The times., 1897-12-12
sHERID,N.s JOKE ox GRANT.
The Only Time the Great General
Found Cigar Too Strong for Him.
lFrnln the New York sun.l

The Only Time the Great General
tFrom the New York sum-
They had done Florida, that is. as
much of the Peninsula State as people gen
orally managed to see seventeen years ago,
and the party, composed OF Gen. Grant.
Gen. sheridan, their wives, two nieees
OF Mrs Grant, the secretary, Mr. Byron
Andrews, and a solitary artist, had Just
yoyaged down the Gulf coast, stopping
for evenings send Off" and very
liyely time il was. at Key West, and now
they were domiciled III Havana. Grants
perpetual cigar was a pillar OF cloud
early in the morning and twinkle OF fire
late at night.
The Cai'an COLONY OF eigar;nakefs 1T
Key West mad slowed their statefoonis full
OF their choicest goods, while the fanlo4s
manufacturers OF Havans had brought rt
spscial brands. sending saIaple hundreds
u the palace for the approval If the two
famous soldiers. It would have been s.
breael ~ etiquette to keep check upon
ones smoking under such tempting con
Giti0ns. So the American visitors psiised
away at countless incompatible cig ,rs,
while the gayly-cIad officers OF the pal tce
household rolled their cigarettes and Won
tleref how lcng the faiuous smoker cJud
keep it up.
Presently there came a day when the
program included a visit TO the Iersy
fortress Of tabanas, over the bay. Flis
hea-y state targes 5owed the brilliant
little rarity across the breezIess harbOr.
and, OH 1t was lot. They climbed the
zgzag path which leads up to the Eortai
tary prison, whieh was, even then. nearly
filled with prisoners of state Thev were
shown through courts, deep. dark passage
rs, parades, barracks and prisons, which
fiji the whole vast interior OF this great,
gloomy, terrible place. Gen Pocurul.
then confnian5lant Of Cabanas, paraded tne
troops with a fine fanfare from bugEe
squad. ana then lunch was served at head
quarters, nigh up On The hattIeraents. COM
nianding a grand view of tfe city and VII
lage-Gotted country. which, in ;hase Gays.
presented a prosperous and beautiful ap-
peaTaacc.
Gen Grant saw everything and smoked on
faithfully. He noted that OF the hundreds
of cannon planted everywhere, from the
water batteries beneath the palms far be
low, up along the precipitOus slopes 70 the
crest Of the walls OF Cabanas, nearly an
were Of antique model MI inferior ealiber.
practically useless in modern demonstra-
tiOn, but over upon Morro's walls, half
mile away. as they were told, there were
rows Of bi new guns, peciaIIy Just TO the
| ri ght or eastward OF the castle. And so,
having shown an interest IN the matter
theparty must 60 over to Moro, ira versfng
covered WAYS and long open spaces in the
monday heat All mi ght have gone well.
| however, but unhappily Grant ran out Of
| ci gars- He searched despairingIy Though
his sundTy pockets, but, alssi all In vain.
Then cane SheTidan's opportunity, the
chance ne h3d been waiting for after a
| long and varied experience Of Grants
| marked fondEess for telling army yarns a5
| his expense He had a ciCaF. 1t was 4 D
particularly large or oftFusive, Just a
regular Al Havana, but on 1t was black aud
rich and wicked looking Sheridan had
been SHOWN through a tetaeco factory ths
J previous day While he vaited this cigar
| was made for him and lie put ft away
/ carefully and smiled 4 eontented Little
smile
So Gen. rant, with = ceep, happy siga
| Of relief, tOucheda match 10 Gen, Sheridan's
| cigar, and Sheridan-he Jagged and gyrated
/ Ike a bad little boy who has put n taos
on his teachers chair IL took .ittIs
time FOL tie strongest eisar ever made n
/ Cuba TO get IN its deadly work upon veil
/ seasoned old smoker like Grant, and s1eri-
dan began to grow despondent, but i.Jy
cree more suffgsed h.s ragged Jet r'l5i-
| cund features : he saw Eis old coinmaa.fer
| with palId face. talking huFriedly with
The interpreter a funny n sstu1e Of n-.iish
| and " est Point Spanish, ,aHda moment later
| ne collapse,iin IN the shadeot 4 van.
| There was instant alarm .sIaonS III who
| gathered around, and even the isny Sheri-
| dan got a bit ratified ct Sis own success,
tut he only winked soleu,liy az the Sec
retary, and said Tel 'ttl d keep quiet
| and give hin air. He4 he all right N
five minutes 1 thOggat 1t would fe.eh
mm-"
Grant was indeed all rf-bt as soon as he
| got up ausCng tile iulnbl, OF defenSes at
| the top Of Moro Castle, VI here the cool sea
| winds blew sOiEe OF the nicotine out II his
lungs, and he gazed at sheridan with a
deep indigo look OF suspicioa. hut he srlos-d
no moro until the next morning.