Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1886-07-17
The Harriet Lanes Trip. {.

OVoU Y luCitt lt.l IllttG OH MS TIA
trip OF the new vessel he would IN
] yite the Cabinet, the foreign leg /
ton, the President and others 4,
, his acquaintance to take IL sail wit
him down the Potomac. He mad
all his arrangements without say
ing a word to the Pre- iident, an
the matter WAS pretty we'll al
yanced before Buchanan heard OF
it. When it first came to his ears
"Oll Buck sent for his Attorney
General, Jere Biaci. and Black,
when he Came to the White House,
found Buchanan flushed with anger.
AS Black entered he said: Are
y0u going on this banked frollc? {
would like to know VIII lt'yOu think
of Gibbs using our public properly
EfOr hiSpriyate entertainment ~ -,
/: torlle q Gen EZRA. Black replied
IL sea ags liessW;ls not. ing on the Hlsss
rIe Lsae tIils Il 9ll,ss did
n0t-.Ike to criticiSe C,556, Still Ffi8e
was not backward in saying that
he did not approve OF it. 'sBut,"
continued lie, "Mc. President, Cobb
has gcne Oh with this affair and is
sued his invitations, and [ don't
see what yon can do about it!''
"Do about it," said Buchanan, in
rage, ''do about it. Why, of course
| will stop it. 1t is /. scandalous
affair. and will not be held re-
spoasible FOR it. L certainly will
not allow it to go on"
Black then placed before Buch.
anan the probability that Cobb
thought he WAS doing nothing
wrong when be was making the ar
rangemenC, and the fact that il he
stopped he atftir now it would
cause d great de Il OF scan.lll bo5h
i'll this country and abroal, us the
foreign Ministers had been invited.
Buchanan appreciated this and IL
nally said that lie Thought he would
let Cobb go Oh if lie wanted 70 and
lie would pay all the expenses out
of his own pocket. Tue excursion
did go on, but neither the PreSi-
dent nor Attorney. General Black
were present. At The first Cabinet
meeting after 1t Buchanan said to
Cobb:
"Mr. Secretary, [ want you to
bring me al itemized bill of the ex-
penses 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 sea.
men and the cost OF every bit of
supplies used on the trip"
CobU did not know what to make
OF this demand, but he replied
quietly: "Certainly, Mr.. Pres. dent,
l will do SOC
Shortly after this the Cabinet
meeting ended, aud Howell SUobb
and Jere Black walked down from
the White House together. When
lley had gotten opposite where
Tie Attoruey-Gencral's office is
III Thunder ~,
meanW
Black made no reply, and Cobb
went on: "You know what be
means, and L know you do, and
now [ want YOU to tell me frankly
what he is up tO!n Black then re-
lated his conversation with Buch.
anarl, and concluded with he state
ment that Buchanan asked for the
bill in order that he might pay it
out OF his own pocket.
Howell Cobb always whi>tle:l
when he was surprised, and he
now gave II load, long continued
whistle, and said: "Tilat is what
the old squire islp to, is iJ? Well,
[ will see whether | can't surprise
him."
Al this point the conversation
dropped, aud Black and Cobb went
on to the Treasury. Every once in
a while Cobb would repeat his whis-
tie. and as Black lett him he heard
the whistle coming ont OF the Treas
ury door as Cobb entered. Tae
next Cabinet day came aud with it
came Cobb, who seemed to DC the
happirst m,n III the council. The
President looked glum, bat Cobb
WAS cracking his jokes at every
body. The business Of the meet
ing was at last concluded, and the
secretaries had arisen to take their
departure, when Buchanan turned
TO Cobb and said rather sharply:
M. Secretary, where is that bllls"
Cobb, assuming an Innocent air,
answered: "What bill, Mr.. Pre,i.
dents"
IL mean the bill Of expenses tor
tile trial trip of the Harriet Llne,"
answered Buchanan sternly, "hlye
you got it with you!"
"Ou! that billy s;sld Cabb; yes, L
believe have it somewhere about
my clothes," and hereupon Cobb
-funble,l first in one pocket and
then in another, and finally drew
out a piece Of crump!ed paperwhich
be handed to the President with:
IL guess that is it,"
Mr.. Buchanan took 1T and looked
overit item by item.
His face was full of disgust as he
read, and he seemed to look dag
gers into the paper until be reached
the end, when he almost irmped to