The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-03
DOM PEDRO NEW YORK
NEWSPAPER MEN WILL LONG RE-
MEMBER HIS TREATMENT.

How the Emperor of Brazil Won the Re-
/ gard of the Metropolitan Reporters.
He Snubbed the Great Men Who Tried
TO MonopoIize His Company.
There are several men now connected
with New York newspapers who had the
good fortune to be more or less in company
with Dom Pedro when he visited this city
in 1876. and 20 these the announcement OF
his death was very unpleasant news.
''He was a jolly good fellow" said an old
time reporter the other day. 81 saw great
deal of him in the two days that followed
him around town, and though he gave ma
long hours and tiresome runs, | liked him
all the time, and came to have great respect
for him too. He was an ideal man in his
treatment of reporters.
eve met on the HeIvelius down the har-
Dor April Is, 1876, and fell in love with him
at first sight. We were pleased with his
looks and his bearing, but what particu-
larly won us to him was his treatment of
the three secretaries-Taft, Robson and
Fish-and the other great guns who had
come down to give him royal welcome.
He took the starch out of those men beau
tifully and we were delighted because those
same fellows had snubbed US the night be-
fore.
fYou see the government undertook to
do great things for Dom Pedro The three
secretaries were sent on here with orders
to confer with the commandant of the
navy yard with view to making the en-
peror's reception as impressive as posi-
bic. The conference was held behind
tightly closed doors, and we reporters wers
treated as though we had no rights as rep
resentatives of the public's curiosity to in
quire concerning the doings at the confer
ence. OF course we found out everything,
Just as we always do.
1--WE said then, speaking from long exper-
ience--for some of us had been years in the
business-that our turn would come, but
we had no idea that it would come the
very next day.
sit was worth twenty five dollars to sew
eral of the reporters on the Helvelius to
see the way that Dom Pedro treated the
official representatives of this great nation.
The old man shook hands with each man
who was presented to him, and listened
while somebody read an address to him,
to which he answered with mere Thank
YOU
'Then he demanded of whomsoever it
might concern, Where's Sherman?'
when he was told that General Sher-
man YVES out west he lost all interest in
the distinguished men who had come to
meet him, and when they asked him to
come aboard the government boat Alert
alongside, he gave very short answer to
the effect that the Helvelius was good
enough for him, and, as if that was not
enough, he actually turned his back on the
reception committee and began talking to
the reporters.
The emperor is in Brazil he explained
to them. Pm private CITIZEN
''The high joints waited two or three
minutes for the emperor to come back to
them, and then sneaked off and slid down
to the deck of the Alert.
"All this was nuts for us reporters, for
we knew that an elaborate lunch had been
prepared on the Alert, and that it had been
proposed to do great things all the way from
quarantine up TO the Fifth Avenue hotel,
for which special preparations had been
made.
"Well, the emperor let the Alert go her
way and he went the way of the Helvelius,
and was in course of time landed at Mar
b4A . W UCllL bhOI III 4OIOOh1J lucu Hc
took hack to the Fifth Avenue hotel,
which he entered just as any ordinary man
enters it.
''The next day and the next I was de-
tailed to keep track of him. The first day
] started in at o'clock. 1t was Sunday
Dom Pedro went first to the Forty second
Street reservoir, then one of the sights of
the city. WASN'T allowed to go with him,
but | was consoled somewhat when heard
that, having failed to get what informa-
ton he wished for from those who were
with him, he had expressed regret that no
reporters were present.
They are the most intelligent men that
Pve seen in America he said to one of his
attendants
after breakfast Dom Pedro went to
mass in St. Patrick's cathedral, in Null
berry street. When che service was over
crowd gathered at the door to see him en-
ter his carriage. So that he might not be
disturbed by the press of the crowd, de-
tail of policemen had been sent to the
church. He looked at the officers quizzic-
ally for a second and then said:
"a church is a queer place for police
men to be at. In our country we don't al
low policemen to come to church.
Monday morning he began, as the day
before, at Z o'clock. At that hour he left
his hotel intent on taking a ride in Jersey
He hadn't gone more than two blocks be-
fore he was upset, but he was soon placed
in another carriage and off again. He was
back TO breakfast at 9 O'Clock, and at 10
o'clock he was out to take look at some
of the city schools and hospitals.
"At $50 he was at his hotel awaiting the
arrival of committee of citizens which
had been appointed to deliver an address
to him. / was in the Office of the hotel
when the committee came in. 1t consisted
of Ex-Governor Dix, Ex-Governor Morgan,
William Cullen Bryant and Charles
O'Conor. AS soon as saw Governor Dix
enter the corridor / rushed up to him.
Johnny Green. a well lGOwn newspaper
man, and good one, too. was with me.
Governor, we wish tsi go along with
you and witness what takes place." l said.
Impossible, ne answered.
"'But you will give US copy of the adj
dress|
~ shall have to decline to do that said
the governor, and in an Indescribably mag
nificent way he swept by Us and strobe up
the stairs.
Then Johnny Green and put our heads
together and wrote note to Dom Pedro
asking him to allow us to be present while
the address was being delivered.
In about minute down came an at
tendant, and Johnny and l were ushered
into the emperoT's apartments in the finest
style imaginable. The committee of cit
liens looked Ike four old sheep when they
saw as come into the room. We smiled
benevolently at ali of them, winked at
Governor Dix. and then took our places In
the most conspicuous part of the room.
Presently the emperor came in and in