The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1886-09-17
HOW ELL COBB'S JOKE,
0yCHANAN OuTWITTED By his SEC
7ETARY OF THE TREASURY,


= trial Trip ot the Harriet I;..e which
>"'ely \cN"d the president-An ste,..
Nra Bin of E>penses-Cobb surprises
the Old '>uuire.''
The last Democratic president, James
h0chanan, had his o,y. idea rs to the usa
OF oUH pHh!ir vessels, and a story was ,r,b.
hshe" many years ago CT how tni, idea
cost lowell Cobb, his secretary II tbe
treasury. a nice little sum. 1t was at the
time % The launching and trial ,r;n IF ,
revenue "utter, which .lad been laadc I'M
Ter Cobl,'s direction and named ny,pr An
'nan"n niece The IIarrie. I.aup." Cobb,
concluded that OH this tria! trim Of tbc
ne" vessel lie woul,i Invite the cabinet.
'he foreign legations, the president, and
othefs OF his acuuaintances 10 take a sail
win nm down the Potomac He made all
MS arrangements without saying Il word
" the president, and the matter was
pretty well advanced before Buchanan
heaiu OF ii. When it first came to his ears
VA Buck sent for his attorney general.
'ere Black. and Black. when he came to
me W lite House, found buchanan flushed
Win anger. AS Black entered he said!
Are you going on this blanAcd fro!c:
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 trim,
and though he did not like to criticise
Cobo, still he was not backward in saying
mat he did not approve OF it. But" con-
In ls.,Il
on with this affair and issued his invita-
Mons and | don't see what you can do
about it"
do about it," said Buchan. in Il rage,
no about it! Why of course twill stop it.
1t is s'andalous affair and | will not he
held responsible for it. certainly will not
allow it 10 80 on
WANTED IAN :yEMlZED BILL"
Black then placed before Buchanan the
probability that Cobb thought he was do
ing nothing wrong when he was making
the arrangements, and the fact that if he
stopped the affair now it would cause a
great deal OF scandal both in this country
and abroad, rs the foreign ministers had
been invited.
Buchanan appreciated this, and finally
! said that he thought that he would let
Cobb go on II he wanted To and he would
pay all the expenses out Ut his own pocket.
The excursion did 80 on, but nett her the
president nor Attorney General Black
were present. At the first cabinet meeting
after it buchanan said tn Cobb: Mr. Sec
| rotary, want you to bring me ;in item.
zed bill Of the expenses incurred during
F; the trial trip OF the Harriet Lane. want
q detailed account Of everything he coal
consumed, the salary Of the officers the
wages of the seamen. and the cost ofevery
hit Of supplies used on the trip"
Cobb did not know what to make Ot this
demand, but he replied quietly: Ter
tainly, Mr.. President. will 10 So
Shortly after this the cabinet meeting
ended, and Howell Cobb and .jerc Black
walked down from the White House to-
| gether. When they had gotten opposite
where the attorney generals 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 want you to tell me
frankly what he il up to-
! Black then related his conversation with
Buchanan, and concluded with the state
ment that Buchanan mad asked tor the
bill in order that he might pay it out OF
his own pocket.
| Howell Cobb always whistled when he
was surprised. and he now gave loud,
long continued whistle and said: "That is
what the old squire is up to- Is it: Well,
will see whether can surprise him."
| A SURPRISE FOL: THE PRESIDENT.
inn n Il
and Black and Cobb went ON to I! he treas
ury. Every once aud awhile Cobb would
repeat his whistle, and ~ Black LETT him
lie heard the whistle coming out OF the
treasury door a. Cobb entered. The next
cabinet day came, and with it came Cobb.
who seemed to he 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 had
arisen to take their departure, when
Buchanan turned to Cobb and said rather
sharply: Mr.. Secretary. where IL that
bills
. Cobb, assuming an innocent air,
answered: What bill dn You mean. Mr..
! President"
| Il mean the bill Of expenses for the
! trial trip Ut the Harriet Lane, answered
buchanan sternly. have you got 1t with
you:" ,,,.
"l,h. that bill" said Cobb; yes. believe
I have it somewhere about my clothes,
and hereup,n Cobb fumbled first in one
pocket. AMI then in another, anu finally
drew out piece OF crumple'l paper which
he handed to the president with: Il guess
that is it, ;.
Mr. Buchanan took it and looked over it
item by item. His face was full OF disgust
rs he read, and he seemed to Look daggcrs
! into the paper until he reached the end,