Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-29
MIR. Quay AND THE MERMAID.

The sailors on the yacht which carried
Senator Quay around the coast of Florida
recently report that one night, when the
vessel was lying at anchor. a strange
sound, as of an EolIan harp and huge
organ blended, filed the air. The crew i'm
puted the enhancing noise to mermaids,
and in great alarm put out to sea.
This seems to US to be the most notable
Of all the adventures which beteIl Senator
Quay during his two months stay upon the
coast of Florida. The story of the catching
of six gigantic tarpon, each weighing from
one to two hundred pounds. any fisherman
could tell; and, il our memory is not at
fault, Mr.. Quay has once before narrowly
escaped from rattlesnake, which he subse-
quently killed. But rencont-e with mer-
maid is novel, and more significant than
the interviews with sea serpents, which
may be expected to begin shortly along the
New Jersey coast. In view of the usual
result of even a mere bowling acquaintance
with the charming daughters of the sea,
Mr.. Quay may thank his lucky stars that
he reached home with q whole skin. Per
haps like Ulysses, on a somewhat similar oc-
casion, Mr.. Quay had himself tied to mast
before the seductive concert began.
We cannot conceal from Mr.. Quay, or
our readers, the anxiety which this appear
ance of mermaids in politics causes US.
Mermaids never make themselves known to
mortals without definite purpose of some
kind. We are compelled by divers circum-
stances to believe their purpose on this oc-
casion to have been political. 1t is true that
a mermaid has been known to fall in love
with a man, and either follow him for
time to land, or entice him to live with her
below the sea, but Mr.. Quay is married
man, and complications of this sort are out
of the question, because as Mr.. Gilbert has
said, married men never firt!" Hence the
political bearings of this singular Incl
dent are thrust upon our consideration.
Mermaids have been known to deal in
consideration and sometimes gratis, things
about to happen. A Danish legend relates
that mermaid once appeared to peasanton on
the seashore, and besides foretelling to him
the birth of Prince. moralized upon the
evils of intemperance. Did the Florida
mermaid reveal the birth of an enlightened
Republican policy. and lecture Mr.. Quay
upon the evils of raising gigantic campaign
funds? Or did the beautiful young woman
in the exercise of another of her reputed
powers impart supernatural qualities to the
Junior Senator from this State? A Scotch
sea captain who fell in with mermaid OBJ
tained from her three-fold promise,
nam ely, that neither he nor any of his
friends should perish by the sea- that he
should be successful in everything he un-
dertook, and that the lady who scorned his
love should scorn it no more Another
beneficiary of mermaidenly favor got the
power of breaking spells of witchcraft,
chasing away diseases, and discovering
thieves. Perhaps the latter gift would be
more useful to practical politician.
We have one question to ask Mr.. Quay,
which we hope for the sake of the Republi-
can party, as we'll as his personal friends,
he will answer as quickly as may be.
When he saw the mermaid-if he was so
privileged-was she engaged in the some
what prosaic occupation of ofwashing clothes?
If she was, we must say that the country
and Mr.. Quay will do well to prepare for
the worst, for it is a sign never known to
fail of some impending calamity.