Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-12
Buchanan and a Frolic.

The last Democratic President, James
| Buchanan, had a different idea from
! Cleveland as to the use of our public ves-
sells, and story was published many
| years ago of how this idea cost Howell
| Cobb, his Secretary of the Treasury,
nice little sum. 1t WAS at the time of the
launching and trial trip of revenue cut
| ter, which had been made under Cobb's
| direction and named after Buchanan's
niece, "The Harriet Lane" Cobb con-
cluded that on his trial trip of the new
vessel he would invite the Cabinet, the
| foreign legations, the President and
others of his acquaintance to take a sail
with him down the Potomac. He made
all his arrangements without saying
word to the President, and the matter
was pretty we'll advanced before Buch-
anan heard OF 1t. When it first came to
his ears ''Old Buck" seat for his At
torney-General, Jere Black, and Black,
when he came to the White House, found
| Buchanan flushed with anger. AS Black
entered he said:
Are you going on this BANKED frolic?
| [ would like to know what you think OF
| Cobb's using our public property for his
| private entertainments
| Attorney General Black replied that he
was not going on the Harriet Lane trip,
| and though he did not like TO criticise
| Cobb, still he was not backward in saying
| tinued he, "Mr. President, Cobb has gone
on with this affair and issued his invita-
tions, and don't see what you can do
| ABOUT it?"
ado about it," said Buchanan, in rage,
edo about it?" Why OF course | will stop
it. 1t is a scandalous affair, and will not
be held responsible for it. 1 certainly will
not allow it to go on"
! Black then placed before Buchanan the
| nrobp bIlifV that Enhh thought ha waa
doing nothing wrong when be was max
! ing the arrangement, and the fact that If
| he stopped the affair now it would cause
! a great deal of scandal both in this
country and abroad, as the foreign
Ministers had been invited. Buchanan
| appreciated this and finally said that he
thought he would let Cobb go on if he
wanted to and he would pay all the ex-
penses out of his own pocket. The eX-
cursion did go on, but neither the Presi-
dent nor AttOrney-General Black were
present. At the. first Cabinet meeting
after it Buchanan said to Cobb:
"Mr. Secretary, want you TO bring me
an itemized bill of the expenses incurred
during the trial trip of the Harriet Lane.
| want detailed account Of everything
the coal consumed, the salary of the
| officers, the wages of the seamen, and
the cost of every bit Of supplies used on
the trip"
Cobb did not know what to make of
this demand, but he replied quietly:
Certainly, Mr.. President, 1 will do
So"
Shortly after this the Cabinet meeting
ended, and Howell Cobb and Jere
Black walked down from the
White House together. When
they had gotten opposite where the At
tOrney-Generaps office is now, Cobb, who
had been silent up to this time, burst
forth:
"What in thunder does the old squire
mean?"
Black made no reply, and Cobb went
on: @-'
"You know what he means, and know
you do, and now L want you to tell me
frankly what he is UP top Black then
related his conversation with Buchanan
and concluded with the statement that
Buchanan had asked for the pill In order
that he might pay it out of his own
pocket. 5.uf
Howell Cobb always whistled when be
was surprised, and he now gave loud,
long cOntinued whistle, and said:
THAT is what the old squire Is up to,
is it? Well, l will see whether l can't
surprise him."
At this point the conversation dropped,
and Black and Cobb, went on to the Trea-
| surv Every once in while Cobb would
|
he heard the whistle coming out of the
Treasury door as Cobb entered. The next
| Cabinet day came aud with it came Cobb,
wno seemed TO be the happiest man of the
| council. The President looked glum, but
! Cobb was cracking his jokes at every
! BODY. The business of the meeting was
at last concluded, and the Secretaries
| bad arisen to take their departure, when
! Buchanan turned to Cobb and said rather
sharply:
"Mr. Secretary, where is that bill?"
Cobb, assuming an innocent air. an
swered
"What bill do you mean, Mr.. Presi-
dentP
IL mean the bill of expenses for the
| trial trip of the Harriet Lane" answered
Buchanan sternly; shave you got it with
your
"Ohi that bill" said Cobb; "yes, be-
lieve l have it somewhere about my
! Clothes" and hereupon Cobb fumbled
! first in one pocket and then in another,
| and finally drew out piece of crumpled
! paper which he handed TO the President
with: 81 guess that is It,"
Mr.. Buchanan took it and looked over
! II item by item.
His face was full OF disgust as he read,
and he seemed TO look daggers into the
paper until be reached the end, when he
almost jumped TO his feet us he eX-
claimed:
"Why, it is receipted-paid in full by
Howell Cobb"
''And who in thunder should have paid
1t but Howell CObbp" broke in Cobb with
an air Of injurdl innocence; sit was my
frolic. Who should have paid for itY"
"Sure enough sure enough" was all
that Buchanan said. But he frightened
up at once, and in a short time became as
merry as Cobb had been at the beginning
OF the session. Cobb and Black went
away from the White House togethe
and as they were going down the steps
into the yard Cobb said: Didn't come
II over the old squire that timer"
alt is needless to say, in conclusion,
that the government vessels were not
used during the remainder OF Buchanan's
administration for private purposes.
The particular imp OF the newspaper
office who IS credited with typographical
blunders has played many prank IN his