Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-01-27
PAT DOMAIN.
his ReOOllectiOns of q Banquet at
Greenbrisr White Sulphur.
How General RObertsOn's Shark
Went Down. and Mark Twain's
Patriotism Petered Out,
Pal Donan in Farro lDakotal News

Of 1871 was the most brilliant ever
known In the history ofthe place.
Nearly every prominent family IN the
South was represented in the immense
throng Of visitors. All such men as
old Joe Johnston. Wade Hampton,
General Gusts, General FitZhugh
Lee, General Stephen D. Lee, Beau
regard, the PrestOns, Henrys, old Pat
rick's descendants. the harrisons,
Drewrys, Maurys, Jacksons, Picken
ses. Buffers aud Marshalls we're there
Many of the foreign Ministers and
their families were down from Wash
iueton: Chief Justice Waite, EVarts
and most of the Cabinets half the
Governors of the Union, North and
South, and a swarm of such cattle
as ; Senators and Oongfessmen
were among the crowd, 1t was
decided to give a grand m%id-season
german and banquet, and | was Sc
lected to preside on the occasion. vii
Hamilton, & stepson of the 'Old
Cerro Gordon Williams, United States
Senator from Kentucky, was the Chair
man of the Committee of Arrange
ments that notified me Of my having
been chosen for president. | declined
on the ground that | was too younf
to preside over such an assemblags
The committee Insisted that the
wanted me because | was younger
than the men usually chosen for such
| purposes, and because Twas versed il
Ill the history, poetry, romance, moon
| shine and humbug of the place.
The committee stuck to it that
was the man they had chosen, and
they would take no refusal. | calico
a meeting of a dozen or mere gertle
men like Hon. Job Stevenson, OF Ohio.
Major William Gary. Of South Catoli
ma; Hon. John G. Burcb Of Nashville
Tenn, Secretary of the United Staies
Senate, and Major Henry 5. Foot, Of
Mississippi, son of the ,neient hrf
eater kOOte, TO get up appropriate
toasts and select the speakers. Ths
upshot Of it was that the whole worI
ell on me, as | knew the peeuliarilies
Of every fellow at the springs. The
selections proved the best that coulo
have been made. The afflir was tn
srandest 10 the history Of tile springs
There were famous men aud beauti
ul women from every region in tht
world 10 the crowd. 1t was the
haudsomest assembly | ever. saw
Major VIII Gary, Of South Car
DINA, responded in dazzling and
Witty fashion to the toast Of ''Flirta-
tion," holding all the time fast to the
hand of the beautiful and gifted widow
Of Governor Pickens, who was tug
cling at his coat tail to get away.
Major Foote, Of Mississippi, began
his response to THE German with
the declaration: Il thank God foi
two things; one is that | am an Amer
lean citizen, and the other is that /
cannot dance the german, and made
one Of the funniest speeches | ever
heard, ringing in all the poetry Of mo.
ton that ever vas written, sung or
said since Miriam danced a hornpipe
over the drowned Egyptians. General
Beverly Robertson, an old regular
army Officer and 3 great beau and
society man, the ideal Of a veteran
cavalier, had rather crowded himself
on the programme to respond TO the
toast 1.-THE Ladies" When | an
nounced his toast, he arose and be
gan: Ladies and centlemen-The
bark went down. and there he stuck
He turned red in the face, and STAN
meringly started out again: Ladies
and conference.-the bark wen,
down. and once more struck a saw
yer and halted. The polished audi
saoe vas IL al agony ofsy=Pathy, and
the cold sweat of anguish broke out on
my forehead. A third time the old
General ialtered out, The bark went
down" and a third time he prused.
idgeted with the pigeon tails OF hi,
dress coat, and at last drew out 9
crampled piece of manuscript. Every
body heaved a huge sigh of relief
With hands shaking like aspen leaves
he Strengthened cut the paper, aud in
shaky. sweet tones read slowly, with
a secord's rest between the words
THE bark went down." and came to .
dead standstill. What the d. bs
was trying to quote or to say nobody
ever knew. The polite, aristocratit
audience. to relieve itself from tht
anguish Of pity and shame for the OLE
gentleman as much as any other cause
first Uttered, and then, as he still.
stood. fumbling and mumbling, unabl,
to read his own writing, burst into I
roar Of laughter, as some one exclaim
ed Better let her stay down, Gen
eral p He sank into bis seat, lookini
as il the blood would burst through
with the sweat on bis face. 1 had fell
a little indignant with Hamilton anC
others at the name in which be haC
pushed himself into the programme
but pity aud sympathy mastered 10.
dignation, and | sprang to my feet anC
said | was astonished at such rude
ness from so polite an assemblage
: adding: "0ne who, like Genera.
Robertson, has shown his devotion L
his fair countrywOmen by a long life
of gallant and chivalric deeds, needl
no words to express that devotion"
1t was at this banquet that | made
a halt Joking statement which after.
ward brought Mark Twain out in ,
long aud labored explanation of hi
desertion Of the Confederate army
About an hour before the entertain
ment began | learned that the Lad,
visitors at the Springs had held ,
meeting and arranged to toast me Al
THE Ladies Friend" When III,
toast was offered, | found that contra.
ry to all my previous experience, !
could not remember a sentence O
what l had waitten, so | began b,
saying that | rarely quoted MARI
Twain, because | considered him T,
butfoon in literature, and knew hin
to be a deserter from the same bsigad,
| had belonged to at the beginning
! but" | added, Il fully endorse M
, declaration that a fellow never feels So
sure Of his impromptu speech as wher
he has the manuscript up his sleeve
And proceeded coOlly to pull down m,
! paper oratory from my sleeve. Tn,
moment the banquet closed | wa
t besieged by newspaper correspondent
from every part Of the United State
to know whether | had alluded d
! Mark Twain as a deserter from tn
Confederate army only to give a littl