The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-03
THE PALATEs OF OUR SENATORS.
Personal Character as Revealed in the
United States Senate Restaurant


From Messrs. Coolidge & Reynolds Book,
The Show at Washington"
The most scientific drinker in the Sen
ate is Joe" Blackburn. The Kentuck-
ian can flavor fine brand of whisky
through several thicknesses of wall and
1t is long time since any of his col
leagues have attempted to smuggle a
choice variety into the capitol without
giving Blackburn chance to sample it.
The last man who tried to do it was
Coke, of Texas, who is little CLOSE" by
nature. Coke has q way of sending down
to Kentucky for his whisky He knows
just where to go for his fayorite brand,
and every little while he receives an in
stallment of five two gallon jugs of "Old
Jordan" He fills a half pint flask every
morning and takes it up to the Senate.
AT first he used to deposit it for safe
keeping on the top shelf in the cloakroom,
whittier he would occasionally invite
colleague to come and share it, on the
pledge not to reveal its whereabouts. He
was especially careful to keep it concealed
from Blackburn, but it was not many days
before the Kentuclian began to scent the
unmistakable odor, and, reaching his
hand to the shelf, he came across the flask.
IL took only day or two for Coke to
discover from the appearance of the flask
that Blackburn had found out his hiding
place, and he quietly removed his treasure
and deposited it in his pocket, where he
still continues to carry it, out of harm
way.
Immediately after one of the late Sena-
tor Beck's speeches an admirer sent him
a barrel Of Bourbon. OF course, the first
thing he did was to send for Joe" Black
burn to help drink it up. The invitation
was promptly accepted. AS soon as Black
burn had taken the first sip of the whisky
he smacked his lips, and after taking an
other, said, as much to himself as to Beck
Yes, there is certainly iron in the bar
rel"
What is that you say, Joe1" asked the
senior senator.
Il said there was iron in that barrel"
Beck poured out a glass and after tast-
ing it shook his head wisely and said
'No, there is no iron in that barrel, but
there is Ieather.p A hot dispute followed
and finally heavy wager was made, to
be decided when the barrel should be
empty. This happened in about two
months, but the bet was declared off, as
both were right.
When the head of the barrel was
knocked in a carpet tack with leather
head was found in the bottom.
The New York and New England sen
ators are among the most abstemIous.
Gallinger maintains an elegant GOODNESS
in summer by slipping iced coffee. Joe"
Hawley and Platt, of Connecticut, try to
make each other happy by gazing into
each others eyes over glasses Of soda
lemonade. Hoar relies for stimulants on
tea, and Aldrich frequently joins Allison
in a bowl Of bread and milk.
Wolcott, of Colorado, and Hale, of
Maine, possess two of the most delicate
palates in theSenate, and neither of them
torgets the admonition of the old Irish
gentlewpman who instructed her son that
it was as bad form to drink wine before
6.o'clock as it was to appear in dress
suit,
Tom Reed saunters over to the Senate
daily and keeps cool and good natured on
soda lemonade with his friend Lodge.
Probably these two men dine out more
frequently than any other men in con-
gress. But it is rare thing for either of
them to take wine.
Another senator whose tastes run apOl-
linarisward is Frye, and still another is
German German mixes his apOllinaris
with lemonade, but never with anything
more exhilarating, unless, as measure
of courtesy, he tinges a glass with the
faintest hue of whisky.
Hill sips glass of plain Potomac water
with simple lunch, all by himself as
rule, at little round table in the corner
of an inner room Morrill, loves a bowl Of
bread and milk, and so does Proctor; and
another Senator who rarely squanders
more than 10 cents on his midday lunch,
is the many times millionaire, Mitchell, OF
Wisconsin.
He can be seen in the restaurants on
days when his wife is giving a magnif-
cent luncheon, costing hundreds Of dol
lars, with piece of apple pie before him
and glass of milk at his side. He is as
simple in his tastes as PETER, who tucks
his goat-like beard under napkin as he
solefnnly imbibes his coffee.