Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-25
COL. CHQPTANK'S CHRISTMAS

$50 you want to know about the most re-
markable Christmas I ever spent?" said
Col. Choptark to.ia Star reporter today.
Readers Of The Star are familiar with the
story Of Col. Choptank, 'the pride Of the
republican pAhty of the eastern sho,'" as
he says. 1t will be remembered the colonel
reached here on the 4th of March last, con-
temporaneouSly with the arrival of another
distinguished republican, and has remained
here since. - q
'Well, suh," resumed the colonel, strok-
ing his eastern shp' goatee, meditatively,
Il think the present Chris mus bids faiE to
be the most remarkable 1 ever spent. Now,
my young friend. I don propose to bother
you with a recital of my political troubles
for you and my host of friends in this great
city know that have not received the rec
ignition l deserve
But have determined, sub, not to give
up the fight for that Office. The salary is
a paltry consideration, for, thanks to my
eastern Sho oyster beds and tarrapin ponds
the commissary wagon hasn't got begged
down yit. What l am fightin for now is
recognition, and, by Cad, sub, l propose to
have it.
80, when Congress took a recess without
my nomination having been sent in, 1 sim
ply settled down to wait until they come
back, and in order to prepare for the siege
l sent down to the eastern sho' and had old
Shadrack. my house servant, fetch me up
some provision.
He came up on the boat with them him
self. He had To- dozen of the finest damon
back tarrapin in the pond; he had a kaig
OF apple jack that is sixteen years old, with
bushel of choicest apples for roastin'; he
mad three barls of oysters, couple OF
young hams that had been fed on peanuts
ard acorns; bushel of cOrnmeal, ground
in water mill; q snatch of home-cured
bacon, three turkeys and few other
things.
1 had made the acquaintance of a num-
Der of gentlemen during my stay in Wash
lngton VINO were here upon a similar mis-
sun and whose political fortunes were no
brighter than my own. Some of these gen.
tlemen We're feelin kinder blue as Chris
mus drew nigh. and 1 laid out give 'em
surprise.
Last night bein' Christmas eve I invited
EN- all up to Jedge Cherry house,
where l am stayin, for a session of 1.-The
Unsuccessful Office Seekers Association
Mrs. CherrystoHe and the children bein'
down on the eastern sho' for Chris mus and
me and the jedge bein' alone.
well, old Shadrack was master of cere-
monies and the way he made them city ser
wants, who was helpin him, stand around
was sight to behold. First thing he did
was to have big wood fire built in the
fire place in the parlor Then he got out
the jedses big punch bowl and made it
full of hot apple toddy, jest steamin' and
lin when the first of the guests begun to
arrive.
"Old Shadrack, in his white shirt, stiff
collar and white gloves. seemed kinder sur
prised and little indignant at some of the
guests, for, OF course, the boys are little
rundown for clothes after q long siege in
WaShin ton and he wasn't accustomed to
such company at my house down on the
eastern sho but l gave him look to
freeze the marrow in his bones and then he
field.
Allow me to serve you with a toddy.
suh,' old Shadrack would say, and hand
out glass of the nectar of the gods. The
beverage was surprise to some of the
boys, especially those from the north and
the west, VINO were unfamiliar with east
ern Sho' apple toddy. They were more sur
prised before they got through with it, too,
what happened to EN-
well. soon old Shadrack threw open the
doors of the dinn' room and says Dinner
is served, sun Old Shadrack had outdone
such tarrapin in yo' life. We didn't follow
no new-fangled ideas about courses, but lit
into the terrapin first, and stayed with it
throughout the game
AT the head of the table was then, two
little hams, as sweet as a nut, with a por-
ton OF crisp LETTUCE to each Slice Then
came the turkeys, stuffed with oysters and
served with hot hominy. We had oysters
roasted In their shells, and served that
way, with country butter and corn pone.
well, sub. the way the boys went
through them provisions did my heart good
and melted Old Shadrack to tears. I had
been a Titled pestered about what to give
EN- to drink with the dinner, but the
1edge suggested beer, and though that
wasn't quite eastern sho' style and bother
ed Shadrack some, we let 'em have beer.
was glad to see that after Shadrack had
given orders to get more apple Jack for
use after dinner, the boys quit beer and
saved 'emselves for the toddy
AS soon as dinner was over we went
back to the parlor and sat around the fire.
Shadrack passed around church warden
pipes, a bucket of home-cured bright-Ieaf
tobacco and started the hot apple toddy
agoin'- Then the boys began to unlimber
Ola ledge Cherrystone sang an oyster
mans song with an easy chorus and all
hands j'ined in. OF course l don't want to
mention no names, for it might hurt the
feelins of some of the boys, but one after
another got to tellin' stories and singin'
songs. and some of 'em was mighty funny
We'll, the apple toddy got in it's work
quicker than l expected on the boys, they
bein' unaccustomed to it and the ledge and
me was confronted by a situation. There
wasn't a one of 'em could stand up let
alone git home, so we couldn't turn 'em
out We had the dinin' room table showed
up in the corner. brought down some
blankets and old Shadrack and the SER
wants laid the boys out in row before the
dinin room fire and there they slept.
AS for Jedge Cherrystone and me it
was jest the shank of the evenin' for u.s.
We being well-cured in the insidious ways
of the apple-toddy, so Shadrack punched
up the fire, filled smaller bowl with apple
toddy and we turned in for a quiet old
time bringin' up "reminiscences of our
younger days. Old Shadrack sat In the
corner and nodded, but every once in
while would break in with correction of
date or to supply an unrecollected name
occasionally enc of the boys would wake
up and want to sing or tell story, but
old Shadrack would give him some more
toddy and he would go back to sleep as
peacefully as a child. Along about q
o'clock in the mornin' when me and the
lodge was thinkin' about gittin' ready for
breakfast the boys began to wake up.
"Old Shadrack was waitin' for 'em with
one of his eye-openers and such was the
beneficient effect of that old apple Jack
that by the time the broiled bacon and
country eggs, the hot coffee and corn
bread came on the table, not a one of 'em
but was ready to eat.
after breakfast me and the ledge sent
each man to his boardin' house with a
quart of apple-jack for a Christmas pres
ent, and I'll bet you every one of 'em Is
down in the kitchen now asl1in' the land
lady for hot water and sugar.
IF never git that office and do have to
go back to the eastern sho' with my proud