The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-05-15
To SEE JEFF DAVIS.
\ Noted Character Who Had Never
Laid Eyes on Him."


scence On an untutored native Of the
has hunting lodge near the east end
Of Lake Pontchartrain, and is noted
character in this region. He is an ex.
pert on dogs, hunting, and fishing, and
all accessories to these sports. and is a
good-hearted fellow, who will now aud
then, or oftener, get on bowling spree,
and is always grotes luely profane. Out
On cunning expedition with hum three
or four weeks ago. Col. Ogden happened
To mention jeff Davis. Nick said
That airs man want to see. was
in his war four years, an l amt never
laid eyes Oh him yit. What kin q man
is he colonel: :
"Col. Ogden replied: Nick. Mr.
Davis is a great man, a very great man.
There Is nothing he dosen't know.
Why, Nick, he knows more abont med.
icins than any doctor YOU ever saw. and
more about hones than any Of your
sporting men. He can tell you more
about hunting and fishing than any Of
our hunters or fishermen. He can sail a
I.oat or put on fly better than either of
us. Why, Nick, he knows more about
boats and guns and dogs than both Of us
put together.
''Nicks eyes had been gradually swell.
ing during this eulogium, and here he
burst ont with: by gum. colonel. he
must be Il great man. Know more
about dogs than do. Lord what a
whale he must be. Id give dollar jist
10 look at him: by gum"
About week later Mr.. Davis was
sitting in the Office Of one Of the little
lakeside hotels with a party of gentle
men who were on duck shooting ex.
cursion. One of them had handsome
blue setter, and the confederate ex.chief.
tain was explaining how that peculiar
strain Of dogs originated in this country.
stating, think. that the ancestral ca.
mines were presented to John Jay when
he was in Europe, about the first of this
century, and entering into an elaborate
lisQuisition on the various breeds Of
hunting dogs. their qualities and charac.
,erlstics. the modes of training them,
and their value for different purposes.
Col. Ogden's friend Nick. pretty drunk,
had entered the room during the talking,
and, learning who this marvellous dis.
cOurser on dogs was. had listened in
open.mouthed amazement, and at last,
swept away by his enthusiasm, rushed
up to Mr.. Davis, and, sticking out his
huge, grimy hand, exclaimed in tones
that could be heard quarter Of mile !;
by gum, sir, Mr. Davis. | want to shake
hands with you. I'll be damned il you
amt the greatest man ever seed. sir !.
BY gum. sir, II man that knows more
about dogs than me and Col. Og-
den is the greatest man in the world,
sir He's bigger than George Wash.
ingtou an Napoleon Bonaparte. sir Mr..
Davis, | want you to come on to my
place an stay Il week. an il shant cost
you a cent. sir: not damned cent, sir :
By gum. Mr.. Davis, you're jist the man
we want for governor, sir \ man that
knows as much about dogs ~ yon do
could bea; all hell, sir
Nick. understand, is still solid for
MIR. Davis. first. last and all the time,
for governor of Mississippi. Louisiana.
or ANY other state into which his rough
diamond admirers nomadic pursuits
NAV take him" Cor. New York Sun.
Tac Mos, Urgent Duty nf Congress.
The notice given by Senator Dolph Of
Oregon, that at the proper time he will
move amendment to the FOrtifications
bill appropriating sl0,OO0,0O0 for coast
defence. affords some prospect OF practi.
cal attention to this work by the Forty.
ninth Congress.
Four elaborate reports upon the cub.
iect have been made during the present
session. namely, those OF the Board on
Fortiications and Other Defences. the
Senate Select Committee on Ordnance
and War ships, the House Commission
on Public Defence and the House Naval
Committee. The first Of these was pre-.
sented so long ago as last January, and
in addition there is the report OF the Gun
f,undry Board. laid before the preced
ing congress. Yet May is here, and only
now d , we see a formal proposal to bring
IN for action the great subject urged by
Mr. Tlden in his letter Of Dec /, 1885,
to Speaker Carlisle.
Meanwhile congress has enacted a law
for the increase of more than one hun.
,lred thousand pensi, to an annual
value fifty per cent greater than what has
been established AS just and proper hither.
10. this pure gratuity costing more than
six millions a year 1t has also passed
Mexican pension service bill, another
pure gratuity. which will cost, accord.
ing to the estimate Of one Of its mana.
gers. eight millions the first year. These
two bills alone. which, independently OF
their merits, belong no more to the pres
ent congress than to any other. will first
and last, should the Mexican bill, in its
present form, become a law like the
Widows Pension bill, take $50, 1900 600
out OF the treasury. The House has
also been busy for several weeks on a
River and Harbor bill appropratng
more than fifteen millions, although 1t
has vet had no time to consider coast
defence.
The Gun Foun Try Board estimated
that three years would be required to Is.
tablish the proper plant for the con.
struction Of modern heavy guns, and
two wears more to get out and prove the
Hrst sixteen.inch gun. The work OF
mounting is itself laborious, and the ex
tensiye foundations for the emplace
ments ought to be begun forthwith.
Mr.. T,l1eu has e,timated at $1,000.
DOO, 900 the amount of property exposed
to destruction BY naval attacts in twelve
seaports alone, which he names, besides
enormous losses to traffic resulting from
an enemy's holding these centers OF
trade, and the ransom which could be
extracted for their release. The House
r. y Il,