Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-08-17
WIDE AWAKE BOYS.



the Pioneer Press fell ID with one
the other day. who was making trip
to the Yellowstone country, and
found him regular daisy. Turning
to tbe reporter, the page said
81 can give yon little incident Of
some historical interest
sWhat is it9n
Il was ID charge Of the Presidents
room ct the capitol when Grants last
term Of Office expired just at IL
O'Clock, meridian time, acting Vice
President Ferry. brought down the
gavel, and Captain Bassett, Superin-
tendent Of the Pages, watching him,
sang out, Gone, and / holding the
Presidents door half open exclaimed,
Its up, sir President Grant raised
bis hand theinstant / spoke and turn
ed 10 Mr.. Fish and asked, Have
right to finish it2 He had signed
'U. IS. Gr-' 60 q bill The whole
Cabinet was present and q general
consultation lasting Eve minutes fol-
lowed. / don't remember what was
said, but it was decided that he had
q right to finish his signature. / got
the bill granting pension for Gener-
al Frank Blair's widow signed A
member of the House came to me and
said. The Presidents time will be
out 10 half hour. / viii give you
anything you want If you will 20 ia
aud run over the bills and put the
widow Blair's bill on top Frank
Blair bad done piy father q service
once, and / was glad to comply with
the members request. There was q
great pile OF bills before the President
for more than be could sign in the
short time left him. / went through
the pile and picked out the bill, asking
the President to sign it.
hid he do it?n
Like a man. He is not halt as
big I fellow as some Of your second
lieut6nants.
Didn't somebody's bill get left on
account ofyour irregular movement
Yes, but | couldn't help that. I
took advantage Of ny position to help
friend, and General Grant is always
too such ofa gentleman ia snub q
poor page, even if he ID q Democat, as
| am. | like Grant. He was good
to US boys
.'Yon were around when the cleo
tOral count fight was il progressG"
Yes, sir. You probably remember
that there were two sets Of electoral
returns from Vermont. and that one
of them was stolen and found In Sec
retary Gorham's room / and anoth-
er page were in the room when it
was determined to send them back
We had dropped on the gentlemen
who bad them in custody. 1t was
not k0own whether they were the le-
gitimate returns or the false ones, but
the thieves weakened aud hired us to
take them back. Before we left the
Secretary's ) room we both were sworn
never to divulge the names Of the
men we saw presents We were each
presented with 5000 and covered with
promises that we would never want
for . position while they bad any in-
fuence at court or elsewhere. I was
offered $500 for that came envelope
and its contents, but we had contrac-
ted to deliver them on Representative
Hewitt's desk 10 the House, and we
carried out the contract. We both
went to the ball together, and my
friend passed up to Hewitt's desk aud
laid down the envelope He was so
nervons that be deposited the envel-
ope with the written side up. Hew-
tits eagle eye fell on the inscription
50 quickly that my partner had not
time time to run before the New York
dyspepiic was on bis feet. shouting
Mr. Speaker, the last Vermont re-
turns have just been laid on my table
BY q page. Who was hes Where
IS he skedaddled back to the
Senate chamber, but my brother ia
sin stopped and gave himself up he
also gave the Speaker my name, and
tho Serecanf-at- Arms soon marched
me into the Speakers presence. We
were placed under arre.t, but our
confinement was short aud rosy. We
said we would never divulge anything
that would give away those who had
trusted rs suppose there was too
much influence behind us and prOba
bly, TOO many hearts 10 ache over
what vas only a. abortive theft.
10ur naming The gentleman ia
The Secretary's 8 room would have call
ed out several cords Of explanation,
and possibly more. Did either 0f
you get an Office
"My friend Is earning $50 per
month. Uncle Samis bis naynastef.
He doesn't hare 10 work hard
Kou boys probably have some
cIear-cut opinions Of your snperioTs
How Go you like ConkIing. for in-
n8~4NS @gt