sah."
'Do you furnish this dose often ?'
"Oh, yes. Sometimes he gifts more dan
dis at onct. Yer see he has jess got back
from N'York, and kinder wants ter keep
dem cellars loaded up
" 1t is very high-priced liquor?'
Yes, sab desc two kegs Gums at SIS
gallon and de oders are only $15."
Then, with broad grin and meaning
wink, he concluded, as he rolled keg down
the steps, ode Presidint am sharp one
Dat SIS whisky he drinks hisself, de oder
he puts up for de guests. Ketch on?"
-:o:-
One of the prettiest and wierdest SUPER
stitions of the wreckers on the Southern sea
coast is that which possesses them on a
stormy night, when muttering storm
clouds angrily agitate the seward sky,
emitting binding zigzag flashes of cleo
tricity from their gloom and accompanying
the bowling gale with peals OF Natures
eloquence. When the orm-driven, white
capped breakers break rumblingly over
the sandy beach, adding their ghostly
phosphorescent glare to the lightning flash,
it is then that the grim and bearded old
wreckers see supernatural panorama
along the spray -fecked, foaming
beach. Grim phantoms of ILL
fated mariners who found graves
in the ''vasty deep" ride in upon the roll
ing waves, their misty forms enshrouded in
| Tapping garments Of ghostly shape, and
! white, disappearing now within the watery
| trough and then appearing upon the turbu-
| lent breaker top as if in an endeavor to
reach the land, beyond which a gray-haired
| mother, perchance, awaits the coming oil
her sailor boy, or II wife and the little
ones at home" grow old while waiting aud
signing in vain for papa's ship to come. The
scene as described by the wreckers, al.
though plainly told, is eloquent. They
speak of it reverentially, and upon no con
dition will some of them venture out upor
the storm-tossed beach during the preve
lance Of an of-shore storm.
-:o:-
The Critic met an old man this mornin,
who claims to have drank enough whisk,
during his life to float either one of the iroi
monitors.
"Talk about poets being sentimental,
he said, at the same time steadying hi
nervous chin with trembling hand, "i
my opinion drunkard is the most senti
mental man in the world. He knocks tn
poet out in one round"
"How so?' queried the Critic
"Why every time an old soak is treate
4 to drink" he replied, "for he very rarel.
pays for one it is policy for him to utter
sentiment to the man who is treating. Fo
instance he will say Here's to yer, Goo
luck, My best regards or God bless yer
Those are sentiments and rll bet you
agree me that the topper Is the most sent
mental man in the world. A shrewd topel
who can work the lay, will utter from te
to twenty sentiments in one day. Did yo
say something?"