New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-06
WASHINGTON TOPICS.
THE TRIALS OF CLARKSON.
HARRISON AS A wrT-sARAH KELLY
WANTS TO BE PoET.LAUREATE-A LUCKY
MESSENGER BOY.

MESSENGER BOY.
Washington. Oct 5.-Assstant Postmaster-G General
Clarhson has been down in Virginia this week. and his
trip recalls experience he had in making similar
journey some months ago. lie had not been In Office
long enough 10 do much in the way OF hiling the
fourhclass postolces with Republicans and there was
great anxiety both shores Of the Potomac to inter-
view the who by virtue of his official position was
vested with the power Of turning the Democrats OUT.
The Assistant Postmaster General was headed ""aru
Fortress Monroe in Mr.. wanamaker's yacht hw
friends were on board and the intention was to make
several stops the river points. In some way ,he
knowledge Of the voyage travelled down the ri'er III
advance Of the party. When the first landihe was
reached large delegation was there TO weicome 'ho
party Everybody seemed TO have bundle OF papers,
and the Assistant Postmaster General turned paie al
the thought that they all bent on delivering au-
dresses of welcome But his fears in this respect "ere
unfounded. BY a common impulse the crowd ieapoa
for the deck Of the yacht before 1t could De mooi0
Some OF them miscaculated their own strene.h ,
fell into the river. but no one seemed to nina n'uo
accidents Of this sort Those who did make ,ho ~" =,
crowded about Mr. Clarkson, thrustng upon MN ,lo
papers they carried voclferously soliciting IL"
Minutes nrvate conversation glance at one OF the
documents and the mystery was cleared up 80
was only one postoflce, but apparently inc ""oi'
male population of the village wanted H. lno ~
sistant Postmaster-G eneral is man Oh qul0 i,,
ceptiOns and withal born diplomats io ~,
faced the expectant throng, explained Drehy wy
limited time at his disposal would not perm. aug
sonal Interviews and promised that the cahuiuo
raners ebould he carefully examined the down mp
and the fortunate one be named when tho yam
touched there on its return. Then he co"i''o
made known his regrets that the nmlEu "0' ,a ,ro
lions OF the boat would not permit MIN 10 mo-" no
whole party his guests, but this being ti,o rhe
would at least make no invidious distlnouono
crowd took the hint and disembarked. Aho' w Avn
SWING out into the river and held her course ..s
- an n landing on the Maryland shore was
sighted. o+ en-
RashIy reasoning that the Marylanders were ~. %
eager as the Vrginlans, II was decldcu " a.tor
stop But as the shore was approaeheu .h
crowd was SEEM in way distinguishaoio - ra.,,
one which had been left behind. Commouoio 49,
son at once issued orders TO alter her couU' tho
Yacht swung out again toward the mluuio Vi ~
-, when tbis manoeuyre was seen a wall OF ais
o,o,rtr,ont went IN from on shore. IL did MOI last
lone for the nuckw,tted in the twinhinR Oh dh eS0
were piling into catboats, rowboats ana every ~
Kind Of craft that was at hand. The meet heai'u w
Yacht which could not pick It's way tnrouen 80
without endangering the lives of the vehtulo,o n,,,
tlvce once more the diplomacy OF the firs' 80,
Postmaster General came into play sKlppcr Cia''
son too his place on deck and addressed inc oo 7T
goet I1o reoretted he could not invite them all Oh
hoard but beInr unable 10 do so, he would niaAD Ho
,,,,id,ous distinctions etc lie would not however,
tnrn them away without consideration IhcS 0our'
toss their applications TO him, he would hdNo NV Pc
pcrs filed in the cabin would carefully examine tnon
and on the return voyage he would announce WIN
should be postmaster . ..o,o,,+or
II rained documents for several minutes hereai'o
1bon tho bcs,erng feet pulled away. with three nearly
cboors for the Assistant Postmaster-Gener MINI
fI NJ mast experiences the yacht now held her COURSE
in the middle OF the river, and made no TENT Vi az
temptnC landing. The scheme was MOI ai'os0'n
successful for when the people on eiuer snoio Oh"
the effort TO evade them, they would lnVarapH ma"
the fishing boats and pull alongside the yacht inc"
Captain Clarkson would make his concila'ois sp0OH,
the Endorsements for the pos'oice would be receiver
d corica mn I'm the hold. and the attacking party
would retire Fortress Monroe was at last reached
and there on the Government reservation, the AS
sstant Postmaster General was able to secure l'uo
rest When he got ready TO return to washington
strategy was resOrted TO and grave embaf1assmeh's
avoided The yacht made tho voyage up the river
in the dead OF night, and evaded the parties which
were lying I'm walt for 1t along shore
All tbis was last April. In the interval Mr.. Clark
son kent the agencies OF his Office working so steadily
that Virginia and Maryland Bourbon poslmasters made
one continuous funeral procession. SO 1t happened
that on the present occasion he was able TO make the
trip both ways in broad daylight and TO 90 ashore as
often as be pleased
Talking about CIarkson I asked Iowan the other
day how he came TO evolve that singular cognomen
Retn from his name. Everybody in the West knows
- Ret7 Garrison, but If you speak Of ]. S.. James
S. or James Sullivan Garrison, they think you mean
some other member of the family.
We call him Ret said my friend, because
we've always known him as Ret. Years ago he
wrote the liveliest political correspondence that was
ever known In Iowa, and that was his signature
How he came TO take II done know. but Ret Clark
sons letters made him known all over the State and
when he began to take hand IN politics himself, we
got in the habit of calling him by that name and
we've kept right on"
A man may he President and enjoy bon mot, but
he rarely makes one.
Abraham Lincoln proved that Presidential dignity
and jocoslty were not anagonlstic, and President
Harrison follows him, for lie not only laughs at
good Joke but also on occasion becomes jester. One
Of the times was the return from Deer Park last Friday
II was the day after the Blaine Nc Cormick wedding
and the newspaper accounts Of the ceremony had been
read by the various occupants OF the car. MISS
Margaret Blaines engagement TO Mr.. Walter Dam
ro,ch was naturally mentioned IN the conversation
which followed. President Harrison spoke warmly
of Miss Blaine whom he had recently met at Bar
IIarb0r lie praised her sensible girl and
woman of Wit The musical genius OF Damrosch the
father was mentioned by one Of tho party Some one
who knew the younger Damrosch spoke up quickly
and said the son had the fathers genius. This same
gentleman said the acquaintance was OF longer stand
ing than the papers had quoted It. that Miss Blaine
knew Mr.. Damrosch some time before tho Cainesi9
coaching trip. In proof he sad:
"Why, Mr. Damrosch has been writing TO MISS
Blaine over two years.
The President had apparently paid small heed TO
the chatting until this remark. He then looked up
gravely but with twinkle in his eye and said
"Ah musical notes, presumably
Sarah Kelly, the poet of HoneSdale, Penn, has
again been heard from She has written 70 the wife
OF the President urging that she bring before the next
Congress bill urging the appointment of an American
poctlaurcatc.
Who.7 discOTseh Sarah in this letter, who but
me should be named poetlaureato not only sihs
in English but also I'm Sandscritt'
She then up few Of her rhymes as PROOF 70
Mrs Harrison OF her claims for National recognition
1t H.n 9tpf,a aud