The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-24
WHEN GREELEY sWORE.
On One Such Occasion a Senator Was
the Victim Of His Wrath.

Kate Field.
did you ever hear Horace Greeley
swear?" asked Senator Chandler, as we sat
before a wood fire one cold day:
mo; but I've often been told by his as
sociates on the Tribune that his vocabulary
OF anathema was appallingly fluent and
never so lavishly expended when matters
were not to his liking in the office. They
say that the contrast between his benevolent
physiognomy and the blood-curdling out
pourings of his tongue was most ludicrous
Nobody minded these onslaughts. 1t was
II heard Greeley swear twice. First, in
1863 when occupied the unenviable posi-
ton Of secretary to the National Republican
Committee. John Sherman had suggested
paying the national debt in greenbacks, and
the way our friend rent the air with choice
English startled me, who was blown up for
another mans sins. The second explosion
occurred in 1869. on the night of Grants
second inaugural ball, given in the Treasury
building.
ball?''
Yes, and he met me there, I'm sorry to
Probably never in the whole history of
balls was there ever such fiasco as that
the appearance of my name on the local
II suppose, like most persons on most
committees, you had done nothing
Truth compels me to admit the hard i'm
parchment. The gas refused to burn. and
people went about in funereal gloom. No
preparation had been made for the proper
disposition of mems and women's hats and
wraps, and the air was redolent of oaths
Those, who arrived first had their hats and
coats laid on the floor. When the floor gave
out, Pelion was piled on Ossa, 1t were,
and on the presentation of checks, chaos set
in. Attendants confounded confusion by
wading through this black sea in search of
submerged apparel which they failed to find
Then the wild animal, not too carefully con-
cealed in my sex at best, broke loose and
seized whatever hat or coat fitted and strobe
off, leaving blue streak in his wake.
of the cloak room, hoping to escape I'M
observed by irate members of the menagerie
I suddenly faced Horace Greedy hatless,
with a silk handkerchief tied under his
hands. this muscular Christian gave me
such shaking as would have greatly bene-
fitted me had 1t been administered at the
age of ten. Chandler roared Greeley-then
word spelled with a big. Big D. are you
on the committee? Is this your internal
doings? BY this time Greeley had shaken
everything out Of me, even the truth. For
tree, forgetting precepts learned at my
mothers knee. lied; yes, Gid. Member
Of the committee? Certainly not Then
Greeley let me go and walked down stairs
in hurricane of temper
Were you committeeman held responsible
for losses?"
1--WE were obliged to employ counsel and
make complainants write out their losses in
bankrupt 1t was amazing how new and
how expensive the lost articles grew as time
wore on, and they were not forthcoming.
The net receipts of the ball were about
ourselves from imposition we announced
that whatever sum of Inonev remained in
the treasury after satisfying demands would
be given to the poor. Thus we were able
charity. l have never been to an inaugural
ball since that awful night"