Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-23
Chambers Joke with Blaine.


Secretary illiam +. Chambers intimate
friends have long been aware that he dearly
loved good joke, especially if he was him.
self the perpetratOr of it. No one would ever
suspect, who did not know this foXy poljJi-
clan and very bright man. that behind that
acute cOuntenance was hidden q capacity for
| playing and enjoying tricks that would seem
| almost like schoolboy's nonsense. Like an
other member OF the Cabinet Of late admin
| istratlOn, Mr.. Wayne MacVeagh, Chandler
] keeps himself young and fresh and vivacious
| by giving his love of fun and humor every op-
| pOrtunlty for qualification, while, AS with
| Mr.. MacNeagh, no suspicion Ofjollity is ever
| allowed to betray itself. The writer, having
| had opportunity for seeing Mr.. Chandler in
| dulge TO the full his love for pranks-which
| indeed, he dld not hesitate to do even before
| a President of the United States-was quite
prepared TO believe the following aneclote,
| recently told hya gentleman who had per-
sonal knowledge OF it:
| Everybody who knows anything about poll
ties knew some years ago that Mr..
| Chandler was Mr.. Blaine's right
hand man, The place that ste
| smile flied two years ago, Mr.. Chandler with
no smile, but with an equally disarmi Y man
ner of ,youtnfulness and innocence, possessed
| for dozen years. 1t was also known that
| about the time Mr.. Blaine entered GarGeId's
| Cabinet, something like strained relations
| were apparent between the magnetic man
and h's little ambassador. Politicians who
| Jump al conclusions asserted that Blaine and
| Chand er had fallen ont on account OF pOilti-
! cal differences, ana later, when Chaud ler en-
! tered Arthur's Cabinet it was said that
/ Blaine fOrsw0re his former friend. But 1t is
| the impression OF the few to whom the storv
| that Is now told has been known that politics
! had nothing to do with it, but that Mr.
Chandler lost Mr.. Blainc's friendship because
| of practical joke which Mr.. aine did not
so take, and which MIR. Chandler was too
sensitive to explain.
Some four or Eve years ago. according to the
| narrator of this anecdote, Mr.. Chandler was
called aSulDQtOO Han h5r.o
| on some important law business He was
| obliged to go TO one of the most craKgy and
desoiate towns In the Stale, where he knew
| no one. lie stopped at village tavern, and
the night was stormy and the landlord W as
stupid, and the guests uncongenIal SO Mr.
Chandler went to his Groom, ana there pre-
pared to play practical joke. He wrote
two letters, One of them was 10 his wife. In
that lie spoke Of few trifllngl nj tiers
ana then permitted himself to write about
Mr. Blame. ne lntmated that
Hamilton Mr.. Blaine owed very much of
what seemed to the party and the country the
| best OF ms inspirations and the most brilliant
OF his performances. He thought IL strange
That man like Blaine should allow his nm
questlonably great intellect to be dominated
by woman, and stranger that Blaine did not
realize that however intellectual u woman
might be, she was sure in the long run Co be a
dangerous counsellor to q man with political
ambition. Then, with "a few words more about
his own family affairs, Mr. Chandler closed
NJ.
not to Mrs, Chandler, but to James q. Blaine,
Augusta, Nc,
Next Mr.. Chandler wrote another letter be-
ginning, my Dear Blaine" and then went
on to say that lie was panied To hear Of Mr.
Blame : recent illness, but vas certain that.
with the splendid nursing and constant care
which his family gave hun, Mr.. Blame would
speedily recover. Then Mr.. chandler added
That, aS for himself, wBen he was sick he gen
orally nad 10 nurse himself, for all women ad
not the gilt OF sick room tenderness such as
.ealed TINS letter up aud addressed it,, not to
James II u aine, but 60 Mrs. William +.
ChArdler. Washington, u. c.
w men the httle politician returned 90 wash
iugtou he found that the letter he ostcnsibly
wrote TO Nir. Blaine mad PLAYED it's little part
as practical joker IN the Chandler home
stead, lor ne was called upon for an eXplana-
ton. When he had teased sufficiently he OK
planned and then he and the family waited TO
months passed, but no Wort from Al
gusta, Me. Al length Mr.. Chandler
went TO Augusta. He met Mr. Blaine,
and saw NJ once tina the Joke had gone
iurther INTO Mr.. Blaine's heart than was in
lended. mr. Blaipe's manner was c0nven-
uOnaL but not cordial, and Chandler waited
Tor tho magnetic man TO come out with 1t,
wien al would be explained. But the knight
ana not come out with II. Ho said nothing
ABOUT the letter. and so no explanation could
be made. Mr.. Chandler learned sfterward
That Mr.. Blaine saw no joke In II %. all. hut
supposed ms former friend had been writing
what he Thought and had misdirected the let
Ter. 80 from that time on there began new
relations between William Il. and LaBues c.
II worried Chandler % little for awhile but
he got over IL.