Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-09-09
DUMPED PRESIDENT VAN BUREN,.
Old Elm Where the Joke Was Played Has
Had Its Day.

Old Elm Where the Joke Was Played Has
Had Its Day.
Improvements are now being made
which will remove the stately old elm
on the National road, just thirteen
miles out>of Indianapolis. 1t has long
stood reminder of joke played on
President Van Buren, in which the
President was hnceremoniously
dumped ous into a mire. The Incl
dent happened late in the '3Os. Van
Buren, had been occupying the Presi-
dental chair some time, and internal
improvements were the order of the
day. Van Buren, was not favorable to
a reckless expenditure of money for
roads and internal improvements, and
had vetoed several bills which had
been lobbied by contractors, who were
then, as now, quick to take advantage
of the Government.
William Hale, in charge of the stage
line from Indianapolis to Terre Haute,
was one of these men. The road was
really in bad condition. President
Van Buren, at last decided to make
trip overland to the Mississippi to
make personal investigation of the
highways. He was to go over the road
which led from indianapolis to Terre
Haute. Nothing could have pleased
Hale better than the announcement
that the President was to go over the
line. 1t was in frightful condition
at many points, and by way of making
sure of settling the Presidents mind
he planned to dump him into the deep
est mire along the road. Mason
Wright, the driver of the stage, was
consulted, and on promise of So if he
would dump the President in the mire
at Plainfield he entered into the scheme.
President Van Buren, completed his
business in Indianapolis and took the
stage for Terre Haute. The ride out
to Plainfield was fairly good. The
driver, however, took care to give them
all the mud possible, and he found a
great deal of it. At last they ap-
preached the Quaker settlement. The
mud was awful. The village was
reached at last and the driver pulled
up his horses in front of a great morass
in the road He crooked his neck
around and asked the President which
way he would better go to get around
the mire. The President looked out
and indicated to the right. This was
what Wright had anticipated. He fol-
lowed directions, ran the wheels up
over the great roots of the old elm, and
with crash the stage went over.
President Van Buren and his Secre-
tary shot through the stage door and
into the mire knee deep. They wal
lowed in the black stuff, to pick them
selves out at last thoroughly plasteredt
An old woman who was near took the
President in charge and with q chip
scraped the mud from his broadcloth
clothes. He was taken to the old Nc
Caslin Hotel and given thorough rub
bing and bath.
Later he gave a reception. The
President was the laughing stock of
all and he took it good -naturedly.
Many stories are told of how he was
mystified by the old Quakers ap-
preaching him and calling him by his
first name. He was quite nonplussed
at first by this presumption, as he
took it, on their part.
From the day the President was
dumped out into the mire to the pres.
ent the old elm has been sacred SEN
tinel to the memory of the jolly Presi-
dent. The improvements that are be-
ing made around it have thus far left
the tree whole, but its days are num-
bered, and the surroundings are so
changed that there is little left to help
recall the interesting scene.-Chicago
Record.