The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-02-11
A GOOD NIGHT FOR TALK
Three Interesting ADJ
dresses Before as Many
Local Clubs.
STORIES OF NOTED PUBLIC MEN.
Mr.. DOnaldson's Interesting Dis
course Before the Cosmos
Club Last Night.

The Cosmos Club had one Of its regular
meetings last evening at the residence Of
Mr.. James Flemming on Grand street.
The deep and broad parlors of the old
fashioned house were filed with an ex-
pectant audience. They had gathered to
hear the personal "reminiscences of Mr..
James Donaldson, OF Philadelphia, who
was the especial guest Of the club
Mr.. Donaldson mas wide acquaintance
with the prominent and famous men of
this country and England, and q rich
fund of good stories and anecdotes about
them, and is Tdconteur of no small
capability.
In opening his remarks Mr.. Donaldson
said that the decline of oratory was In ex-
act proportion to the growth and prestige
OF the press. Then he plunged into re-
cltal OF the anecdotes that had come into
his possession through his intercourse
with public men,
A STORY OF TOM coRwIN.
In Ohio great many years ago, when
barbecues and oratory were the twin
brothers that captured the popular affec-
tion, Thomas COrwin was the most
famous and sought after of public speak
erS. His oratory was extempore and
peerless. 1t used to be the ambition of
all the old ladies and young ladies to cap
ture the orator and entertain him as their
especial guest. On one occasion
lady of local celebrity had carried of
the honors of entertainment. She was as
fastidious as her household equipment
was limited. The supply of spoons was
short. She asked Corwin If he would
have long Sweetening or short sWeeten-
ing in his tea Corwin was puzzled at the
distinction, but finally replied that he
would take short. His hostess bit piece
from the end of lump of molasses sugar
and dropped it into the tea. Corwin
promptly concluded that he preferred the
long. The hostess was undiSturbed and
serenelv letting a stream flow from
molasses jug that had stood at her elbow
into the cup began to stir it with her
liked to decide that he preferred no
sweetening at all. but he clung to his last
decision and paid the price of his ex-
perienoe.
SAM HoUsToN's DoUGHNUTs.
Mr.. Donaldson told an anecdote of Gem
eral Sam Houston, of Texas. He and his
father were travelling. It was in the aood
old days of short stops at railway dinher
stations when the proprietor collected Ms
fifty cents toll from all comers as they en-
tered tae dinning hall and then hustleA
them out to take the train without theA
consideration. Mr.. Donaldson and his !
father had entered the station. The
young man had been attracted by
two objects. A tall distinguished
looking man with beard
and Sombrero hat, had
a pile Of about three dozen doughnuts on
one of the restaurant tables. When the
proprietor began to hurry the people TO
the train, young Donaldson opened the
yawning NAV OF very large and deep
carpet bag he carried and swept the
doughnuts into it, Then he boarded the
txain. The distinguished looking man
with the sc;aherc was grnmbling at his
unfair treatment by the restaurant
keeper. Young Donaldson offered him
eighteen OF the doughnuts, and the dis
tinguished looking man took them.
When he had disposed or them he
beckoned the boy to him and asked:
'sWhat can l do for you when am
president?"
The boy modestly requested an ap5
pointment to West Point.
'sYou shall have itl'' the distinguished
looking man replied. And then Pm
d-d if don't make you commissary,
for you are good provider. :"
Mr.. Donaldson asked his father who
the distinguished looking man was.
why that's Governor Sam Houston, Of
Texas" he replied.
SERGEANT BALLANTINE WAS UNPRoFEss-
IONAL.
He told story of the famous English
barrister, Sergeant Ballantine. Doyle
Carte, the present manager of Gilbert 81
Sullivan had contracted with the Eng
lishman to deliver a course of lectures in
this country on his personal experiences
as criminal practitioner. The Sergeant
was nearly eighty years of age, intirm,
and hating of speech.
de depicted the famous Englishman's
platform mannerisms inimitably, and
told how he related the notable
Ticheborn case to q Philadelphia au-
dience. While in Philadelphia Sergeant
Ballentine had met George w. Childs.
The London barrister did not recollect the
Philadelphia editor, and when Mr.. Childs
related the circumstance of having met
him and got an opinion from him, and
remarked his surprise at not having been
charged q fee, the Englishman looked
amazed and haltingly protested that the
Phih,delpbian was mistaken as he had
never been guilty of such unprofession-
al conduct"
Mr.. Donaldson paid his joint respects
to Generals George FL. Thomas and
George B. Mcclellan. The former he
said was slow of speech and slow to de-
eide, but when once decided quick of ex-
ecution. He was simple and unostenta-
tious. OF Mr.. Mcclellan he said that in
the West, where popular fallacies lived
longest, Mcclellan was still an enshrined
saint and looked upon as the model sol
dier. Mcclellan, he said, was an un-
doubted patriot, an engineer, but not .
soldier; the first man to build bridge
and the last to go over it.
BEN BUTLER is POOR.
He disclosed the fact that George Fs
Edmunds, who is popularity supposed to
be complicated mixture of legal max
inns and ice, is actually witty In q social
gathering, and that Benjamin #. Butler
is man the most repell5nt of feature OF
any in the United States, is getting to be
rocky" in appearance and is really poor.
Mr.. Donaldson said that Mr.. Blaine is
the most guileless of men, and the most
promising subject to be fieeced; but that
If he had been made President OF the
United States in 1884 he would have been
Chief Executive who would have been
supreme, and would have been most dis
appointing to his friends. whom he would
not have allowed to interfere with his
purposes.
The speaker closed his remarks with an
eloquent tribute to Abraham Lincoln
whose great strength, he said, was his
sympathies with the people. He char
acterized him as ''of the earth earthly
and said that he knew that in his private
social relations he was supremely un-
happ man.
a Talk ON THE TARIFF.