The Washington critic., 1885-11-05

who can but will not pay their bills
An old gentleman said to the Boston
TFdrellCr correspondent, the other day,
that he recalled q very interesting in
cident which occurred in Jackson's
administration. Among the clerks in
the Treasury Department at that time
was one young fellow who had u
chronic disinclination to pay his board
bill. His iandlady was widow in
needy circumstances but who was ut
terly unable to get cent out of him.
lie gave his notes with Micawber-like
cheerfulness, and they went to protest
with clock. like regularity. Finally she
House, and called upon the
and as she proceeded Jackson's eyes
began to snap in a dangerous manner.
He told her that she ought to be paid,
and requested her to get the clerks
note for the entire amount, The lady
replied that she was unable to pay the
costs of the protest, but the President
assured her that this time there would
be no such expense. She went over TO
the Treasury, and had no difficulty in
getting the young fellows note for
thirty days for the full amount OF the
Indebtedness. Then she carried IL over
TO the White House The President
glanced ut 1t and wrote on the back,
ANDREW Jackson" "Now Madam"
said he, put that in the bank, and we
will see which one of us will have to
pay you that money" The note was put
in for collection and, it is needless to
add, IL was paid by the clerk, who af-
forwards went over to see jackson,
apologized and promised that hence
forth he would mend his ways. He
never afterward became involved in
debt.
-
When William Welsh of Philadel-
phia was once negotiating a treaty with
certain tribe of Indians, he was par
ticularly anxious to impress upon their
minds the fact that he was on intimate
terms with the President of the United
States. His interpreter was translatng
| the opening of his speech sentence by
sentence. 81 have the ear of the Great
| Father" said Mr.. Welsh, imprcssively.
pressivcly. "Stop," said an Indian
ClllCl Ill VIC SNTIOululnE ClItlCs iltll,
to the Interpreter: "Tell him | don't
believe that. If he has the Great
Fathers ear let him produce 1t. "
There had to be a very careful eXplana-
tion before the Great Fathers friend
could proceed.
~
Meeker, the st. Louis artist, mar
rates to the Republican of that city the
following incident of his experience
during the war when he was Il paymas-
ter in the Mississippi navy and steam
ing up the Yazoo River in the tin-cad
Juliette: eve had nine Dahlgren 24-
Founders, very good guns, and every
once in while we got a chance to use
them, but as a rule we could not see
where the enemy was. We would see
a puff Of smoke somewhere out in the
bush, and then there would come a
bang like blow with slcdge-ham
mcr against the iron sheeting of the
pilot-house. Our armor saved us,
though, as they had no cannon, and nc
rifle bullet could get through. OF
course we had good many casualties.
One day / remember standing Just be.
hind a masters mate in the pilot.housc
He was examining the banks of the
river with field-glass when rifle
ball made its way in between the upper
edge Of the iron and the roof of the
pilot-house, several feet above his head
The bullet struck stanshion and was
DETECTED down, struck another piece Of
wood and was turned back, passed 81
near my face that felt the wind Of it
and buried itself in the mans neck not
far from the spine. He died in foui
hours. II was singular thing, for the
bullet that killed him thus came from
direction thoroughly well protected
We had Sits cut in the iron to lool
through, and these the Confederate
were not able to hit, although grea
many bullets found their way inside
accidentally.