The morning call., 1894-03-04

",
he gave lots of things to the people about
him. | remember once he got case of
Scuppern ng wine from Nurth Carolina
1t was present, and brought some of it in
to President johnson. He just slipped it,
and said, Arthur. that wine s from North
Carolina and you are from North
Carolina. | guess that wine will suit you
better than 1T does me, aId you may take
II. Well. l carried those two dozen bot
ties home that night, and | Just want TO
tell you that Scuppernong wine is mighty
good. Mistah johnson stngy? On. no."
One day Arthur got to talking of the
time when johnson tried 10 get Edwln
Nj. Stanton out of the War Department.
and he told me how Stanton got OLD
General Thomas out of the Office before
no took possession. President johnson
had removed Stanton as Secretary OF
War and had appointed General Lorenzo
Thomas Secretary ad inierin n. But
Stanton would not give up the office. Ar
thur SAYS one day General Thomas called
at the Office to take possession. Stanton
said nothing He wanted TO get hlM Ou,
and he did so by asking him il he wouldn't
like TO have drink. He told Thomas
that ne had good bottle Of whisky across
the hall. and when be got him there he
slipped back before Thomas knew what he
was about and locked the door. "Pres-
dent Johnson" said Arthur, WAS one of
the biggest Presidents we have ever had.
afraid Of Stanton, Congress or anything
else. One day l remember he was at
breakfast. He was very fond of corn
bread and he was eating some of this when
Colonel Moore came in aud said he thought
Congress would impeach him. The Presi-
dent ale the rest OF his hoecake before he
spoke. He then raised his hands and
brought his fist hard down on tae dining.
room table, and said: We'll, they may
impeach and be p"
One of Lincoln's coacAmen is working
in the War Department. He has been
there for years. and his appointment was
gotten for MIN by Tad Lincoln. He had
TO leave the White House because Mrs.
Lincoln discharged him. He had gone
away for few moments one day when an
order came from Mrs. Lincoln for the car
rage. She was told that the coachman
was out, when she grew very angry. She
sent for livery, and when this man
came back he was told that new coach
man had been employed. He was a great
friend of Tad's, however, and Tad got his
father to write him card asking the Sec
retery OF War to give him a position. aud
he got 1t. One OF the most affecting stories
have ever heard was that of Mr.. Pende.
who has been in the White House for
more than generation, and is now, at the
age of 20. still there. | was writing ND
"reminiscences of the assassination of
President Lincoln as he described now the
and how little Tad ran in and told him
that they had killed papa. Pendle was
appointed by Lincoln, and though he is
20 he still holds bis position.
Speaking Of the War Department, Rar-
rison. Grants body servant was on the
roll OF lis employees for long time after
General Grants death, and l think he has
place under the Government to-day. He
get his place through a letter which Gen.
eral Grant bad written for him before be
died, and he Is most efficient man.
knew him first when he was with Grant
at Mount McGregor. and l saw him there
at the time of General Grants death. He
told me one day when Grant first realized
the fact that he had to die. sit was at the
office of Dr. Douglas in New York." said
he. You know DR.. Douglas was a spe-
cialist who treated Grants throat The
time was once when he had called at DR..
Douglas office. General Grant had Just
had an examination of his throat.
He feared cancer, and be asked DR.. Doug
las If he could assure him that there
was no danger in this respect. The doc
tor tolc him that he could not be positive.
but that he hoped to be able to cure him.
1t was then that General Grant realized
that he had to die. He said. If you think
that way, doctor. there is no hope for me-
As we drove away he told me not TO tell
anything to his family about it, but he
failed from that time. No one will ever
had. He often walked the floor all night,
but he never told his family. When they
asked in the morning how he had rested
he would say pretty WE'LL and he tried to
be cheerful. l never knew him to lose his
temper. He worked right along to finish
his book, and he was happy when it was
done. He was the kindest man that |
ever knew, and every one about him loved
him."
Something the same was told me by
Grants sten0gra pher and private secretary
during Grants latter days. This mans
name was n. Z. Dawson. one of the
ablest shorthand writer's in the United
States, and man who has probably had
more friendships with the great men of the
country than any other. He served under
Grant at Vlcksburg. and acted as his sec
retary for some years before he died. He
has during the past summer been con-
nected with the Worlds Fair Offices at
Chicago He spoke to me in the highest
terms OF General Grants kindness during
his last days. He told me that General
Grant was very cautious in writing not to
injure the feelings of any one, and that he
often imagined things might hurt which
would have been perfectly harmless had
they been printed. BE says that Grants
voice grew weaker and weaker in his die
tations as he neared his death, and at the
last he had to take bis seat very close
to him and the general whispered the
down in shorthand. After time his
voice failed altogether and he wrote the
last part of his book on slips of yellow
manila paper and handed them over to
Mr.. Dawson to arrange them. Mr.. Daw-
son says that General Grant wss wonder
fully relieved when the book was flushed.
He had no idea, however, that it would be
such a great financial success, and he
hoped only that 1t would give a com e.
tency to his family. One of the remark
able things that Mr.. Dawson told me
during an interview which l had with him
some years ago was as 10 mine in Mexicn,
of which General Grant was offered the
presidency. In Dawson's presence the
owners of this mine told Grant that they
would make him a present of s., O00, 900 If
he would accept the presidency of the
company operating it. This was When
Grant was in Mexico, and be refused this
offer. Few of our Presidents or ex-Presi-
dents have ever been offered like sum.
There are number of men about Wash
ingten who nave been connected with the
gastronomy of the White House. and there
is an old lady here who has furnished the
icecream and pastry which have helped
ruin the stomacbs of balf-doZen Presi-
dents. Arthur's chief cook has restau-