Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-09-29
4 Duke Of Newcastle Hoax.

A Duke OF Newcastle Hoax.
A telegram had been received in
Greenboro, N. c., recently. inquring
for rooms for the Duke of Newcastle,
who contemplated coming out there to
visit the Guifosa battle-ground and 9TH
er interesting places, and to indulge in
field sports. He was to arrive Wednes-
day evening, and expectation was on
tip-toe. When the train arrived Mr..
Edward L. Voorhees,, of Atlanta,
alighted and went to the McAdoo House
in ignorance of the situation, entered
his name on the register of the hotel as
usual, and was assigned a room. The
next morning, desiring an "eye-opener,"
he ordered one, and, being told that the
price was ten cents, insisted on paying
fifteen. This generosity at once excited
suspicion. and a b%y-stander whis-
pered, "When did he Gomez" That
vas enough. A wag connected with
the hotel followed him to the Office,
and, apologizing for his intrusion, in
formed him of the expected visit of the
Duke, and asked his name, which was
readily given, whereupon he suggested
that the stranger should not ''let on"
and they could have some fun-cham-
payne, etc, to be provided at the
wag's expense. Thereupon the Duke
retired to his room and the wag wrote
a new name-''Mr. Northington''-on
the register, and shortly afterward
sent a note addressed to the Duke of
Newcastle, telling him to delay going
to breakfast a little while.
Meantime the news spread like wild
fire, and when the Duke (?) left his room,
with hat and cane, for the dining
room, some of the more curious had
assembled in the hall to get a good
look at him, and a servant stood4S kthe
door, who received his hat and held it
while the Duke RECALLED himself with
the best the house could afford. The
number of the curious had increased
as he emerged, and, receiving his hat
from the darkey, who bowed low, the
Duke passsd with grave and dignitied
step down a double column of craning
necks and widestretched eyes. He
then proceeded to stroll around the
pretty little city, in which business was
almost suspended, while, .sThere he
goes" ''He's a-comin' this way" and
similar CALCULATIONS escaped a hundred
Threats. Upon his return to the hotel
the fun commenced. His room had
been changed to the best one in the
hotel, and flowers lined it on all sides,
while a large and magnificent bouquet
adorned the comfortable.
When the dinner hour arrived he
found an unusual number of ladies ele-
gantly dressed in the dining-room, and
his own table was decorated with beau
tiful flowers and attended by three
walters in spike-tail coats. A quart
bottle of Mumm's Dry Verzenay also
awaited him, to which he did full JUS
tice. When he retired there was a
throng of ladies Che says they were all
beautifully and a larger crowd of men
in the Railways. Presently he received
a card, and the owner, being intro
duCed, expressed the profound satisfac-
ton and the great honor he experienced
in making his .Grace's acquaintance,
grets that the si Mayor yar' Of t Rso' eitH w re,
absent, and therefore could not extend
the Inequalities of the city to so noble
a guest. He would be glad, however,
to do anything in his power to make his
Grace's stay agreeable. .'Would he be
pleased to play a game of billiards?"
They went down, and the caller s.set
'em up and got badly beaten knock
ing the balls.
An editor, dressed to kill, was then
presented and fired off a beautiful
speech of welcome, at the conclusion of
which a darkey in a spike-tail coat APP
peared with a silver waiter on which
rested a bottle of Roederer, which was
disposed of during the following con-
v%ersation:
GLOW does your Grace like American"
"Oh, charmed with it,"
"What do you think of our ladiesp"
Every beautiful, I'm sure. Taking
all classes together, more beautiful
than the women Of England"
eff your Grace would condescend. I
should be delighted to order a carriage
and introduce you to one, at least."o
atlanta Constitution.