News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-07-22
THE HARRIET LANES TRIP.
A Story of n EroIie and vino Paid for it.

Story of Erolis and vino Paid for it.
The Revenue Cutter Harriet Lane had
been launched, and Secretary Cobb con-
cluded that on his trial trip Of the new
vessel he would invite the Cabinet. the
foreign legation, the President and
others of his acquaintance to take sail
with him down the Potomac. He made
all ms arrangements without saying a
word to the President, and the matter
was pretty well advanced before Buchan-
an heard of it. When it first came to
his ears "Old Buck sent fer his At
torney= =Genefal, Jefe Black, and Black,
when he came to- the White House,
found Buchanan flushed with anger. AS
Black entered he saidi "Arc you going
on this blanked fIolic Iwould like to
know what you think of Cobb's using
our public property for his private en-
tertainment ~
Attorney General SLACK replied that
he was not going The Harriet Lane
trip, and though he did not like to
criticise Cobb, still he was not backward
in saying that he did not approve of it.
But" continued he, "Mr. President,
Cobb has gone on with this affair and
issued his invitations, and l don't see
what you can do about it!
''Do about it," said Buchanan, in a
rage, edo about it. Why, of course l
will stop it. 1t is a scandalous affair,
and will not be held responsible for it.
l certainly will not allow it to 90 on. {"
Black then placed before Buchanan
the probability that Cobb thought he
was doing nothing wrong when he was
making the arrangement, and the fact
that If he stopped the affair now it
would cause a great deal of scandal both
In this country and abroad, as the for
el8n Ministers had been invited. Bu-
chanan appreciated this and finally said
that he thought he would let Cobb go
on if he wanted to and he would pay all
the expenses cut of his own pocket. The
excursion did go on, but neither the
President nor Acknowledgement Black
were present. At the first Cabinet
meeting after it Buchanan said to Cobb:
'Mr. Secretary, want you to bring
me an itemized bill of the expenses in
CURED during the trial trip of the Har-
riet Lane. l want a detailed account of
everything-the coal consumed, the
salary of the officers, the wages of0the
seamen and the cost of every bit of
supplies used on the trip"
Cobb did not know what to make of
this demand, but he replied quietly:
Certainly, Mr.. President, 1 will do
So"
Shortly after this the Cabinet meet
ing ended, and Howell Cobb and Jere
Black walked down from the White
House together. 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 mean2'
Black made no reply, and Cobb went
on: "You know what he means, and
know you do, and now l want you to
tell me frankly what he is up to!"
Black then related his conversation
with Buchanan, and concluded with
the statement that Buchanan asked for
the bill in order that he might pay it
out of his own pocket.
Howard Cobb always whistled when
loud. long-continped whistle, and said:
That is what the old squire is up to- is
it9 Well, 1 will see whether / can't
surprise him.
At this point the conversation
dropped, and BIack.rnd Cobb went on
to the Treasury. Every once in while
Cobb would repeat his whistle, and as
Black left him he heard the whistle
coming out of the Treasury door as
Cobb entered. The next Cabinet day
came and with it came Cobb, who
seemed to be the happiest man in the
council. The President looked glum,
but Cobb was cracking his jokes at
everybody. The business of the meet
ing was at last concluded, and the
secretaries had arisen to take tt cir de-
parture, when Buchanan turned to Cobb
and said rather sharply: "Mr. Secre-
tary, where is that biu2"
Cobb, assuming an innocent air, an
swered: "What bill, Mr.. President"
81 mean the bill of expenses tor the
trial trip of the Harriet Lane" answered
Buchanan sternly, ''have you got it with
you?"
"Oh! that bill" said Cobb; yes, I
believe / have it somewhere about my
Clothes" and hereupon Cobb fumbled
first in one pocket and then in another,
and finally drew out piece of crumpled
paper which he handed to the President
with: 81 guess that is it."
Mr.. Buchanan took it and looked over
it item by item.
His face was full of disgust as he
read, and he seemed to look daggers
into the paper until he reached the end,
when he almost jumped to his feet as
he exclaimed: 'Why, it is receipted-
paid in full by Howell Cobb"
"And who in thunder should have
paid it but Howell Cobb2" broke in
Cobb with an air of injured innocence;
''it was my frolic. Who should have
paid for it2'
"Sure enough! sure enough" was all
that Buchanan said. But he frightened
UP at once, and in a short time became
as merry as Cobb had been at the be-
ginning of the session. Cobb and Black
went away from the White House to-
gether, and as they were going down
the steps into the yard Cobb said:
'Didn't come it over the old squire
that timer 1t is needless to say, in
conclusion that the Government vessels
were not used during the remainder of
AdmiGiF FTration for private
purposes.