New-York tribune., 1890-05-04
WASHINGTON STORIES.
e. UNCLE JERRY RUSK AT THE WHITE
HOUSE

, n1-rt. WHICH WASN'T FoUGHT-sENAToR
MoRR1LLs BREAD AND MILK-MAJoR
MARTIN MAKES CALLS.
wasbinrton. d. c. May 3.-The most striking
arnrc in the Blue Room the Presidents reception
IN tbc pubc on Tuesday evening. was Uncle Jerry
Rusk the Secretary OF Agriculture. Very tall ana
high shouldered, he loomed up above al the men Ill
the rooms His long white beard and fair rudy
complexion gve him distinction. ahu' aiter Mr'
pIane he attracts more attention than any other man
IN ,bc cabinet 'Uncle jerry is not enamored of
rmal Administration ceremonies, and his friends get
much amusement out Of his lack Of enjoyment OF
| c,a,e occasions He confesses privately that he
fdgetso under their restraints
:. vov don't YOU 20 giving me away he said
that evening in the Blue Room, but can tch you
IFS a great bore for me TO be dlshiheu 'aoiIe'
onccrs Then adjusting his glasses, he turned to
studv the pa,sing line Of people. who were being
sho,cn through pretty rapidly by the President
g you 500 he added, this Is what likc-a public
recention. It's fine. Just look at them. There's
DANDY, podding toward an elderly, but spruce
man with a woman on his arm who were smiling and
having 10 Mrs. Harrison and her assistants
(which one is the dandy - was asked py an
amused listener
uoh ho,h He IS a dandy, and so Is she. They
ara harinc a GOOD time in the White House. There.
inst sec the girls with their hats covered with poSeS.
srect az the flowers themselves Why, MS one ot
,h nr.,,iest sights To these people here. Now.
Won inst hold on with your talk awhile Tor doh
want 70 lose a bit of a show like this
.You are right, General Rusk.' said lady near
him .But it's pity the show is not more frequent
rhon w,tb a little dash Of patriotic enthusiasm, she
,ddod II the time ever comes when We cannot have
,,,,rc -ecentiops in the White House. think shall
want "a live under some other nag
~wou I don't think any thing about 1t. JUST
vould that's all. Why, When was "o'e'h"r VI
w,.coneip do yon suppose had any OF your iiN Iled
partiesl not much. just sent out word TO the
-, ,o comc-comc one. come al-you'rc all vel
aon,e And they did And they enjoyed 1t. -
did IL
rho Secretary Of Agriculture is essentially man oi
a., oD,e lie proves IL wherever he IS placed
o,bcr Cabinet officers sat back the Blue Room SOFAS
where they were formally approached by tho'e WIZ
engaged them In conversation. But 'HCIc "cIN
Rusk was close 10 the 'front.' watching ana chIoS'"e
the crowds and himself the centre of group ha'i5
as they said "the best hind of a time one at''
another was added to his admirers. and among ti'"
two Young women, Who lad Dc,h ua'h's ""''' '''"
in truly American fashion.
one said he was practical farmer, ana Inc o'''r
said he knew nothing about II. "lust Ike al 'he'c
men who write about farming and never piah'cu
even potato ,
They walked across the room ana inc ono p"SSeS'7
the most assurance said
Mr. secretary, have been d'pnuns about YOU
say Won are a practical farmer. Miss b saws
YOU are like all the rest who write ABOUT idi''''N
She SAYS you SIT there among inc 'o''r' "'"''
and write beautiful letters of advice {" farmers Ni
dig away on stony hills. neht grasshopicFo 'F WON
I'm some other dtscouragnc way 10 live. But 81"
doesn't believe you know puinphlnS nom S4'4o'' VI
cucumber vines from potato vines
Tho auaacitv of such an attack would hardly have
amused any one Of the Cabinet officers on the blie
Room sofas. But It amused Uncle Jerry KusA In
mensclv Ills face bca.icd IS be answered
Not know a squash when ! sec II Well Just you
listen. There was big squash sent down here from
New. York There wasn't a man in tho Agrl'N''"r"
Denartrlent who knew what sort ot squash u "@'.
cot then, all in They looked the squash over. but
not one could tell ANYTHING about H. Mer th'S All
had their chance the squash told them "hat khd
Of squash II was the only man th'ro VINO
coud do H. Not know anything about farming
WHY its fact that when was boy raised sqnL'hcs
50 biz coald get Of them and be lost c''n out
NJ sight, The young women SAID they wcro perfectly
satisfied and required further evidence that thc
secretary of Agricultural 'cas practical farmer.
Tho following utle story Is told Of Secretary Rn.
and a young man Of society," The young man. ia
The course Of conversation certain table dsic' cA
pressed great preference for beeistcah and onions
rut. don't Won know Mr. secretary he saf. " !
sotsorn enjoy my favorlto dish. fellow can't est
Onion. and 20 into society. His breath You know
we'll It's not quite what he wants for the drawing
room The girls. you see -
Nv young irlcnd.' interrupted Secretary Ru-k'
~lc, me tell you how You can have yonr berisi'''A
and onions. and 60 70 he girls too. Yon 50 up
~ chsmberlin's and order Your bccistcak and onons
They know how 20 cook them there. When you ect
your bin. it Will just tnhc your breath away
r,,..lstant ro,tna. ter General stevenson tolls
This story ON senator blackburn. They were among
ruc,t, at a dinner party not long ago. when Mr..
stevenson. looking across the table, said;
senator. do you remember that day when We Ycrc
second, - duel
MI blackburn promptly expressed his recollection
-, tlc pleasant event. and the other guests called
for fine particular, Of duel which had left IN the
mind, Of the second, such cheerful memories.
We'll began Sir. Stcy yen.on, Mr.. blackburn drove
me ont 10 the ground. II va, before sunrise, but
We were the seconds and, Of course. were first on the
ground. But Tho principals soon arrived. Now, ]
wa, very ignorant about ducls The principals knew
very utilc too Int Mr.. Blackburn was well posted.
and In order that everything should be clearly under
stood and satisfactory, he said he would explain the
code 80 he took the floor, rather the ground, and
bc.an to talk. II very interesting, for a, You all
know. the gentleman from kentucky 10 an orator
Just them there interruption by the bread
plate and Mr.. stevenson paused TO help himself TO
bread But the pause continued and Mr. Stevenson
was. apparently. going with his dinner.
"Wcu but the duel. You haven't told rs how
the duel ended said several guests, eagerly, and
speaking at once
on. it didn't end. 1t didn't begin said Mr..
stevenson solcmnly. d" YOu see blackburn began to
talk before sunrise and he stopped TIL after
sundown and then 1t too dark Tor the duel
ain these days sad friend Yesterday when
clecrocutlon' threatens TO consign the elows, with
all its ghasty accessories and it sensational literature.
TO the dark limbo OF the past the recent visit Of ny
old commander. General sbley. Of Minnesota, to this
CITY recalls the details of the most extraordinary
ecution by hanging which ever occurred. In 1862
was serving with my company of the 10th Minnesota
Infantry against the Indians under the General, after
the great outbreak anu massacre in which over l,s0o
men women and children were ruthlcssly slaughtered
by The blcodth!rsty savages We were mounted,
serving AS cavalry, and some 900 Of were con
I.r.lI- LL...,