Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-09-28

pictures OF little Renjamins, tlarrisons.
Ben jan,in Harr4sons and Harrison Nor
tons. with all sorts Of surnames. Ever
since March photographs Of babies
named after the president have poured
In upon the White House. A score Of
these are displayed upon the mantle In
Meyer. Of Brooklyn, N. Y, little
chap sitting in chair about fifty
times bigger than himself. Benja-
min Harrison Weygant, OF Ada, Minn.,
looks like Buck Ewing, the baseball
player. Benjamin Harrison Pullins, Of
Ohio. greatly resembles Andrew Jack
son. The proud father of Benjamin
Harrison McCracken, Of Paxton, Ills.
drops into poetry on the back of his
baby's photograph, and in the same
place advertises his business as breed
er Of Poland, China, Victoria and other
first class swine. Benjamin Harrison
Bigbee, of Templeton, Mass. is very
pretty boy, and SO Is Harrison Hussey,
of Cameron, NO., and Benjamin Harrison
Mason, of Marietta, Mo. Other bright
boys who were given the benefit of COM
parison with Benny Mckee in the mind
of the president are Benjamin Morton
Morris, of Murphysboro, Ills; Ben njamin
Harrison Wright, Of Williamsville, N.
Y; Harrison Carter, of Petersburg. Ills; /;
Harrison Bencky, of Hamilton, o.; Har-
Watershed, of San Francisco: Harrison
Hawkins, Of San Bernardino; Harrison
Morton Rowley, of Claridon, o., and
Benjamin Harrison Bull and Binger
Herman Bull, twins, of Milwaukee.
1t is estimated that 800 photographs Of
babies named after the president have
been received at the White House since
March 4, and while the president very
much appreciates the compliment paid
him thereby. his secretaries, who must
make formal acknowledgment of the
receipt of each and every photograph,
think the White House picture gallery
already sufficiently stocked with infantile
Benjamin Harrisons.
At the executive mansion there is a
keen appreciation of the fact that very
small incidents often have very great ef-
feet upon public opinion. Naturally,
there is no little timidity among the EN-
ployes of the White House in the matter
of talking about what they zee and hear.
The rule is that no man but the private
secretary shall open his mouth, and this
individual is not given to loquacity.
Why. the Jealous clerical assistants of
the president were even bent upon re-
fusing me a look at the sweet faces of
the two score little Benjamins. They
were afraid something unpleasant might
be said about them, or that the president
might not like to have the public gossip
ing about his collection of namesakes.
Sometimes think public men greatly
underestimate the good sense of the
people. case in point came under my
observation not long ago. One of Mrs.
Harrisons nieccs. on returning from a
journey abroad, called at the White
House to pay her respects to her aunt,
the mistress Of the mansion. She sent
up her card from the blue room, and
presently Mrs. Harrison came down
with a big kitchen apron tied round her
waist and towel wound around her
head. Mrs. Harrison was houseclean-
ing. The niece professed TO be great
ly shocked by being thus received
by the first lady, and hearing of her ac
count of the call, and of her having
described the incident TO newspaper
correspondent, certain high officer of
the government, not employed at the
White House, sent for the correspondent
and begged him not to print the story.