The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-03-24

! MRS. PALMER CAPTURED THEM.
Who are the most clannish of all thess
state representatives? The Kentuckians,
! by long Odds What there is in the Ken
! lucky character or life that makes all sons
and daughters of that state stand together
! through thick and thin, through good and
| evil report, / do not know. But in Washing
ton at least, and have heard it is the sams
all over the country, and all over the world,
| for that matter, the Kentuckians are broth
| erS and sisters. members of fraternal socie-
| ty which knows no other password, no other
! grip than a warm shake of the hand and
| the simple statement, Il am a native of
| kentucky" This clannishness of the Ken
| tuckians is one of the most admirable fea-
lures of life here. / need not say that the
kentuckian is social and genial with all
| corners who are well behaved and agree
able. 1t is foreign to the nature of the true
kentuckian to be churlish or cold with any
one worthy his friendship. Therefore the
Kentuckians are popular in all walks of
society. None more so. Their hospitality,
| their bonhomie, their generosity as hosts,
their social tact, the heartiness of the men
and beauty and grace of the women of
Kentucky are proverbial in Washington
Kentuckians are friends with every one,
but with each other they are all kinsmen.
A Kentuckian in Washington is always
ready to lend money to any other Ken
tuckian, to situp nights with him if he is
sick, to go bail for him if he gets in trouble
with the administration of justice, to fight
for him if he becomes engaged in per-
sonal difficulty. A friend of mine, now a
rising congressman from the western state,
but once a newspaper man in the east, told
IL g IL
| clannishness of the Kentuckians wherever
you find them. 1t was in Texas, where he
had gone, comparative stranger, to be
local editor of a newspaper. CHANGING one
day TO write and print a rather unpleasant
story about citizen of the town, the of
Tended person called him to account and
endeavored to administer personal chastise-
ment. My newspaper friend was rather
lusty youth, handy with his fists, and he
gave his assailant sound trouncing
Within an hour another man pitched into
him and he again came out victor. Before
shutdown he had three more engagements,
and finally became somewhat wearied of
this incessant warfare. But next day it
was the same, and the next. For two
weeks, as my friend tells the story, he was
never without black eye or two, or a
his countenance. You see," said he, by
way of explanation, the man whose good
name had assailed in the paper happened
TO be Kentuckian, and every Kentuckian
in the town took it as a personal insult and
felt it incumbent upon him to take his
turn at chastising me-"
This story may have been little over
drawn by the narrator, but it well indi-
of no # Z ha
Bile Grass State. Another story, and one
for which l am able to vouch, came to my
ears recently. 1t is about Mrs Potter
Palmer, of Chicago, president of the board
of lady managers of the Worlds fair Mrs.
Palmer is one of the remarkable women of
these times. Her beauty, her tact, her in
descr1bable charm are all kentuckian.
Added to these she has the executive abil-
ity, the diplomacy, more typical of the
north. She is, however, born Kentuckian
She was one of the Honore girls, whose
father was well born aud popular citizen
Of Kentucky before his removal TO Chicago.
One of the girls married Fred Grant. the
other the rich Potter Palmer. Mrs Palmer
was in Washington not long ago. She was
ere on World fair business, and she was
particularly anxious TO meet all the men,
bers of the appropriations committee of
the senate. How did she manage it2 She
called on Senator Joe Blackburn IL there
ever was man who in his mental, physical
and moral makeup represented the state
OF Kentucky personified, it is Joe Black
burn. coud not pay him a higher COM
pllment. When this fine specimen of the
kentucky woman met this fine specimen
OF the Kentucky man there was moments /
sparrlng
Il knew what she had come for" said
the senator in relating the incident after
ward. She had come TO make use of me
in getting at other senators on the Worlds
fair business. Now. am opposed to a con-
gressiona appropriation for the fair and
always have been. IL Is a constitutional !
matter with me. Mrs. Palmer knew this.
Ny drst words were that | could not be
captured; that l was proof against her
wlles aud the seductiveneSs Of all these
workers for the exposition. In reply Mrs.
Palmer simply began 10 talk Of the old /
days m Kentucky, Of the men and women.
and the horses, and the bellies and beaux
OF the state we beth love 50 well Not n
word about the fair about business In
ten minutes locked up into her face and .
cspitulased. It's nc use / said. You
are a Kentucky woman ! am keatuck- i
ian, or am rctuirg, and am ready to do
your bidding, What IS it, Then eased
my conscience nv telling her thar would
90 everything but vote for an appropris-
ton, whegeupon she smiled pgaiu. as much +
as TO say. Wen see aboAt that later .
Then Mrs. Palmer said she wsa,ed 10 Sc
every member Of the committee on appso- (
pria- OILS aud had but little isrle IN " aich f
10 do X. She didn't want 10 call senator's
out OF the chamber. That uzs 80 2xk- .
ward. Could arrange its
Il took her down % the room 81 the com
iai,1ee. seated her IN corner aud sad.
Nov, y0u Just stay herc. sud / Il rlSrch
the rue,nhe-S a this COMMITTEES in ere by
---A- or ~" Ok TIVE uIs1il you have seen