The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-12-29
GEN. HARRISON AT HOME.
He is a Good Listener and Treats
His Callers Hospitality.
Mysterious Visitors Who Excite
the Imagination of the
Wise Reporters.
Some Fairy Tales Told About the Visit
Of -Four Peacrable West VIr.
gluians 10 the City Of Con.
centric Circles.

In these days the visitor to Indianapo
lis finds life scarcely worth living. He
may be there to canvass for an art work
to organize a syndicate to dig diamonds
to peddle peanuts in modest, unob
trusive way. All the same he is sus
pected OF an intention to make shOrl
cut for the home OF the President-elect
there 10 roost on the doorstep or on the
Curbstone until he can find his way in
He is, OF course, suspected Of wanting
something. Possibly he is seated in a
reading room OF n hotel taking his aftel
breakfast cigar or looking overthc morn.
ing papers. The young man with n big
interrogation point stamped on his
countenance walks around the stranger
two or three times and then he says he
understands the stranger is there to see
General Harrison, and will ask him TO
give all thegood things to West Virginia.
This young man is, Of course, one OF the
sleuth.hounds OF the press. Having thus
m0destly introduced himself, he is eager
TO know whether the visitor has seen
General Harrison; whether he expects
to sec the President.elect and ii SO at
what hour; how long he thinks the in
terview will last; what topics are to be
discussed; whether he is acquainted
with General Harrison; whether he
brings letters, and il SO from whom ;
what he thinks about the much discussed
Southern policy; whether lie thinks Mr..
Blaine is to be in the new Cabinet, and
whether he really thinks Mr.. Blaine's
appointment TO the Cabinet would be n
popular thing.
WANTING TO KNOW.
This particular visitor having declined
for reasons Of his own to register ut the
hotel and the reporter having discover
ed that two OF the party Of four are in
the same boat, the reporter is deter
Mined to know their names, and waits
at least five minutes in vain endeavor
TO get them. lie knows that men have
names and these are no exception to the
rule. The discovery OF the names being
hopeless case, he resumes his inqnisi-
tion and asks a stereotyped set OF Ques-
tons about the Southern policy.
Aboutsuch questions rs we see through
the newspapers are put TO everybody
who goes to Indianapolis, politicians,
book.agents, peaDut-peddlers and all.
The next reporter is one who knows the
two West Virginians who failed to regis
ter and with whom the task is much
easier. He spins two or three fairy tales,
strings them together and away they go
over the country, which ID supposed to
be very much interested in the visit OF
four quiet men 10 the home OF the Presi-
dent elect.
GENERAL HARRISON AT HOME.
Anybody in indianapolis can tell you
where General Harrison lives, and he is
usually spoken ofas "the General" The
residence OF the man who has been
chosen to be the chief OF sixty millions
OF people is one OF the least pretentious
in the neighborhood, which must be
very beautiful when the trees are in
foliage and the flowers are in bloom.
The residences in this part OF the city
are detached, each having comfortable
allotment OF ground Of its own land, with
the exception OF General Harrison's; all
others are fenced in. The Harrison
fence went early after his nomination at
Chicago, being torn off by relic hunters,
whose defendants will bear piece OF it
in triumph in political professions fifty
years from now. On the ground near
the doorstep is n piece OF coal with a
Protective Tariff legend on it, In the
vestibuleis that same "old coon, cut in
white marble. Within is an air OF home
like comfort and refinement. A minia-
ture log cabin is on the mantle-pieCe and
another worked on a banner hangs on
the wall. Two photographs OF the Vice
President-eleCt are prominent features
in the parlor.
A GOOD LISTENER.
General Harrison receives his visitors
graciously and kindly. He is one ofthe
best listeners, nodding assent or ex-
pressing himself parenthetically and
never committing himself on the main
question. He states frankly that he is
glad to hear, but that OF course he. is
not expected to declare himself on ques-
tions with which he will soon have to
deal in an official way. Now and then he
asks a question which goes to the meat
OF the matter and at once relapses into
the attitude OF h good listener. During
conversation his face shows great an.
imation, his eyes sparkling. Busy as he
is he listens patiently, and, unlike many
another man elevated to high place, in
no way conveys the impression that his
visitors are boring him and that he
would be glad TO be rid OF them. He re-
tains the old fashion hospitable way Of
showing his guests to the door and speed
ing them with warm grasp OF the hand.
WHAT TUB doSsTRs TALK ABOUT.
The gossips OF indianapolis are much
exercised over the recent visit OF Ex.
Senator II. G. Davis to the President
elect. Some Of them are sure that II
means that Mr.. Davis is about to "Aop"
to the Republican side; others that he is
especially interested in the political ad-
vancement OF his son.in.law, Mr.. El-
kins; others that he merely looked in to
have a social chat. 1t would not be
taking too much liberty with the text to
conclude that General Harrison and Mr..
Davis know what they talked about and
possibly they won't tell.
indianapolis is almost rs proud OF her
natural gas as sheis OF General Harrison,
but she has not yetlearncd how to make
natural gas successful illuminapt, d.
though she is hard at work with all sorts
ot special appliances. With the electric