Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-10-18
PLAYING PRESIDENT,
A man who Continually Represents
Himself as MFR. Arthur.


IN. Y. Correspondence of the indianapolis News.l
We have New Yorker who resem
bles President Arthur so closely as tc
be commonly mistaken for him. Tn,
like has existed for twenty years ol
: more, and was subject of comment
ssAmong the acquaintance of the two
men when there was less social differ,
ence between them than there is now
Bill Nathans was shoemaker, with q
, shop of his own near the custom house
during the years that Arthur, before
appointment as collector, held sdbor.
dinate positions. They got shaved in
the same barber shop, so Nathans tells
me. A change of proprietorship gave
the opportunity for joke on the new
owner. Nathans vent in to have his
face smoothed, told his name in order to
identify his private cup, and as it was
broken, talked about ordering another
Just outside the door he met Arthur
They consulted briefly. Arthur went
in, nodded familiarly, and took his
place in chair. The barber looked
surprised at the customer who, appar-
emily, was the same men who had a
minute before been under his hands;
but he had no time to make any COM
ment before Arthur said: I've got
a cup here-marked 'Nathans.' Don I
you remember? You were speaking
to me about new one yesterday"
yesterday, sir!" exclaimed the puz
zled barber. Didn't l shave you
right now!'
II havp't been in here since yester-
day." was the cool reply
The barber was not total abstainer,
and had no good reason to trust his
own mind implicitly. A barely fin
ished spree made him more than
usually doubtful of his memory; but
he was thoroughly alarmed by men
tai condition tina: seemed to deprive
him of the power to discriminate be-
tween two minutes and a day. He
shaved Arthur very thoughtfully, and
that evening went to a temperance
meeting to sign pledge.
The resemblance did Nathans no
good, though it enabled him to crafty
his vanity by posing in public places,
and receiving mods and occasional
hsndsbakes under false pretences.
This form of amusement, however,
proved costller than 1t might seem at
first thought. 1t was easy enough to
too casual acquaintance of the collec-
tor, but the sport took time that he
could not spare from his small bust.
ness, and so sank from employer to
employe. The elevation of Arthur
to the vice presidency entailed addi.
tional responsibility upon his counter
part, who there-upon undertook to
keep up proper shadow of dignity
This he did by dressing as nearly like
Arthur as the obtainable information
on that subject would permit. The
expenses of his wardrobe were thus
augmented far beyond what he could
afford; but he kept at it reso.utely,
and showed himself in guises that sat
isfed his notion of what vice presi-
dent of the United States ought TO be-
Then came the further exaltation of
Arthur, and still Nathans manfully,
proudly bore the burden of similitude.
He has informed himself of the presi-
dent style of all the real or fancied
changes in his demeanor in ths>direc-
tion of increased dignity, and especial
ly of alterations in the cut of his
beard. Arthur's rather long side
whiskers had not been trimmed ',losely
many days before Nathans learned of
it and had his own shorted in as near
ly the same way as could be accom-
plished without actual measurements.
He may be seen on afternoons saunter-
ing in Broadway and lonuglng in places
of whighty mems resort, getting a COM
pensation for his bankruptcy in the
stares which his likeness causes.