The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-07-15
A TEMPTING FEAST.
How Congressman Enjoyed ThemseIve
in the Good Old Times.


In Fillmore's time there came to
Washington, writes Ben: Perley Poore,
certain Col Rogers, of Tennessee,
who was, or had been, an Indian agent,
and who had claim upon the gov
eminent. OF course he had a claim.
Nobody came to Washington in those
days from the trans-alleghenv regions
without claim. They were all citi-
zens of the United States, and had a
right to have claims. They had fought,
bled and died at New Orleans and the
Horseshoe, and had scaIped ever so
many Greeks and Chickasaws, and been
with Sam Houston and ut tie Alamo
yes. sir! at the Alamo-and ION the Rio
Grande with their rifles in hand" and
had stood ON Buena Vista's bloody
heights and scaled the ramparts of the
world-famous Chapultepec. Some of
these claimants were half horse and
half alligator, an ''Imphibious" sort of
character; others We're gentlemanly
men much given to hospitality of the
rough-and-ready kind. OF the latter
description was Col. Rogers, who occu-
pied an apartment at Mrs. Schackel-
ford's, on Pennsylvania avenue, oppo-
site Wizards hotel. The colonel en-
ployed as his solicitor with congress an
other military gentleman, Col. Stam-
baugh, of Lancaster, Pa, bright-eyed
old fellow, a keen cock-fighter, and an
adept at poker or any other game of
cards, still remembered at Washington
as trusty henchman of James Bu-
chanan. One day Rogers was the re-
cipient of the gratifying news that his
claim was going through, had passed
one house and been favorably reported
in the other. As testimonial of his
Joy he determined to give grand pos
sum dinner, to which he invited all his
friends. young and old, in congress and
out. The apartment of Rogers, which
was also his bedroom, had an open
fireplace, in which on the evening of
the supper, large fire was blazing.
peck of potatoes roasting in the ashes
beneath, and four fat 'possums from
the Fairfax hills suspended on wires
from the mantel, and slowly turning
as they dripped and sizzled before the
| heat. They who entered the room at
an early hour were aware of tine pres
ence of motley crowd, senators and
ex-senators, members and ex-members,
correspondents and lobbyists. The air
was redolent with whisky, roasted pota-
toes. and 'possum fat. On the bed, in
an inebriate condition, lay the lank
form of Gen. Eaton, the biographer of
jackson and his secretary of war. The
red face of Felix Grundy Mcconnell
shone like meteor on one side of the
fire; on the other side the pale visage of
Beau Hickman peered greedily over the
anticipated feast Macrae, Hartman,
Hart, and other jovial representatives of
the press were to the fore, and all in
high glee, drinking whisky and eating
roast potatoes. and waiting impatiently
the dishing up of the 'possums. Sud-
denly Col. Stambaugh entered, and OBJ
serving with contempt his friend Rog-
ers' primitive style of hospitality, sent
down to Buffers restaurant on the
corner and ordered an elegant supper
| of turkey, oysters, and champagne.
This agreeable addition to the menu af-
forded such universal satisfaction that
most of the company determined to
make q night of it, and poor Mrs.
Schackelford's slumbers were, in con-
sequence. often disturbed by the sounds
of revelry in the coloners apartment.
There were no policemen in those days
in Washington, and when the tired
revelers emerged from the Schackel-
fordian portal in the gray of the morn
ing they made the streets resound with
snatches of African minstrelsy in praise
of 'possum fat and hominy, coons and
cowheel, and other epicurean dishes.