River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-04-16
A Chat With the President.

When President Arthur paid a visit
to the great National Park several of
the prominent men of Wyoming, in
GLIDING myself, went up to Green
river, where the presidential party
would leave the special train and, I'M
der an escort, cross over land to the
park. There were half a dozen of US
who felt as though the northeast cor
ner of our national fabric rested on
our shoulders, and we felt that so long
as the president was to visit for
number of weeks within the borders of
Wyoming we ought, as a matter of
common pOliteness, to 90 and give
him the freedom of the park and the
Shoshone reservation.
In the party we had member of
the supreme court of the territory, the
United States marshal, the present
surveyor general of the territory, and
myself.
When the presidents train arrived,
bearing, besides the president, General
Sheridan, Senator Vest, Secretary of
War Lincoln, Colonel Sheridan and
others, we waited quite awhile for the
president to come out and see us. bnt
he remained in his car. Thinking at
last that perhaps the president had
not heard that we were there, we
walked around the train few times,
so that he could see us and call us in
and converse with US. But he made
no overtures whatever, and we finally
had to 90 into his car and introduce
ourselves. He may have been over
loved to see us, and doubtless was, but
l. ho7 RI hi
self that way.
When the president took my shapely
hand in his and Colonel Sheridan told
HIM who | was, he looked me square
in the face with sort of rising inflec-
ton as though he might be trying to
remember who / was, but could not.
At that moment / would have given 81
if could have thought of the proper
thing 20 say. The more he looked at
me with those dark, sorrowful eyes of
his and patiently waited for me to say
something, the less l seemed to have
nv mind with him, and l wanted to
tell him that in the hurry of starting
off, had left my thinker at home on
the piano. at last | got desperate and
said: ''Mr. President, don't you think
we are having rather a backward
spring."
That was nearly two years ago and
he has never officially or otherwise,
gratiied my morbid curiosity. He
still looked at me in dumb wonder and
surprise. Perhaps he felt oppressed
with the pomp and glitter of my good
clothes.
Marshal Schmitger and Surveyor
General Meldrum dropped into an easy
conversation with General Sheridan
and fought their battles over again.
Just then Judge Blair was presented
to the president and | fell INTO the
hands of Secretary Lincoln.
Probably the secretary still wakes
up nights and thinks with pleasure of
that little chat we had together at
Green river. He looked at me in an
attentive and interested way that flat
tered me at the time very much, but
when | saw HIM a half hour afterwards
looking at a young cinnamon bear in
the same way, | was no longer proud.
Casually l looked up at Judge Blair
and the president to see how they were
coming on. The president had nailed
the Judge with that same earnest, ex-
pectant look, and the judge was feel
ing of his head to see if it was there,
and at the same time was trying to
think of a hard word.
just then the president seemed to
think of something that he had left in
the other car. He rose and with firm,
dignified step, walked away, and |
have never seen him since, Neither
has he seen me since.
alt is years since last We met,
And we may never meet sgain;
have struggled to forget
But the struggle was in vain"
Soon afterward we all hastily with
drew. We thought it would be better
for us to withdraw before the rest of
the party did. 1t would be more
etiquette and bonhomie.
Take it all around, we had a very
pleasant call on the party and every
thing passed on smoothly. Still, l
made one resolution on that occasion
which / have rigidly adhered to.
When I call on another president of
the United States 1t VIII be when he