The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-06-26
THE PRESS GANG.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.


erter the room at cnce. Pooh Bah
was standing just inside the door and
as the late corners entered one of the
ladies said timidIv but tentatively,
This is the South Carolina room.
On. how love-
This seemed to exhaust Pooh Bah's
patience. Now, see here" he said,
=. have said that this is the South
Carolina room three distinct times
ard that's enough.
There was dead silence as the
crushed visitors stood in awe attention
and Pooh Bah began to recite his
piece 10 them in a tone that suggested
a Sunday. school boy reciting "Casi-
blanca" As he progressed the ladies
again began to take an interest in the
historic Surroundings and to exchange
whispered expressions of admiration.
Then Pooh Bah's bottled wrath grew
fearsome. If you are going to talk, y
said he, Its no use for me to try to do
SC. You must hush and listen to me. :"
There was no mistaking this. The
visitors had been gradually getting
their wrath up. They were Carolina
ladies and gentlemen and it goes with
out saying that they were too well
bred to resent the vulgar and insolent
tone of patronage that Pooh Bah had
assumed towards them It was decid-
ec that the time was too limited to
permit of visit through the entire
house made at the heels Of this crea-
ture, and they with one accord apollo
gized to him for having trespassed and
took their way to the gate, glad to get
away, and wondering where the re-
gents of the Association found this
courteous and gentlemanly keeper Of
Mount Vernon. From other sources
it was ascertained that the gentleman
in question is no other than Mr. Har-
rison IT. Dodge, and it is said that he
is scion of an old Virginia family
an +. 7. Y.
The male members Of the Associa-
ton, after returning to Washington,
held an informal meeting and decided
to recommend to the regents from
South Carolina the removal OF Col.
Dodge and the appointment to the
place of superintendent of Steve l..
Brodie or John L. Sullivan.
4 CONTRAST.
The insolence of office, which finds
its highest development IN the person
Of the superintendent of Mount Yer
non. does not pervade the entire Of
fetal system in the National Capital,
however. There are notable excep-
tons, and its odds that an average
South Carolina gentleman will find
his way through the Government de-
partments made easy and pleasant to
him if he sets about it in the right way,
and is playing" in tolerably fair
luck. The South Carolina visitors
here struck the only in their path
at the gates of Mount Vernon. The
Carolina colony in Washington was
very much in evidence at the Metro
politan E.otel during the stay of the
visitors at that popular caravansary,
and that prince of good fellows and
genial gentleman, Mr.. R. NJ. Larner,
the correspondent of The News and
Courier. placed himself and all his re-
sources at the disposal of the pilgrims,
and those who have had the good for
tune to meet him on his native heath
need not be told that his resources as a
host are by no means limited. Mr..
George H. Ingraham, of the war de-
partment, better known in Charleston
as ''the Cricket" for his many amiable
and companionable qualities of heart,
must have sorely neglected his official
duties. The Brantleys, of Orangeburg,
Stobo Farrow, of the war department,
an old newspaper man Bradley of Alb
beville, and many other Carolinians
were always at hand with offers of as
sistance and words Of greeting. The
editors of the State will always remem-
Der the kindness OF the South Carolina
colony at Washington.
But by way of contrast with the
Mount Vernon incident, let me tell OF
our experience at the treasury depart,
nlent. We had been invited to call
and inspect Uncle Sans vast resources
by Mr.. Brantley, of Orangeburg. The
party of visitors got divided in some
way and the representatives Of The
News and Courier, together with Mr..
Eirchmore, of Camden, found them
selves alone in the vast building where
upwards of 1000 of Uncle Sans en-
ployees are at work. Our frined, Mr..
Erantley, was with the others of the
party and we were alone. After
srraggling around for few moments
we encountered genial, pleasant
young man, who gave his name as
BRADLEY (the Abbeville Bradleys) and
who offered his sevices. In few mo-
ments the visitors were at home. Mr..
Bradley took us to headquarters and
presented us to Mr.. Charles Gregg
Watson. the private secretary to the
treasuary. We had never heard of
Mr.. Watson before, and it is probable
that he had never heard of either of US.
The hour was late-after the time OF
locking up the vault, but Mr.. Watson
was evidently not Of the Dodge'varie-
ty'of office-holders. His courtesy and
his evident desire to make things
pleasant Tor US We're at once obvious.
MIR. Watson at once turned over his
office {! subordinate and personally
escorted us through the vaults of the
treasuary.
In the bond vault, the visitors were
handed a package of United States
bonds aggregating four and half nail
liou, the deposit of a national bank in
New York to secure circulation. In
another department they We're given
a package containing one million Of
dollars in 81, 900 bills They were then
taken down to the vaults where the
silver aad gold is kept, and were
shown through all the other depart
ments, and when finally the tour was
finished the visitors were introduced to
the Treasurer of the United States,
who spoke kindly and interestedly to
them. As we left we heard no order
issued to count the currency over. ,
The incident is only given here to al
ford contrast to the Mount Vernon