The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1895-12-07

4 PHllApsIPt,lAN's FEAT m THE
DAYS OF GENERAL JACKSON.

Ne Wea wager. bot KirkeA U - Kxeis-
iAg Insex..ateaal Rsv-TAs rs~Aisaso
rA.a BELLS Hsw NislsAir.a. Charles nar-
- Kis.rd Dssa F~Slrs's sister.
OF all tho rich unwritsen annals pOlit-
ical. social and moral. OF the third and
fourth decades. no tradition resting upon
memory has come down 10 cur times NOSE
repless with romantic dash, meTrimens
and broad fun than tho incident Of "The
Philadelphian' Famous Kis." which
evolved three great nations and nearly the
whole diplomatic world some with nerre,
hos anger, which threatened for awhile the
Said and deccrous Quaker City on the
Delaware with the fate of Hector and old
Priam's doomed city Of Troy, while tho
balance Of the world WIS ccnvulsed with
uproarious laughter
Claiming the old mans privilege Of
generosity, viii give the story of tho kias
- II came TO rne, partly through the Sos
sip within the prccincts Of the imperial
palace Of Brazil, partly through the gSssip
Il naval circles e year after sAS cecur-
renee. This tempest Of anger, hot and
derce, and Of fun loud and bolsferouS, was
created by bright. handsome. dashing
Philadelphia youth, q scion Of one Of the
oldest, most powerful and generally be-
loved Philadeiphia families, who bad left
his native city for the first time in 1879 to
do his devoir as q mid>hipmAn ON the Bra
lillian station
Barton WINS his name, and under the in
spiration Of his first naval uniform he be-
fore sailing had been doing sorne rather
loud boasting- His sister and . beyy Of
her young associates, rather disgusred ut
his airs. had Questioned his ability 10 re-
aliIe his big boasts. among which was his
Wild pledge to kiss u foreign princess b.
fore he revisited his native city. This cx-
trayagant pledge Appeared to his sister
about on . par with the prOInise Of NJ.
PArncles TO recover from the enemy the
captured drum and suggested the wa
ger Of . suit Of clothes made by the most
fashionable Chestnut street tailor against
[ the mos, costly silk dress in the Quaker
/ City.
After year or IS months Of ince-sant
watching for an opportunity TO rtsem
his pledge Barton az last found the object
Of his long search Almos, within the
precincts Of the palace the royal coach Of
state came rumbling along one Of Rios
| narrow streets. followed at 4 short distance
| by q squad Of mounted hussars. In the
| coach were the two young princesses, the
sisters Of the late Emperor Dom Pedro,
/ who, then about 10 years old, was under
I the tutelage Of a regent. Barton Jaw the
state coach approaching and planned his
J audacious scheme with cool and excellent
Judgment. He stood at a corner wherc the
( coach would probably turn. out of sight
I for moment of the lazy escort, and quick
er than thought he had, regardless Of hax-
ot1A 81
and through the aperture behind kissed
one Of the royal occupants Of the coach.
OF course the princess screamed because IL
was all done in open day on one Of the
most frequentsd thoroughfares OF the city
Of Rio Janeiro. Having won his wager
with his sister, Barton quietly resumed his
position at the banquet as II nothing had
happened. The amazement Of the hussars
at such daring and perilous action was
so great as to paralyze speedy retribution,
and Barton returned unmolested by the
sunset boat from the palace stairs To bis
ship.
But he was not left long in quiet on his
ship. The hot blood Of the Braganzas wa:
up In arms, calling loudly for the death OF
the plebeian miscreans who had soii-d
the royal maiden's cheek with his hot pie
beian breath. The regent made demand
for the delivery Of the young offender, Il
be held to answer to the offended laws Of
Brazil first upon the captain Of Barton Z.
ship, which was promptly refused, and
then upon the secretary of state at Wash
ington. The evidence OF Barton's culpa
bility left no loophole open through which
even Philadelphia lawyer could and es
cape, and Mr.. Forsyth Gener jackson :,
secretary Of state, was at his wits end,
how TO avoid making an abiect apology IL
the incensed Braganzas, the Portuguese
branch Of that blufblooded family having
come into the quarrel to rescue the family
honor from detssted plebeian' audaciou.
desecration Of the cheek OF their roys
cousin of Brazil
As a tub TO the angry Braganza whale
court martial was appointed TO try Bartor
for his contumacious familiarity with th'
insulted Brazilian princess The sentence
, of the court was that Barton should b.
cashiered from a profession he had 80 sig
nally outraged. That sentence was sen
by special messenger to the Brazilian ~
gent, and our government was courteousl!
thanked for the prompt reparation it ha'
made. IL was a fact not perhaps known
, TO the Brazilian regent that the sentence
Of the court could only take effect after tn
presidents approval, and when the sen
. tence was laid before the president for ap
prevail he secuted the idea Of stigmatizin!
young gentleman for an act rash an.
perilous but too strictly In line with hu
man weaknc 10 BE- dishonoring
Gummoning Barton 10 Washington be
fore final action Of the sentence OF the cour
, martial, the venerable president accos:e'
Barton thus, Did you kiss that Brazilian
princess, as ia charged against youi" e
did" was the unhesitating reply. VIA
prompted you to such a ras.., impuden
art' Was she 50 ravishingly beautiful''
No, replied Barton; she had large, love
ly, almond shaped eyes and a splendid sui
: Of dark hair, which hung nearly to he
feet In two heavy plaits, altogether YER
, pretty girl. seemingly in bad health. Why
general, have kissed the rosy cheeks Of
hundred prettier girls In Philadelphia. an
they never made half the fuss that thi
tallow faced Brazilian has. It was n mo
mentary Impulse to win a wager I mad
with my sister before sailing for the coas
, Of Brazil. 4 I'd, as for the enorInity Of tn
ofYense, l cannot ace II In that light ut all
, felt at the moment that as an American
officer l was comforting an honor" Turn
ing from his subordinate with n pieasan
smile to bis secretary Of the navy, the com
, nander In chief Of the army and navy thu
addressed him: Woodbury., I rather lik
the boy for his dash and daring and out
spoken candor He did no more than yor
/ or I or any member OF the cabinet woult
probably have done ut his age and In hi
place. Reinstate him, Woodbury., upor
the books Of your department., making
small memorandum opposite his name d
the effect that bs il rather too excitable To-
service In the torrid zone"
! Thus pleasantly ended an episode NOR