New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-30
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
HE SENT "JoEv MACKIN'S CARD INSTEAD
OF HIS.
SOME POINTS ON TERRAPIN-" TIM" TARsNEY's
RrroRr-wHAr FIRED" DOUGLASS OVER
HEARp-oNE OF vANoEs FLATrERING
COMPARISONS

REToRT-WHAT FIRED" DOUGLASS OVEN
HEARp-oNE OF vANoEs FLATrERIMG
COMPARISONS.
Washington. Dec. 90" 1 can sympafhize win 'h"
Young officer who sent UP General shendans ca1u IN
stead of his own,7 said a newspaper correspondent
after reading the story CT that mshap In Inc iroune
Of last Sunday al had a similar experience not long
ago myself 1t was few days before the eiec'l"i
when I was in New-York I wanted to see dis
tincuished politician who taking an active bat
quiet part in the campaign Of Mr. Cleveiano' ne
was not easy reach, cards sent 10 MS room MI
va1aby came back with the word that the non
Mr. was 'out' One evening TO make sure thae
he himself had the opportunity to see me and not soe
undcrstrapper penclled brief message on the back
OF nv card 10 the effect that my business was I'M
portant TO him put It in sealed cnvelore and stmu
lated front TO see that Il delivered by dropping
bright new silvcy dollar into his hand In hVo
minutes the messenger reappearcd. MT - VIII
see YOU, he said Then followed through endless
corridors OF tn, hotel until circuous route brought
me TO side entrance TO tho mogul's apartments
gentle rap was answered by summons to come In
and | was ushered through several rooms until my
friend was found with him were two or three other
well-known politicians whose presence in New-Yorh
at that particular time not generally understood
I was going to express my pleasure at the meeting
when the black looks Of the whole company made me
pause My particular friend choking with rage
Finally he calculated:
what in do you meant How the d. did
you get hereP
al have seen angry politicians before. so took
the outbreak cooly and placidy remarked that had
followed my card and was there 81 HIS invitation
'Your carl. roarcd my excited friend. is this
YOUR cardY And he handed the piece Of paste
board glanced careessy at the message pencillcd
by me on the back and then turned the card over
Then my eyes opened a little. 1t reads:
Joseph c. hackin.
With COMPLIMENTS
"The group gowcred at mo and at first would hear
no explanation They insisted that It was not a
mistake, but deliberate Joke on my part 1t was
true that Mr.. Macbin. who is an eminent Illinois
Democrat was still serving term in the penientary
for baIlotbox stufing, but great efforts had been
made to secure his pardon, and the people who re-
ceivod the card naturally supposed that the pardon
had been granted and that he once more ready TO
engage In the fine work which had made him cele-
brated. Finally we compromised by agreeing that II
was pretty good joke on us all
HOW did # happeni Quite naturally. Joe'
Mackin was always a gold mine Of news for the news
papers and was very proud Of his friends in the craft
When he got TO cutting stone in the pententlary he
employed his leisure by mahng mementoes for his ac
Quantances. These took the form Of paper weights.
Only few days before election Of these had
reached me- and with a sigh for the man who got
caught while bigger fish slipped through the net, put
his card IN my pocket and thought no more of it.
Poor Joe What help he would have been TO his
party in New-York last November"
There is an unusually large number Of epieures in
the present Congress. the majority of whom are es-
pecially fond of damondback terrapin when It is
properly cooked and served When Secretary Bayard
retired from the Senate that body deprived Of its
only teTapin cook. Senators Palmer, Beck, Butler,
hale, Cameron, Gray, Vest Vance, Hiscock, German
and Others can always be counted upon to dispose
of their share of the dish, but Of them claims
to be an adept in preparing It. The House also
tans many terrapin eaters but can boast of but ono
terrapn cook He Is Charles H. Gibson, the bachelor
member who represents the Eastern Shore Of Mary
land, the home OF the diamond back Those who
have partaken OF Mr.. Gbscn's hospitality and en-
joyed dish Of terrapn prepared by him pronounce
him the equal II not the superior, Of Secretary Bayard
as a terrapin cook. A well known Senator, who is
annoyed that the House should DO ahead Of tho Senate
In this particular and who aspo TO succeed Secretary
Bayard as the terrapin cook of the Senate obtained
from Mr. Gibson the laers recipe. and recent practice
has encouraged him TO hope for success. He has had
no difficulty in securing patients willing TO be prae-
tsed upon and he has issued invitations TO HIS first
formal terrapin supper.
Messrs Bayard and Gibson may have many al
mrers as far as their cooking of teTapin IS con
cerned, but among them the old-fashioned darkey is
certainly not TO be found. lie cooks his terrapin
differently.
"Pcople talks mighty lot dis way m dat bout
de propah mannah o. cookin Of de tahpin," said
Uncle Jake, an old Eastern sho'" fisherman to me
the other day. but in my pinion 'taint nobody as
cooks 'eai light nowadays, sense even de niSgahs
mus, hev cookstoves TO do dey cookin
nv Dis way o. coolhn' 'em IN blin'
water lis ruins 'em Der haint no way I'm ebber seed
yit dat ekals de roasin' er dem in de ashes on de
heath When 1 wars little shaver turkels wer'
ulenty huff den down on de Easten sho', m people
USE to wrap 'em In paper 10 keep out de grit N
liyer I'D in dc hot ashes de heath: let him ros'
dar I'll he well done, den tale of dc bottom shell,
take out de bones, dc sand bag m de gaul, chop up
do rest eggs m ALL de top shell, drap in lump
. buttah, pinch o. salt, N leeue mite o. red
peppah set do shell down Dc heath till he Git rite
bot den eat hinder halnt nothin tall in dis world
bettah m dat"
The old man waggcd his head IN happy memory OF
II an dis way people has o. putin vino in it's
| ifs vase o. de good wine. FL had do wine Ish'd
drink hit m eat dc tarpln wldoui.'
A coiple OF Representative "Tim" Tarsney'S Re
rur1can friends Of the House wero mildly chatting
| the great Michigan statesman at the National Hotel
| the night before the Christmas recess. They were
very anxious apparently, to obtain his opinion as to
what tho Democratic majority In the House would
finally do about the Senate Tariff bill. Tarsney turned
upon his prosecutors and said;
"Wcn gentlemen, OF dOan't want TO give yez a
| short answer, but Ofn have to give yez the Same
replol as Pat gave TO the prase about the mass"
Being pressed for explanation the Z" Mimber'
( from Michigan delivered himself follows:
| "On bright Sunday mornln Catholic praste met
| Jolly son OF Erin, and seq he to him:
| "'Good mornin Pat
| "sMornn', your RiverinceP promptly responded
| PathricA
"'An' WHARF are yer gon'1' asked tho praste agen
| "sWhoi shure an oPm goin' 10 mass was the
prompt response.
| "'And what is mass. PatP
Now, your Rlvernce, you know OF know phat the
mass IT,
s'Weu Pat, II you met a Protestant an hc asked