Omaha daily bee., 1893-11-12

the billiard table of the white house very
freely, and his best brain tonic came from a
game of this sort. Ex-senator Palmer of
Michigan had a billiard room in his house,
where his fellow senators often came to
play. He was troubled a good deal with ln-
somnia, and one of his best recipes for sleep
was to get physically tired. Senator Butler
Of South Carolina plays "a good game OF
billiards, and | am told that Reed of Maine
and Crisp of Georgia are experts with the
cue.
Statesmen Who Fish.
l understand that Hoke Smith caught
100 trout in two hours in the Yellowstone
park this summer. This is at the rate of a
trout to the minute and makes Smiths fish
story one of the biggest on record. He had
three hooks on his line and he often brought
in three trout at a time. Vice President
Hendricks once told me that he had pulled
In four fish at once on one line one time on
the Atlantic coast. TIL hig fish stories that
you can hear in the cloak rooms OF the cap
itol arc more wonderful than the tales of
Munchausen. Senator Aldrich will tell you
OF the wonderful tarpon which he has
caught in Florida. Senator Frye will
describe his cabin in the Maine woods which
he supplies with trout from the lakes and
streams, and Platt of Connecticut will go into
ecstasies over the delights of salmon fish
ing. Senator Quay is a good fisherman IN
all branches Of the piscatorial art and
| Sherman has caught bass and white
Ao'' oho " sAo Wv SfSAsS
men who over came to the senate
was John Konna of West Virginia. When
he went away from work 1t was to rest his
brain in the West Virginia mountains. He
always took a camera with him and he illus
trated his stories with photographs. He
had thousands of snap shots taken in all
parts Of the woods near his home, and for
some time before his death he was contem-
plating the publication of n book of hunting
adventures such as he thought would be
| popular with the boys Of the country. Every
! one knows how fond President Cleveland is
of fishing and how he Is able to get away
from himself when he has IA fishing pole in
his hands. 1t was the same Will President
Arthur and also with Andrew Jackson.
jackson used to go down to Fortress
Monroe and spend a week at a time
on the old fort known as the
Rip Raps fishing. He was fond of horse rae.
| ing ana cock fighting and he eased his brain
by getting entirely away from his work.
Daniel Webster composed many OF his
| speeches while out fishing and some of the
best sentences in his speech against Haynes
were made while ne had a rod in his hands.
hunting on the Potomac.
Quite o number of the senator's and big
| officials go down the Potomac TO fish and
hunt. You remember the hog that Presi-
dent Harrison shot during one of his vaca-
ton jaunts. Vest and Vance often go out TO
shoot reed birds during the season, and one
Of the best stories told in the cloak rooms
tnlS 1all was OF a hunting excursion which
Senator Vance, Howell jackson, now Justice
of the supreme court, and the late Senator
Beck Of Kentucky took a year or two ago.
II was during the Christmas HOLIDAYS, ana
Beck, Vance and Jackson wanted Vest TO 90
with them 10 shoot ducks. Vest objected,
saying he didn't propose TO get has feet wet
to his waistband all day aud come home
without a single duck. "You fellows 90
ahead" said he, land ieave me here, and |
will promise TO eat at one sitting every can.
vas back you kill" A right" replied
Vance and the others. "we will keep you 10
your bargain" II will stick TO my word
said Vest, and the trio of United States sen.
ators started off. Well. the hunters mad a
streak Of luck. Howell jackson proved him.
self a splendid shot, Vance knows how To
handle a gun aud Beck killed his share,
They brought back 100 ducks, mostly can.
vas backs, sixty snipe and two geese.
They put the canya backs In q pile and
sent for Vest. His white hair stood on end
as he thought Of the idea Of eating 100 duck.
at one meal, and his little fat round stom.
aoh perceptibly shrank. He got out of the
matter by setting up q champagne supper
TO the crowd, and a part OF the supper was
u limited number Of the canvas backs which
the senators killed. As TO the exact nun
Der OF the ducks there is no certified fact
the number above given Is on the authority
OF one OF the senators who did the shooting,
Senators with Fads.
A large lumber Of our public men find
their rest In . change Of work. Some Of