The morning times., 1896-12-21
CLEVELAND AND HIS DUCKS
Landed at the White House
Early Yesterday Morning.
PRESIDENT LOOKS RUGGED
Two Hundred and Eighty-one Water
fowl Brought Down by the Party.
Chief Executives Prowess Pos
sibly the Last Cunning Trip.

President Cleveland returned early yes
terday morning from possibly his last
ducking excursion during his second I'd
minisiration.
He brought with him 2S1 ducks, the
greater number OF which he is sald TO
have shot.
1t was just O'Clock when the coast
Line special rolled into the Sixth street
station with the Pullman sleeper "COrU-
net'' trailing at the rear. The car had
been set aside for the use OF the PresI-
Dental party, and bore the distinguished
gunners and their elegant brace of game
from Georgetown, S G.
The President was up and dressed iy
the time the train reached Long Bridge,
and when il steamed into the station
he was the first to aIght from the car.
He looked rugged and healthy and all
traces OF the worry and strain consequ Mt
on the preparation OF his annual in5ssage
as the last rnoTuentous work he did before
the excursion were gone
Following him closely Mr. Robert D..
Evans and DR.. O'Reilly alighted from the
car. The party was met 10y Mr.. Mich Jas
n. Main, agent OF the Pullman Car Com
pany, who escorted them to tue Sixth
street gate.
BACK AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
The President walked with firm and
steady tread and smiled upon the station
attendants as he entered his carriage. lie
was driven directly to the White House
and reached there at SIS O'Clock. DR..
O'Reilly went to his own home from the
depot.
hp mn MI
ing 10 the station attendants was The un-
loading OF the ducks and their transfer to
the grocery wagon of the Executive Man
sion kitchen. The wagon is OF gen nsrOus
proportions, but the great number Of U.rds,
together with the boxes and cunning para
phernaIia crowded it until its black leather
curtains puffed ont like the Covering Of
an inflated balloon.
1t was quite the rarest assortment Of
birds. .itis said. that has ever been brought
10 the city. The waterfowl We're woE-
derfuIly plump and many OF them were
OF unusual size
one of the attendants at the station
is authority for the statement that one
or the ducks was Of extraordinary ap-
pearaEce. 1t was a small bird with
peculiar white and blue feathers At tie
tips of the wings. The head was quite
vermillon in hue, and almost perfect
stars IN blue Ci-cled the white PIN feathers
that surrounded The eyes
THE CUBAN BIRD.
The station man is also authority for
tie statement that the duck Is a native
OF Cuban waters and is seldom found out
side OF its native hauuts. though IL has
been known 10 come as far north is
Pimlc0 Sound. #'G
Wien the wagon, the birds and ;he
cunning paraphernalia reached the EN- Gu
tive Mansion, it is said the steward
consumed twenty five minutes III counting
the game.
He. too, paused when he reached the
Cuban bird. and it is generally believed by
those who were connected with Mr. Ciev,.-
lands return that the pecGliar&aycr is
either d native of Cuban marshes or Is
the unredcemed thirteenth duck
AT the White House last evening il Was
said that the President had returned at
O'Clock in the morning. Tradition alone
had il that he had brought with him
large number OF ducks, but the guards at
tie mansion asserted that they came un
after the retirement OF the morning guar is
and knew nothing a to the actual number
bagged by the Chief Executive.
MIR OLNEY CALLED
The President attended church little
latter with Mrs Cleveland. He caused
the ducks to bc distributed among he mem
bers OF bis Cabinet and his personal friends
Secretary Thurber called TO see him and
spent some time telling him of events
that had occurred during his absence, hat
no routine business was taken up, and IT
is not believed that the President feels
called upon to add anything to the Cuban
controversy at present.
During the day Secretary Olney made
his appearance ut the Executive Mansion
and had brief consultation with the
President, and while there is no Official
guarantee for the assertion, it is not to
| be questioned that their conversation RI
ferred almost solely to the latest phase IN
the Cuban situation.
Receiver Cuts Down Expenses.
Tarra Hapte Ind nrC On -PaNsi,-ar