Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-21
THE HARRISON TRAIN
Revives Gossip Concerning the Pay
ment of Presidential Tours.
1T WILL COST A YEARS SALARY
To Square Accounts With the Railroad
After the Present Trip.
A GOOD ONE On EX-SENATOR EDMUNDs
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH I


of his dominions to another in carriages SO
magnifcently appointed as those Of the
train which is now bearing President Har-
rison and his ''suite" in his triumphal
progress throughout score of the States OF
the Union. All former tours by Presidents
of the United States are utterly eclipsed by
the elegance and luxury of the cars of this
special train. Washington correspondents
are quite familiar with the liberality of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company in the
matter of special parlor, boudoir and dining
cars, to and from national conventions and
on other occasions, but they never before
saw anything approaching this train in
devices for sybaritic enjoyment, and
they, with others, wonder who is to
foot the bills. Of course they are per-
fectlv informed as to the payment Of
the bills for their own similar Transports
tion. The railroad does it and gets its pay
in the unavoidable advertisement that comes
of such affairs. 1t could well afford, as q
business transaction, to do the same with
President Harrison, but it is not to be sup
posed that President of the United States
would allow himself to be conveyed on a
journey for his private pleasure and in the
interest of his denomination to succeed him.
self, bv railroad which asks more favors
from Congress than almost any other in the
country, on account of its vital interests in
Washington, bills affecting which come be-
fore almost every Congress, and. after Con-
gress, to him for his signature. The cases
of the newspaper men and the President are
wholly different.
A Years Salary at Stake.
1t has been estimated that the cost of the
trip will be anywhere from 10000 to
$50, 900. This is practically a whole years
salary of the President. Mr.. Harrison is
not rich man. He is, moreover an
exceedingly economical man. Halting in
Indianapolis on their way to the st. Louis
Convention, in 1883. the Washington cor
respondents, as they were being driven past
the modest dwelling of the now President,
were told by responsible citizen that Mr..
Harrison s wealth all told would not amount
to more than So, 900. He gave almost moth
ing to the fund for the campaign in 1888,
because of his pecuniary inability 10 be
liberal. There is no suggestion of
luxury or liberality in the conduct of
the White House Quite the reverse.
One very efficient steward of the admins
tratioa assured newspaper correspondents
even while he was yet in Office that he was
forced to go out to restaurant to get pal
atable bite to eat. He was compelled to
cater for the family as though they were still
in their Hoosier home. That was commend
able. l like the old fashioned granger
cooking myself, simply because it is far
more toothsome, as we'll as wholesome, than
the French artificial mixtures in which all
the real nutrition is concealed by the most
damnable sauces and seasonIngs. Possibly
the homely fare OF the White House Is not
therefore for the sake of economy, but in one
way or another Mr.. Harrlso4 has gained a
reputation for being "a little near" almost
to tine extent Of that which is accredited to
Mr.. Hayes.
Will Benjamin Foot the Bill?
Now, the query is among gossps here,
Will Mr.. Harrison pay the $4,000 or $780,
900 of expenses of this remarkable tour out
of his private bank account? Ii SO, the
fact will probably leak out from the bank,
or it will be given to the public by the rail-
road company, as, L believe, was done in a
similar case when Mr.. Cleveland was Presi-
dent The "Stuffed Prophet of William
Street." as dear brother Dana delights to
call Mr.. Cleveland, was accused of having
accepted the luxury of a special train free
gratis for nothing" and he was so greatly
worried over it that he had the check ex-
hibited 10 responsible friends. Some au-
thorities were uugenerous enough to assert
that the money was returned while the
check was kept for exhibition, but l have
no such lack of confidence in one who could
be chosen Tor husband by so charming a
woman as Mrs Cleveland. But this
bill of Mr.. Harrison's is quite another
matter. 1t is many times as large
as that of President Cleveland, and Mr..
Harrison has a more exalted and serious ap-
probation OF the value of money than the
late President had However the matter
may turn out. it is certain TO be much gos-
siped about when the tour is ended. Aside
from this really momentous question, it may
be remarked that Mr.. Harrison's speeches
are decidedly good, being neither plagia-
risms, nor from the remarks in the common
school biographies in regard to population,
and so forth, of provincial towns.
Peep Into Official History.
Speaking OF free carriages, calls to mind
the growth of the custom of furnishing
vehicles OF one kind or another for the high
officials of the Government. There was a
time when even the President paid for all of
the carriages used by him, but now most of
the high officials OF the Government who
can give an excuse for the employment of
vehicle, for ''oficial purposes, of course,
has his carriages at the expense of the
people. 1 have tried 10 trace this custom to
its beginning, and believe I have sue
ceeded.
1t was long years ago, in the forties, when
John Y. Mason was Secretary of the Navy.
Lindsay Muse, the Oldest employe in the
service, who died not long ago. was his con-
fdential messenger. and under him was
messenger named Mickham. Mr.. Mickham
had horse for mis- own use. he living some
distance from his work. He would ride
this horse to the Navy Department, and
hitch it to a post in frontof the entrance.
Occasionally a messenger would ask him
for the loan of it TO carry a message for
which haste was required, and little by
little Mickham's old horse. came to be in
almost constant use. Some of the officials
of the department, and the confidential
messenger, Muse, as well suggested that it
would be only tair to give Mickham some
remuneration for the use of his horse, and
thereupon a quart of oats a day, or the
equivalent of 1t, was allowed out of the con-
tingent fund, and this was included in the
estimates for the appropriation for the de-
partment. The opposition in Congress took
the matter up, and Secretary Mason was
terrifcally abused for allowing quart of
oats out of the contingent fund for Mick
hams old horse, an animal owned and used
by private individual.
A Little and Big Scandal.
Mason was terribly worried about it. but
the result of the scandal was that the
horse was purchased, and also wagon, ap-
- l.