The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-05-12


 president and the renowned Davy Crockett, then a member of congress from Tennessee. Crockett had asked the general for an appointment for [ friend and had failed to get it. Feel. ing slighted, he came up to tell the president So. Never in Washington did two braver men meet face tt face. Crockett told the president hi opinion of him in no choice words, ,ant with great emotions of rage, Being alone, the general, knowing the char, acter of the man asked Crockett what were his real intentions, keeping hii eye on Crockett fixedly and coolly Crockett in like manner said:
 "Nothing-nothing more than this am done with you for life! !"
 The president made no reply what. ever, but his eye followed Crockett until he left the room.
 Crockett kept his word, for at tho earliest moment he went south, and then to Texas, where, 1t was well known, he met his death at the Ala mo, fighting In the cause of Texas, leaving an imperishable record ofdar- ing bravery, unexcelled anywhere.
 On another occasion, while at the White House, I asked the general fl he had seen the New York papers, just received by mail. He said; "No, sir ; have youp"
 l replied that I had just heard that the city of New York was nearly burned up, and that there was great on the avenue about 1t. At once, without word, he reached for his hat and overcoat, and posted off to see the attorney general, B. F. Butler, of New York, who was then living near by.
 On another occasion Mir. Rodgers, 8 member of congress from the Cherokee Mississippi, called to sec the president in relation to matters con- corning his district. The president noticed Mir. Rodgers awaiting an in- terview, and said:
 "Whst can I do for you, sir?"
 MT. Rodgers, who was half breed Cherokee and chief of the tribe, an- swered:
 "Look at these papers, your excel lency."
 ''Mr. Rodgers, stop, stopl Call mo Mir. President, sir, Mfr. President."
 Rodgers looked confused, and the president then, pointing his hand to the papers on the table, continued:
 "Promise me, Mir. Rodgers, to drop that expression, and promise you that you shall have my consent to all your wants In the Cherokee country"
 No one living in Washington then can say that they ever knew the presi- dent to use vehicle of any kind. Ills old black mare carried him wherever he went, unless the distance was quite near. The last five years of his admin istration the old mare Bess was as familiar to the people of Washington as the gray mare Latrobe to the::peo- pie of Baltimore. But old Bess had none to sing her praise, hence she got no "stuffin'" when she took her flight to horse heaven, as 1t Is contemplated to treat old Liz. Had some one known then what priceless value her shoes would have been, they would have been gilded with "gold" and distrib- uted, as is expected of Liz, among the favored.
 The morning of the duel between Sherbourne and Key, the two mid shipmen, the president was riding nvar to Gaoruatnwr auI whau ,na !. the bridge MT. Wright and I met the president MT. Wright had been a witness of the affair, and gave the whole details from the beginning to the death of Key. The president at first seemed much d!spleased, but after that Key had subjected Sher- bourne to so many uncalled- for ipdig- mites that there was no other alterna- tive but to fight, the latter challenged Key accordingly and gave him that sort of satisfaction he courted, the general, with 6 long drawn breath, said:
 Bad, sir bad, sir. deplore duel- Ing, but it Is sometimes an absolute 
 The old general had been there him. self several times.
 One of the greatest characteristics of General Jackson was his opposition to English. He imbibed this feeling, no doubt, from being 70 often brought to confront the British troops and the intrigucs of Eng fish statesmen.
 From the very beginning of the revolutionary war Jackson was more pr less in fighting harness. When only he volunteered to meet the who were then committing Expectations upon the defenseless peo- pie of South Carolina. He once re- in my hearing: "I like Bal timore, because the footprint ot 6 British soldier has never been seen fherev