The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-07-20
JOKING JOHN CHAMBERLIN.
How Some Local Wags Have Prosecuted
the Famous Boniface,

the Famous Boniface.
Mr.. William Dickson is the prince Of practi-
cal iollers. Playing practical jokes is as neces-
sary to his happiness-to his actual existence
as eating is to an ordinary man His jokes are
invariably of such kind that they don't hurt
anybody, and don't leave anybody in a bad
lumor. They are all good-natured. One of
Dickson's latest jokes was at the expense of
John Chamberlin. When ex-senator Malone
lived in Washington Chamberlin's was his head
quarters, and when he comes to Washington
now he makes his headquarters there. When
he called a meeting of the Republican leaders
of Virginia, the other day, Chamberlin's was
named as the place of meeting. Mr.. Chamber
lin agreed that Mr.. Malone should have the
big banquet hall for the purposes of his meet
ing never stopping to inquire what
sort of a crowd Malone would bring
there. When the time came Chamber
lin was considerably knocked out to
find his place swarming with Virginia negroes.
He was not in the habit of entertaining gentle
men of color, and he didn't like it, but he had
to stand it. Dickson and some of his friends
saw that Chamberin's feelings were aroused
and they decided to play on them. So, seating
themselves at table within earshot of Cham
berlin, they began to discuss what the news
papers were supposed to be saying about the
mattel. 1t was a great shame, they said, that
the newspapers should take advantage of the
Malone incident to write about Chamberln's
as niger hotel. They took good care that
Chamberlin should hear what they were saying
although, Iago-like, they pretended that they
were very anxious to keep it from him When
! he turned to them for further information they
! closed up Immediately, assured him that it was
| nothing; that they were sorry they had men
! toned it at all; that the newspapers that
! had published it were of no account
any how. They advised him that it
wasn't worth noticing, and were so mystic
! rious and secretiVe about it that he be-
! gan to imagine the case was something dread
! full, so lie stallled up and down the room in a
rage, stamping the floor and eXclaiming ~ keep
| niger hotel, do l : John Chamberlin keeps
a niger hotel, does he? ~ and using other ex-
! pressions Of a much more forcible character.
| Dickson and his friends tried their best to com
! fort him, but he wouldn't be comforted. The
! idea that his famous hotel had come to be re-
! garded as a ngger resort was too much for him.
Dickson and his friends put their heads to-
! gether to have a number Of letters addressed to
! Chamberlin by colored societies all over the
country The letters were sent to various cities
TO be remailed TO Washington, Here are a few
specimens:
FREDERICKSBURG, VA, July II, 1880.
! John ChGmbeTltit, Esq, Washington, ID. c.:
| DEAR JOHN: Our colOred friends from this sec.
| ton speak in glowing terms OF your kind and
generous treatment of them during their briet
! stay in your beautiful city The United
| Brothers of Jerusalem will attend the confer
| ence of the African OF. f. Church at Washing
| ton on the 23d and cath instant. Send me com
! mutation rates FOR party OF twenty. Make il