Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-16
DISAPPOINTED oFFICEsEEKERs
"Reminiscences of Presidents Tyler and
Taylor-TOm OchIltree and His Texan
Constituent.


Taylor-TOm OchIltree and His Texan
Constituent.
Office seeking stories are quite as nu-
merous as office seekers, says a Washing
ton letter to the Philadelphia Record.
Out of a mass of poor ones 1 reserve two
that are worth repeating: ''That is old
Nat Tyler" said the Confederate Colonel
to me yesterday; ''Old Nat Tyler, of Vir-
ginla. He wants an office, like most old
Virginians. He has been looking for one
longer, though, than most of these fellows.
When John Tyler became President, Nat,
who was related to him, came up to see
him. President Tyler was very kind to
Nat. Had him to dinner, and treated
him very kindly. After dinner, Nat,
em0oldened by his kind reception,
ventured to say that he would not be
averse from serving his country in a
good departmental office. President Ty-
Ter said he was very glad to hear this. He
said there was good place down in the
Post Office Department which he thought
would just fit Nat. Aud he said, S'I'd
appoint you in a minute, and very gladly,
OF course; but there is friend of mine
(namlng him in Virginia, a very nice old
gentleman. who would like the credit of
Doyou known him? Unfortunately Natdid
We'll, then,' continued the President,
1T Will be all right. You get him to
send me letter, and then I'll appoint
you on his recommendation. See? Nat
saw, and thought it was a very easy way
of getting an office. He went to the old
Virginia gentleman. Yes, indeed, he
would send President Tyler a letter. Nat
went quietly back to his farm and
waited. DHVS nasSpd He hoard nothing
from Washington. He ran up to Wash
ingtOn. He saw President Tyler. Didn't
Col. So-and-SO write you that letter?
Yes said President Tyler, with laugh.
why didn't you appoint me, then? de-
panded Nat, who did not see the joke.
Read the letter. said the President,
laughing again as he handed it to him.
1t ran: Dear Mr.. PresideEt-Nat Tyler
is good fellow, but don't give him an
office Nat walked out without word.
Afterward the Colonel explained that he
thought Nat was entirely too good a fell
low to be shelVed in a Federal office but
Nat has never agreed with him." The
other was told by an elderly gentleman
who heard it first at the time the episode
occurred. 1t was about President zachary
Taylor. 1t seems that that good soldier
and poor statesman had promised a per-
sOnal friend an office. The friend came
to him the day after his Inaugural
tiOn and reminded him of his promise.
eyes, yes" said Taylor; "that's all right
Pll submit your name to the Cabinet to-
morrow. Come around tomorrow after
noon, and l guess you'll find it'll be all
right" Next evening the friend came
around again. TaylOr's face was long
aDd clouded. E'I'm very sorry," he said,
''but [ can't appoint you to that place. l
submitted your name to the Cabinet and
voted for you myself, but the majority
was against you. Then / proposed YOU
for another office and voted for you again.
But again they OutVOted me. Pm very
sorry, but don't see how l can arrange
it." And so the poor fellow did not get
his office. Zachary Taylor" said the
old gentleman, "was a good fellow, but
he was so green in the White House that |
they actually made him believe that APP
pOintments must be determined by a ma
jOrity vote in the Cabinet"
Tom Ochiltree has faded out like cheap |
bright cOlOred calico. 'sCol." Alexander,
of Arkansas, who was waiting for Con-
gress to adjourn in order to strike at |
Ochiltree without being stopped by |
Ochiltree's "priVilege'' as a member of |
the House, has gone home disgusted |
because Ochiltree got out of town so
quietly as soon as Congress adjourned
that no one knew it. He would 90 to
Galveston after Ochiltree, but he does not |
think he would find him, because, he
says, his course on the subject of Calves
ton harbOr's improvement was wholly un-
satisfactory to his constituents in
Galveston. Before Ochiltree is en-
tirely forgotten l want to tell |
two things about him. One is a
story told by himself. 1t runs thus: |
''One Of my constituents came up |
the other day to see me. He was hard |
listed countryman of some political i'm |
portance, and laid myself out to enter |
tain him. l took him to Chamberlin's. |
l took him to Welcker's. l fed him on |
canvas back ducks and champagne at |
fabulous cost, and l drove him all over |
this part of the country in expensive |
hired rigs. He took it all as matter of |
course. Ducks and cider and convey
ances were cheap where he came from, |
and he thought l was only paying proper |
attention to him. He never offered to |
divide expenses with me until the last |
day of his visit. He had been at the capi-
tOl with me. L had about made up my /
mind not to spend much more money on |
him, so when we came out l |
made for one of those little bob |
tail three-cent cars. We got in.
and began looking for change. | saw, |
however, that his hand was in his pocket, |
and l waited to see what he would do, In |
a moment he said: 'Ochiltree, you've |
been very attentive to me. We've been |
TO the best restaurants and had the best |
drives and you haven't allowed me to pay
a cent. Now, you really must let me pay |
our fares down on this car With that |
he hauled out cents and carefully de-
posted them in the box. l didn't make
the slightest objection, for l thought he
was an old hog" The other thing is a re-
mark made by Ochiltree in the last days
)t his Congressional glory. "DId you
ever hear of such luck as Cleveland has?
Why, if had half as much would break
every faro bank IN New York city.'7