The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-11-28
EMORY sToRRs.
Good Stories of the Lively Orator of
Chicago.
trom az Chicano Hcrald.

Being asked when he returned from
New York after the great Democratic dem
onstration in the fall of 1884, what he
thought of the Tammany parade, Storrs
said 81 didn't stay long enough to form
an opinion. l was like the fellow in the
Seminole war The Seminoles, you know,
were bad Indians This man went in the
woods on a scout and returned to camp in
hurry He said: AS I went over a big
hill saw lot of men at the foot on the
other side They had feathers in their
hair | didn't know who they were, but
knew very well they were no friends of
mine, and so | left
When Storrs was in London he was
dined by Lord Coleridge. Among the af-
ter-dinner speakers was one gentleman who
expressed his great admiration for the en-
ergy and success of the interior metropolis
of America, but he frankly confessed his
displeasure at one thing. He had been in
formed that in the city from which the
guest of the evening hailed commercial
honor was at so low an ebb that hundreds
of merchants failed in the course of a year,
always with large liabilities and small as
sets, and, after the storm had blown over,
reappeared in the mart richer than before
and with head as high as ever. Of course
such an aspersion as this upon the fair
name of Chicago-which Storrs ever zeal
ously defended-could not be permitted to
go unanswered
81 assure you, gentlemen, said he few
moments later, "the speaker has been mis-
informed l am glad to be able to correct
his error, and how shamefully he has been
imposed upon by his informants will APP
pear when | declare to you that during the
twenty years have lived in Chicago not
one business failure has occurred there in
volving sum exceeding $4,000 or S15,-
000 Not one, sir, in twenty years.
Failures in Chicago? Why, gentlemen,
our glorious young giant of the west has
but one language of grand old moth
er England the word "fair' never
found place in its lexicon.
The Englishmen, both astonished and
captivated, cried "hear! hearl' with much
enthusiasm The guests, principally solicit
tors, knew enough of business affairs to see
that if Chicago had had no failures in
twenty years her record was indeed re-
markable, but they were not sufficiently
familiar with American trade to be able to
contradict or even seriously doubt the
truth of the westerner's statement So
they applauded vigorously and enjoyed the
discontinue of their daring townsman.
After time, however, an inquisitive En-
glishman cornered Storrs and inquired:
"Wasn't that statement of yours about
there being noimportant failure in Chicago
for twenty years slightly exaggerated, Mr..
Storrs?"
Exaggerated Not in the least, sir.
Not particle, sir 1t was simply a lie!"
Most Chicagoans will remember Charley
Reed, now lawyer in New York, who
was about ten years ago Cook county at
torney. During the whisky ring prosecu-
tions Reed was quite conspicuous in his
professions of ability to ''take care of the
prosecuted distillers, and was much given
to being interviewed by the reporters.
Charley Reed gets up in the morning,
said Storrs, 'tand looks about for repor-
ter. Then he goes and gets cocktail, and
looks for another reporter. After breakfast
he has another cocktail and another re-
porter, and [ guess he averages cock
tail and reporter once an hour until mid
night"
On another occasion, speaking of this
same propensity of Reeds to talk for pub
Ecation Storrs said.
esHe reminds me of jaokass we had on
the farm down east. He used to come
around to the empty rain barrel, stick his
head in it and bray, and from the mighty
roar that followed he thought he was talk
ing to the universe"
Storrs was once asked if he was fond of
music Rather" he replied. "When
Jenny Lind first appeared in America in
1850 l was young law student in New
York city. | was very anxious to hear
her, but didn't have any money to pay my
way with Nevertheless, l heard her.
had seat on the roof of building adj
joining the place where she was singing,
and was so enthusiastic in my applause
that [ would have been tumbled to the
ground but for the good hold the seat of
my trousers had on shingle-nail. Yes, /
am fond of music"
A Literary CURIOSITY.