The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-09
GREAT STATESMEN AT TABLE.
Henry Clay and John c. CalhOun-Benton's
Weakness-What Killed Harrison.


Baltimore Herald.
Il want to tell you," continued the superan-
nuated restaurateur, "of Henry Clay. Perhaps
you never hear of what an eater he was. Well,
1 can say that knew Mr. Clay great many
years. because l waited on him, both at the
National Hotel and at Hancocks restaurant, as
well as at good many other places Mr.. Clay
was great lover of broiled oysters and baked
pumpkins. He was the most singular man l
ever saw about his eating. People said he
wanted to be eccentric for effect Per
haps you don't know that Mr.. Clay used to eat
butter on his watermelons? Well, sir, he did
l recullect very well that on certain day,
when there was a great many famous men at
the table, including Mr.. Corwin, Mr. Calhoun
General Taylor and General Carey, of Michigan,
Mr.. Clay had his watermelon set out before
him. After having tho melon sliced, he said;
Now, gentlemen, you have before you the most
magnificent product of the vegetable kingdom;
now here is tho most magnificent product Of
the animal kingdom-butter Then he pro
ceeded to butter a slice of melon, and he put
| the butter on thick and can tell you that he
| did not stop at one Slice In fact | may say
that he never did stop at four five slices of
| buttered watermelon every time they put water
melon on the table. But can say that none Of
the other gentlemen followed his advice One
of Mr.. Clay's friends, a Kentucky colonel tried
it once, but you ought see him lay the water
melon down. real quick. No, sir, never see
nobody else 'cept MIR. Clay take to buttered
watermelon.
Somehow or other all these great men had
their peculiarities about what they wanted to
eat. There was Mr.. Calhoun, who always had
| his 'possum and sweet potatoes when he could
| get them. He used to say to me: Now, Steve,
| you get me a nice fat possum, cook it the day
after it is killed, parboil it FIRST then put it in
hot oven, with boiled yam potatoes laid around
it in the oven and then let it slowly brown. If
yon can get coon, Steve, you make plenty of
coon gravy, very brown ande pour it over the
postum And don't you fail to have the pos
sum we'll favored with pepper, salt and sage
Well, sir, you just ought to seen Mr. Calhoun
sit down to dish of possum with coon gravy.
He wasn't big man, but he was mighty thin,
and there plenty Of room about his vest
| He would make that possum very sick before
he got through with it. He used to say that it
reminded him of old South Carolina to eat
possum, and that's the reason he liked it we'll
Many time he's told me about going out pos
sum hunting at night with colored boys, and
dogs, and an AK, freeing the possum, cutting the
tree down and roasting the possum before log
fire. Mr.. Calhoun's neighbors down there used
to send him boxes Of persimmons, and these he
would distribute among his friends here as one
of the great products of South Carolina OF
course, Mr.. Calhoun had all the old Southern
hahitr 80 To- wanted his coffee in the morning be-
81 fore he got out of bed. For breakfast he wante
60 hot corn bread or biscuits, and the breast of
chicken. He wouldn't eat any other part of I'll
u chicken For dinner he didn't care much ft
oy anything except soup and fish. 1t was at nigf
he that he wanted his 'possum or any extra dish
nd might fancy.
ry "Senator Benton, of Missouri, was a might
funny man about his eating" continued Unc
Steve Il was at the National Hotel for Ion
time while he boarded there, and I can say ths
he was about as fuSSy man as you ever saP
s+ He could talk more and pay his walters les
than any congressman | ever waited on. In til
morning he would say TO me, Steve, you blac
rascal, bring me a Missouri cocktail TIL;
rs, would mean whisky Straight, two drinks in on
st He would call for pretty much everything on IL
up bill of fare, but he didn't touch much of i
g. What do you suppose was his favorite disl
OF Bacon and molasses, as sure as you al
1t born. He would have big dish
e bacon fried crisp with the gravy at the bottom
m Then he would pour pint of molasses over
OF and tell you, when he got through there WASH
as any thing left but the dish, That's the reasc
n, Mr. Benton had his meals mostly in his room
ry He did not want people to know that he was
gs fond of bacon and molasses.
''Theres President Harrison who died
nd quick after he got into the White House. The
er- all say that he died from excitement nervol
nd prostraton and all that. But the man wi
ly waited on him said that he died from too mut
"a dinner. He had been in the White House but
81 few days when he told the waiterhe had brougl
IN from Indiana, to get him up what he called
At regular old-fashioned North Bend Dime
ss That was Mr.. Harrison's home in
an diana, and his order meant cabbage, pickle
OF pork, fresh roast pork, peas cucumbers al
no sweet POTATOES. WIN cOFu IrlJJefS Il
ell desert. This was day that Mr. Webst
u- had long talk with him. Mr.. Webster was
DIS his Cabinet, and he said: Harrison, if the
nd id Office seekers don't kill you, that dnn
he will = Well, sir, he never saw well minu
ed after that dinner He had indigestion, hea
en- aches and swimming in the head and they So
ey that his mind wasn't right till he died. 1t mig
ad have been something else but believe that
er was that dinner that caused his death. The o
tn cook at the White House said that he had cook,
ne for FIVE Presidents but that Mr. Harrison could
in more than all Of them put together Why, 81
lfa he could eat two whole whitehead cabbages al
Ie- pork to correspond, with corn-cakes and m
es. iasses at one time. The story at that time w
that when he was in the army he always a
be double rations, and the commissary did n
to charge him extra for it. While he was fghtir
ny in the army his favorite dish raw pork al
Ole hard tack, and the other officers used to S
be around and watch him get away with it.
by ''Who was the smallest eater l ever knee
N Well, I've known good many small eaters b
to l believe that Mr.. jeff Davis was about Il
1T smallest ever saw. He was always so thin "
lat could almost see through him, and they used
~ say it was because he did not eat enough.
,ly waited on him at Welcker's before he Sc
sc, retary of War-it must have been about thirt
on seven or may be about forty years ago. F
is looked sickly and pale, and seemed to eat
Dr. cause he was obliged to. He drank tea instei
St of coffee, but he never drank more than half
re Gun About two or three mouthfus of toa
nd finished his breakfast. For dinner he had ha
at plate of soup, thin slice of roast beef, Whit
in he hardly tasted and glass of claret.
~ read the papers nearly all the time he at Il
of table, and never noticed anybody without
st. was spoken to. 1 have often seen him get
he from the table without touching anything. Tit
no say he used to make it up on brandy just befo
or he went to bed, but don't know anything abo
If that We walters wondered how he could hv
er: but he seemed healthy. One day handed hi
ed a bill of fare, and asked him if he wouldn't ha
I'D some of the oyster patties He said he woul
but when got back he was gone, though the
lie was a two dollar and ahalf gold-piece on Il
ice empty plate.
IN President johnson was another curious cate
of 1 did not know much about him when he W
err President but about twenty years before, wht
a he first came to Congress, he boarded at the N