The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-27
sHERIDAN,s JOKE ON GRANT.
He Gave His Superior n Cigar Which
Made Him Sick.

Made Him Sick.
They had done FIorida-that is, as
much of the Peninsular state as people
generally managed to see seventeen
years ago, says the New York Sun,
and the party, composed of Gen. Grant,
Gen. Sheridan, their wives, two nieces
of Mrs. Grant, the secretary, Byron
Andrews, and a solitary artist, had
just voyaged down the gulf coast, stop
ping for an evenings "send-off," and a
very lively time it was, at Key West,
and now they were domiciled in Ha-
vana. Grants perpetual cigar was a
pillar of cloud early in the morning
and twinkle of fire late at night.
The Cuban colony of cigarmakers at
! Key West had stored their state rooms
full of their choicest goods, while the
famous manufacturers of Havana had
all brought out special brands, sending
sample hundreds to the palace for the
approval of the famous soldiers. 1t
would have been a breach of etiquette
to keep a check upon ones smoking
under such tempting conditions. So the
American visitors puffed away at
countless Incompatible cigars while the
gayly clad officers of the palace house
hold rolled their cigarettes and Won
dered how long the famous smoker
could keep it up.
Presently there came a day when the
programme included a visit to the
lofty fortress of Cabanas, over the bay
The heavy state barges rowed the
brilliant little party across the breeze
less harbor, and, oh! 1t was hot. They
climbed the ziz-zag path which leads
up to portal cut into the grim front of
the great military prison, which was
even then. nearly filed with prisoners
Of state. They were shown through
| courts, deep. dark passageways, par
| AIDES, barracks and prisons, which fill
the whole vast interior of this great,
gloomy, terrible place. General Po-
curl, then commandant of Cabanas,
paraded the troops with a fine fanfare
from bugle squad, and then lunch
was served at headquarters high up on
the battlements, commanding a grand
view of the city and Village-dOtted
country, which in those days presented
a prosperous and beautiful appearance
General 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 below, up along
the precipitOus slopes to the crest of
the walls of Cabanas, nearly all were
of antique model and inferior caliber,
practically useless in modern demon
stration, but over upon MorrO's walls,
half mile away, as they were tod,
there were rows of big new guns, es-
pecially just to the right or eastward
of the castle. And so having shown an
interest in the matter, the party must
| go over to Morro traversing covered
ways and long open spaces in the noon
day heat All might have gone we'll,
however, but, unhappily, Grant ran out
| OF cigars.
He searched despairingly through
his sundry pockets, but, alas! all in
NJ
ity, the chance he had been waiting for,
after a long and varied experience of
Grants marked fondness for telling
army yarns at his expense. He had q
cigar. 1t was not particularly large
or obstrusive, just a regular AL Ha-
vana, but OH it was black and rich and
wicked looking. Sheridan had been
shown through a tobacco factory the
previous day. While he waited this
cigar was made for him, and he care
fully put 1t away and smiled a con-
| tented little smile.
So Gen. Grant, with a deep, happy
sigh of relief, touched a match to Gen.
Sheridan's, and Sheridan-he Jagged
and gyrated like bad little boy who
has put tack on his teachers chair.
1t took a little time for the strongest
cigar ever made in Cuba to get in it's
/ deadly work upon a well-seasoned old
smoker like Grant, and Sheridan began
{
to grow respondent, but joy once more
suffused his rugged but rubicund fea
| lures as he saw his old commander,
with pallid face, talking hurriedly
with the interpreter, a funny mixture
! of English and West Point Spanish, and
a moment later he collapsed in the
| shade of a wall. There was instant
alarm among all who gathered around,
and even the jolly Sheridan got bit
! ratified at his own success, but he only
winked solemnly at the secretary and
said: '"Tell 'em to keep quiet and give
him air. He'll be all right in five min
utes. l thought it would fetch him."
Grant was all right, indeed, as soon
as he got up among the tumble of de-
lenses at the top of MORO castle, where
the cool sea winds blew some of that
| nicotine out Of his lungs, and he gaZed
at Sheridan with a deep indigo look of
suspicion, but he smoked no more until
| the next morning.