Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-06-07

With Plenty of Potatoes and Pota.
tiOns to Match.

lions TO Match.
In FillmOre's time, says Ben: Perley
PoOre, there came to Washington GER
tain Col. Rogers, of Tennessee, who was,
or had been, an Indian agent, and who
had a ''claim" upon the government. OF
course he had claim. Nobody came to
Washington in those days from the trans
Allegheny regions without a claim. Why
should they not have a claim? They were
all citizens of the United States, and had
a right to have claims. They had fought,
Ded and dieu at New Orleans and the
Horse Shoe, and had scaped ever so
many Greeks and Chickasaws, and been
with Sam Houston at the AlamO-yes sir!
at the AlamO-and ''On the Rio Grande
with their rifles in hand" and had stood
on Buena Nista's bloody heights, and
scaled the ramparts of the id-famOus
Chepultepec. Some Of those claimants
were halt horse and half alligator, an
'Samph ibiOus' sort of character: Others
were gentlemanly men, much given to
hospitality of the rough-and-ready kind.
OF the latter description was Col. Rogers,
VINO occupied an apartment at Mrs. Shack
Chords, an Pennsylvania avenue, op-
pOsite Wizards Hotel. The Colonel en-
ployed as his solicitor with Congress an
other military gentleman, Col. SIAM
old fellow, a keen cock fighter and an
adept at poker or any ether game of cards,
still remembered at Washington as a
trusty henchman OF james Buchanan,
one day Rogers was the recipient OF the
gratifying news that his claim was going
through, had passed one house and been
favOrably reported in the other. AS a
testimonial OF his JOY he determined 10
give grand 'pOssum supper, to which he
oil l. frf1 \
Congress and out. The apartment Of
Rogers, which was also his bedroom, had
an open fireplace, in which, on the even
Ing OF the supper, large fire was blaZ-
ing peek or potatoes roasting in the
ashes beneath, and lOur fat 'pOssums
from TIE Fairfax Hills suspended on
wires from the mantel. and slowly turn
ing as they dripped and sizzled before the
hest. They WHO entered the room at an
early hOur were aware OF the presence of
a motley crowd, Senators and eX-Sena-
tors, members aud ex-members, CORE
spondents and lQsSbyisCs. The air was
redolent with whisky, roasted potatoes
and possum fat. On the bed, in an ine-
briste condition, lay the lank form OF
Gen. Eaton. the biOgra pher OF jackson
and his Secretary Of War. The red face
of Felix Grundy Mcconnell shOne like q
meteor on one side Of the fire; on the
other side the pale yisage OF Beau Hick-
man peered greedily over the anticipated
feast. Macrae, Hartman, Hart and other
i0yial representatives Of the press were
TO the fore, and all in high glee, drinking
whisky ana eating roast potatoes, and
waiting impatiently the dshlng up OF the
,p0ssums. Suddenly Col Stambaugh en-
tered, aud observing with contempt his
friend Rogers primitive style OF hospital
ity, sent down to Buffers restaurant on
the corner and ordered an elegant supper
OF turkey, oysters aud champagne. This
agreeable addition 90 the menu afforded
such universal satisfaction that most OF
the company determined 70 make a night
of IL, and poor Mrs. shackeiOrd's slum-
bers were, IN consequence, often dis.
turbed by the sounds Of reyelry In the
COloners apartment. There were no pO-
Hcemen Ia those days 10 Washington,
and when the tired jewellers emerged
from the shackeiordan portal In the gray
OF the morning, they made the streets re-
sound with snatche- Of African min
strelsy In praise Of 'possum TAT aud hom-
inv, coOns aud cowheel, and other epicu-
roam dishes.