Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-02-17

giving the seat TO l.. -. DAVIDSON, the
sitting member. The report was adopt
ed and the resolution unanimously
adopted.
The bill creating the county Of Iron
by the division of Ashland county was
also passed.
JIM tlok'S MAN PARKER.
Chicago Times.-Down in the big res
taurant in the Subterranean regions OF
Wanamaker's grand bazaar in Philadel-
phia you will find flying around among
the tables. a particularly bright-faced
and active colored man, who is Well
known to the frequenters of the place,
and Is In great demand among them,
for he is one of the best walters in all
the establishment. His name is Benja
min Parker, and his title to celebrity
lies not only in professional quickness
nd precision, but also in the fact that
he was one of Jim Fisk s fayorite at
PENDANTS, and was one OF the very last
persons who spoke to Fisk before The
fatal bullet laid him low. Indeed, ii
is probable that when he left Fisk in
the Grand Central hotel that day he
must have all but brushed past the man
whom fate was steering straight to Fisk
as his slayer.
Parker is very proud of his connec-
ton with Fisk and is always ready to
talk about it and other noted and motor
iouS people with whom his relations
with Jim" brought him in contact in
his humble capacity 1t was on the Fall
River steamer Bristol that Parker first
came under Risks notice. He was as
signed to wait on the table which was
always reserved in the dining room for
Fisk and his cronieS. 1t was not an
easy task for Il waiter and many had
been tried at it and found wanting, for
Mr.. Gould'S then side partner was in the
full glitter Of his champagne-and-Oy oyster
glory and was Il difficult man to please.
But Parker hit the mark and the edict
went forth that Parker and none but
Parker was to stand at James Fisk s
back during meal times and answer
the frequent juggling Of his stateroom
bell. Inasmuch as Fisk put in an aver
age of about three nights in a week Oh
the Bristol Parker saw a good deal Of
him, not only then but on shore, for
Fisk kept him pretty closely by him at
! all times.
Mr.. Fisk always had the stateroom
No. l on the Bristol Parker will tell
you as he deity puts down the Wanna
maker meat and apollinaris around your
plate, land he always kept me sitting
on u stool outside the door when l was
not waiting on him. l tell you there
was high old times in that room some
nights. l kept the champagne a-coOl-
ing on ice outside as fast as they drank
it up inside, and pretty often that kept
me hustling. jim Fisk he never wen,
up or came back alone on the boat.
There was always a lot of people with
him. Gen. Butler came very often and
so did Boss Tweed. Boss Tweed and
Gen. Butler both got away with the
champagne pretty lively. l have seen
Jim and the boss both about as full as
they could carry, but 1 never saw the
general very bad Jay Gould used to
be along very often, and he used to have
his glass of wine ON the table, but he
never did any more than sip little. He
just sat quietly by, watchin' the rest
out from under his big eyebrows and
locking sort of sardonic like Fisk, he
was the life Of the party. There was
generally game of poker goin' on, and
l have seen Gould, and Fisk, and Boss
Tweed, and Gen. Butler all having a
hand at it together
Parker remained but a short time on
the Bristol after Fisk's death. He went
to Howard street and Broadway and
then to the Stutevant house. Seven
years ago he got place in the Wanna
maker restaurant, where he has been
ever since and where he will any day
show you a massive gold watch which
he won because he got the most votes
for being the most popular waiter in
the restaurant. A curious fact about
Parker is that he will probably die
richer man than did his quondam pa
iron, Notwithstanding the Iatters be-
jeweled splendor and apparently mex
haustble supply of money. Fisk, it will
be remembered, left little or nothing
when all the wild litter Of his mad,
headlong life was cleared away, whereas
Parker has Systematically saved money
all his life, and now owns houses and
lots and has cash laid away for the day
it may rain.