The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-08-23
H1s MnmoRY FOR POETRY
Bob Burdette's Pleasant Hem'n-
,eoenoe of Tom Hendricks.
rd,tor Brooklyn Eagle (Dem).

3 ! ~ .
1soenoe of Tom Hendricks.
Editor Brooklyn Eagle (Dem).
; Do YOU know I have q very. pleas
ant recollection of Mr.. Hendrlcks
The only Mr.. Hendricks In tn
, world. lust now, of course. l neVe
met him but once, and then l had
the honor of dining with him.
I do not mention the fact In ordel
to create the impression that l am OF
easv. familiar terms with all thu
candidates in this Presidential cam
naign. fear I am not. I'll wante9
) $500 to-morrow-and 1 probably will
at least 1 want it to-day. and l an
not the man to change my con-
victions on financial matters IN
twenty four-hours-I do n It know a
single candidate for President or VICE
PresidenG whom I could; so to speak,
strike for that amount.
Well. MI. Hendricks had the honor
of dining with me-that is, we dined
with each other. / had been featuring
after the count" of 1876 out in the
fast, free, glorious West. L was
vastened home to Burlington, oyer
the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy.
That same day MI. Hendricks was
on his way to California. Both day
trains on the Quincy road dlned at
Wormley's, 1T Charlton, Iowa. Mr..
Wormley met me at the door OF the
dining room with even more than
usual cordis lily. He said to me.
10000, 1 have company for you
today. Come right over to this
table,"
followed him and q gentlman so
much better looking than his cam
paign portraits that I did not recOgn-
lie Mr.. Hendricks until he was
introduced. His face was very
attractive. His manner was no less
charming, l was pleased that fate
had cast me in his way. That is, l
was at first. He was SO pleasant. l
liked him. Early in the course of a
brilliant conversation about the
weather he said:
"YOu are the young gentleman
who writes the poetry on the HaWk-
eye, I believe" And you saw
a more bewitching smile on a mans
face.
Now, that was the very thing I
didn't want to TALK about. 1 had
been writing whole pages of CAM
paign poetry, they call tin the Hawk
eye, but, you understand, that ex-
cellent family paper wasn't exactly a
Democratic paper. Not just what
you'd call a Democratic paper. At
least, il vas no more Democratic
than the most ADVANTAGEOUS, rally
round the flag, boys, Hayes and the
whole ticket, Republican paper
of Republican Iowa could be expected
to be. 1t was just about as Demo-
cratic as the Eagle is Republican.
And I knew what kind of ''poety"
I had been writing. I fidgeted a
little, poured a spoonful of sugar in
my soup, and owned up that I was
the man. Then / asked him how
long he expected to remain in Cali
fOrnla.
He told me, and thee said: "There
was one little poem"-now see how
kind he was, he called it a poem.
"There was one little poem you
wrote, beginning There was an old
Hoosier as I've heard tell'-now,
how did the rest of that go?"
Coz It went for him tooth, claw,
and toe-nail, and I knew it and 1
believe he knew it.
I feebly said: "Idon'tremember,"
emptied the salt into my coffee and
hoped he would find rest and
returning health in California" l
also hoped that I would die in a few
but I didn't say so. He
thanked me in his courteous manner
the wish I exposed, and then
went On.
"There was another-a good one;
[ can recnlleot only the second s~tanza;
low did the first one lump
And herewith he quoted a few
ines of one of the meanest things 1
vel wrote about any man. While
re quoted my prize poem, pretending
Q forget the stanza that referred to
himself, I was confused. but I seemed
'bstraced, as I spread five very thick
ayers of mashed potato on my folded
under the impression that l
vas spreading q piece of bread and
l said I wasn't very we'll
Vhen l wrote that one, and had quite
Drgotton it. Then 1 attempted to
vlpe the cold, beaded perspiration
rom my brow with that napkin and
dded to my embarrassment. I
aust have appeared embarrassed.
r eccentric, 1 am sure. Well. the
ing and short OF Is, Nj Hendricks
every mean poem I had
'r!tten about MI. Tilden and him.
elf during that bitter campaign, and
e could quote just enough of the
lnocent good natured lines of each
ne to show me that he had read it.
1 never saw a man with such a
lemory. L hope he enjoyed his
inner. I think he did. He ate E s
and smiled good naturedly 3
u the time, and he babe me good-by
cry pleasantly. I am confident I
lowed off to good advantage. If :
did, 1 dissembled. I didn't feel j
lat at all. But I didn't run. sat 6,
ere and tooa my punishment like b.
man. When MI. Hendricks went q
his train, I arose and sought Mr.. T.
'ormley, to tell him about it. He
as lying on the floor behind the <
gar counter, wheeling and chok-
g IKE a man who is trying to laugh fir
mselt to death. I began to get W
L said: "See here, Mr..
'ormley-" 81
He feebly motioned me awsv. US u
Train time," he grasped. Go to "
lrungton; 60 away. Let me die
peace" Bs
turned away and got on NV n
IN. l did wrong. I ought to have
ked Wormley while he was help Ba
g. 1t was the only chance I eve tel
d. And I never dined again with Re- e
+. Hendricks. ch =
Arctic M.<.. It
of
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