The Northern Pacific farmer., 1885-03-26
4 DROP TOO MUCH.
How Flask Of Whisky Changed the Destiny
of two Men.

4 DROP TOO MUCH.
How Flask of Whisky Changed the Destiny
Of two Men.
At private house on the West Side
the other night some men were chat
ting about the vicissitudes of presiden-
tial elections, and the part played by
luck in every persons life. An Incl
dent as trivial as shower of rain has
turned many victory into Water
loo. A fool utters an alliterative SEN
tence and the destiny of the nation is
perhaps changed, and history hangs
upon a silly phrase. Cleveland's al
legged luck was particularly touched
upon, and while it was under discus
sion the host said: "By the way,
sometimes fatter myself that made
Grant president.
The speaker was evidently serious,
and as he is an old and well-known
merchant in Chicago, there is hardly
any reason to doubt the singular story
that he told.
''The year the war broke out,' he
said, II was a drummer for the old
grocery house of Smith & Williams, on
Lake street. I frequently visited
Mattoon, ILL.,, and the last time l did
50 was during that eventful year. The
month I forget, but know it was sum-
mer time, for wore a duster, Curl
Gus garment then in vogue, having a
cape instead of sleeves and a couple
of capacious pockets. knew the firm
of Monroe Bros, at Mattoon, consist
ing of Frank, James and Bird Monroe.
Frank was the senior partner, and man
aged the business, but the others were
lively fellows, and was accustomed
to go on shooting trips with them
whenever I visited the town. This
time l went to the store as usual, and
asked Frank where his brothers were.
If you want to see them,' was the re-
ply, you must 90 out to the camp.
They have joined the army
''The camp of the regiment, whose
number I forget. was on the outskirts
of the town. AS was about to start
some one in the grocery store said that
the boys would appreciate little good
whisky, as they couldn't get anything
of that kind in camp. I walked over
to Gritfn's bar and got two flat quart
TASKS of his best liquor, putting one in
each pocket. Then off I went. 1
made my way to the camp all right,
and soon ran across my two friends.
While we were chatting told them
what had in my pockets, and asked
them where I should unload. Come
to the Colonel's tent, said one of them
'he is an old officer and he would ap-
preciate drop of something as we'll
as any one.'
"We went to the Colonel's tent, and
l was introduced to red-faced, sturdy
looking man who struck me as typi-
cal soldier: He was man of irasc:ble
temper, as I afterward learned, but he
had done good service in the field,
having served with distinction in the
Mexican war. Well, we all sat down
and began drinking. The time quickly
slipped away, and one quart flask was
empty. We began on the other. l
soon felt that had taken enough, and
that the best thing l could do was to
get out of camp and attend to my busi-
ness. So said good-by to the boys,
and left them.
''That afternoon, remember, I
transacted all my business, and early
the next morning was on my way to
Chicago. On the train boug ght copies
of the Chicago papers, and was sur
prised to see, figuring in black head
lines, the name Of my Colonel. 1 read
beneath a dispatch dated the night be-
fore from Mattoon, ILL.,, giving an ac-
count of serious trouble In the camp
thatl had visited. 1t seems that the
Colonel became violently drunk, en-
gagged in an alteration with one of his
officers, and, drawing his sword, Sc
verely wounded the latter. Such an
occurrence, of course, made a terrible
scandal, and the Colonel was peremp-
torily discharged from the army.
"At this time U. S. Grant had his
hands in his pockets waiting for job.
He had high recommendations to the
governor and was promised the first
vacancy that would occur. The Colo
1el's discharge made vacancy for
him in the regiment at Mattoon. He
took the place. and from that day he
followed fortune from one victory to
another, until he entered the White
House as President of the Nation.
Il met the Monroe boys afterward
in Kentucky during the war. I re-
member one of them said to me then 6;
That whisky of yours decided the con-
duct of this war SO it did, and per-
haps the destiny of the Republic.'
"Where are the Monroe boys now?"
asked one Of the party who had listen
ed to this story.
"They came back from the war and
settled in Charleston, ILL.,, where they
were when I last heard from Them
"And what became of the Colonel?"
"After his discharge he died from
chagrin. He was an experienced and
able soldier. Who knows that but for
the incident 1 have described his name
might have figured in the history of
the rebellion among the distinguished
generels of the northP And who
knows. too, that but for the same in
cident Grant might have remained in
comparative obscurity?"
"True,'' said member of the party,
getting at the pith of the story more
quickly; ''your bottle of whisky sent
one man to the White House and the
other to drunkard's grave. "-Chi-
cago Tribune.
The NeWspaper and the Organ.