Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-10


mitted to confidence almost invariably demands
something which cannot be granted In this
respect President of the United States is most
unfortunate. scarcely any tramp is so entirely
friendless as he. Those whose friendship is
most desirable shrink from approaching him.
lest their motives be misconstrued, aud he il
perpetually surrounded by crowd Of political
and other sycophants. 1t is hardly possible
for him to have real friend.
LINCOLN sToRIEs
Mr.. Lincoln when a young man was most
fond Of wrestling and cock fighting. From the
backwoods scenes Of his youth he brought
those numberless odd stories with which he was
accustomed to illustrate his discourse This
storytelling habit so grew upon him that in his
later years he spoke almost entirely in parallels,
If be was asked question he would reply with
a story, and his method Of getting rid Of bores
and Office seekers was to talk them to death
with q series Of absurd yarns, never giving them
chance to get in a word edgewise. 1t lis claimed
that he desired to let Jefferson Davis escape,
and that when asked by one of his confidential
advisers If he was willing to permit the ex-
leader OF the confederacy to get away he re-
piled with q story or parable about "a man in
southern Illinois''-all his anecdotes were To-
Gated there-who had sworn off liquor, but did
not object il any one should put little whisky
in his glass when he wasn't looking. He meant
by thoH that he would wink Mt the escape OF
Mr.. Davis if that gentleman we're allowed to 20
without his own apparent connivance. Never
theless certain over-zealous persons captured
the fugitive. Lincoln's most intimate friend
was Secretary Seward and next to him Stanton.
In like manner Harrison has found in Secre-
taries Miller and Tracy his nearest chums, and
Cleveland was most closely associated with
Whitney and Fairchild Obviously. the men,
bers OF Presidents cabinet are least likely to
have anything to seek from him, though even
they may want Supreme Court iusticeships.
So far as is known Andrew johnson found
more enjoyment in the brandy bottle than in
anything else. 1t was no. likely that he would
take much interest in literary or other amuse-
ments of a more elevated kind, considering
the fact that his wife taught him to read when
he was village tailor. She knew how to sup
port their dignity, if he did not On one oc-
casion. when certain naughty society women Of
Washington attempted to patronize her. she
remarked: "We are only plain people. brought
here by great national calamity, but we know
our position and will maintain it,
PRESIDENT PIERCE ON THE AVENUE.
President Pierce was enormously popular
Every day he took regular constitutional from
the White House to the Capitol along Pennsyl-
vania avenue and back, bowling to everybody
right and left. He and his wife paid social
visits regularly, quite contrary to usage, to the
families of their New Hampshire friends, who
had clerkshipS in the departments. and he en-
tertained them as guests. President Harrison,
the first. ssed to 60 to market early in the
morning two or three times q week, ard on one
such occasion lie was caught in the rain the
result being cold which caused his death.
Mrs. Polk would not allow dancing at the White
House when her husband was President
PRESIDENT TYLER IN THE WHITE HOUSE,
President Tyler was a very social man and
enjoyed game of poker for small stakes He
lived very simply at the White House. as if on
his own plantation. attended by the old family
slaves. He always asked visitors to take some
thing from the sIdeboard in the dining room,
which was garnished with decanters, as well as
with bowl of juleps in summer and a bowl of
egg-nogg in winter. In this sort of hospitality
he expended nearly all Of his salary, which was
only $4,000. He had one remarkable expe-
rience with notorious woman named Ann
Royal. She edited u paper called the Paul
Pry, and made herself SO offensive in various
ways that she was indicted as common scold
under the old common law. and only by very
narrow squeak escaped immersion by the
''ducking stool" 1t is said that one day she
caught Mr.. Tyler bathing in the Potomac and
succeeded in interviewing him by sitting on his
clothes until he told her what she wanted
This exploit has certainly not been excelled by
the doings Of any of the modern unterrifed
female reporters who contribute SO much that
is interesting to contemporary journals.
HE LOVED HIS MISSOURI MEERsCuAUM.
The favorite solace of Andrew Jackson's
leisure was smoking corncob pipe. He de-
clared that nosother vehicle for the absorption
OF tobacco fumes was so sweet and delightful
1t is said that his wife also during her lifetime
was addicted to the corncob. IA will be re-
membered he introduced new order Of things
at the White House, disdaining aristocratic re-
fnements and doing away with the elaborate
atI r.aft strin al a.
sport was cock fighting, and a. homo he owned
breed OF birds which were regarded as invin-
chile. Some OF them he brought to Washing
ton to fight, but much to his disgust, they were
defeated.
MONROE AND JEFFERSON.
Little is known about the diversions in which
James Monroe found recreation In. his time
the newspapers did not hold up the mirror of
publicity to reflect for the public information
the details of the Presidents private life. The
''ghoulish gee" of the reporter of today was as
yet undevelOped. The most distinct point of
record respecting him after his accession to
the functions Of chief executive seems to be the
fact that he wore white top boots. He rode horse
back good deal. as did all gentlemen in those
days, until he was injured BIZ fall from his
horse. Jefferson sought to escape from the
anxieties of government by PLAYING the fiddle
He was student of metaphysics and was
greatly lutefesteu III mechanical lnVcntlOnS: In
fact he inaugurated the patent system of the
United States. Neither he nor Madison were
sports in any sense.
PEDESTRIAN AND SWIMMER.
John Quincy Adams was the pedestrian
President and a swimmer. He was cold Purl-
tan, very austere, never relaxing, and had few
friends In summer every day before sunrise
he walked to the upper Potomac and immersed
himself in the waters Of the river, the cares of
state dropping from him with his garments
After getting back to the Executive Mansion
he read two chapters of the Bible before break
fast. fad of his was arboriculture. He planted
the White House grounds with acorns of the
cork oak and with seeds Of peach, plum. cherry,
apple and other trees, the termination Of which
he watched with great interest. He instructed
naval officers to bring home from foreign lands
seeds OF grains and vegetables not native to this
soil, which he distributed through members of
Congress. This was the beginning OF the
present annual distribution of seeds by the gov
eminent.
GEORGE WASHINGTON AS SPORTSMAN.
Gen. Washington was in his prime a great
sportsman. He was particularly fond Of fox
hunting, keeping pack of hounds from i'm
ported stock and several hunters. With these
he hunted almost every day. In fact, he lived
in all respects as does the typical country gem
tleman in Virginia at present. He was dan
Ger and regularly attended the assemblies held
in the long room in the City Tavern at Alexan-
dria. The tavern is still there and the room in
which the father Of his country walked many a
stately minuet. Sons Of the Revolution and