The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-02-21
A Visit to the White House.

Mr.. Henry S. Coudon is furnishing the
Perryville Record with some humorous
letters. The following is specimen
"brick" from the last issue:
AKIN, Md, Feb. 18th, 'e6.
Mr.. ED1ToR:-Being in Washington
the other day and having few moments
to spare I stopped in at the White House.
1 found the chief executive apparently in
good health, but good deal depressed in
spirit. Although evidently DESTROYS of
making himself agreeable, could notice
that in doing so considerable effort. was
required. His conversation lacked that
vivacity and bouyancy so characteristic of
the man and 1 ventured to inquire the
cause. He frankly told ME that many
circumstances had occurred of late, any
one of which was enough to produce des-
pondency and that combined they were
enough to depress the strongest of men.
He mentioned first the manner in which
his personal friend and trusted embassa-
dor to the Court of St. James had been
treated and alluded to the malignity with
which he had been assailed both in and
out of congress in consequence of few
off hand utterances during post prandial
speech in the mother country. And fol-
lowing upon the unpleasant, not to say
equivocal relations, with the dusky Queen
of the far off Islands, came the Venez-
uelan complication and the difficulty to
get Mr.. Monroe's doctrine to apply, to
say nothing of the troubles experienced
in handling the financial affairs of the
nation. He also complained of many
other vexatious matters
After listening attentively to his re-
marks I told him that he was in need OF
rest and recreation and advised him to
take little hunting trip. This met his
approval at once and he said he would
gladly go on an excursion of the kind
provided he had any place to go to and
there was a probability Of success. The
opportunity that 1 had been so eagerly
looking for now arrived and I presented
to him in my best style, the claims of this
vicinity as sporting centre. told him
that although our citizens were an enter
prising and energetic people, yet they
believe in taking a little wholesome rec
reation now and then. That as a rule
they were rarely unoccupied, but on the
o1tr1ocf oil a,,ooroI ~
something, that when other and less GER
tain kinds of employment failed they
would busy themselves at loafng and that
it must be an exceptionally disagreeable
spell of weather that could deter them
from this kind of occupation and if cir
prevented them from devot-
ing the entire day to this tesk, they would
on the principle that half loaf is better
than none, remain till the dinner hour
arrived. I assured him however that
Notwithstanding their methodical and
industrious habits they would joyfully lay
hem aside at any time and engage in the
first species of sport that presented itself;
that we had so many kinds that it was
hard to tell which was the most popular,
but that 1 believed wild fowl shooting ION
account of the large revenue derived from
t) was preferred, although trap shooting
was INDUCED in to a considerable extent,
which was confined however to inanimate
objects as the laws of our county prohib-
tied the killing of pigeons. I told him
hat in season we had quail, sora, and
rabbit, and that for night sport coons
and opossum were abundant and that Car
had dog that could not be excelled in
his line. and then mentioned the fox,
and was about to tell him of the hunt that
was had on the Island when he stopped
me and said that he had seen an account
Of that in the Perryville Record, and that
such conduct was unsportsmanlike and
The participants ought to be prosecuted
for cruelty to animals, and that poor Ray
nard was treated worse than his friend
Bayard.