The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-03-05

HON. A. 7. FOX.
other president elect to admire and read
about today. If Major Mckinley had
gone into private life instead of into the
governorship of Ohio when he retired
from the house Of representatives, he
would have ceased to be political
quantity of more than local Importance.
Politicians said to me when the major
retired from congress, 'He has ceased
to be presidential possibility unless he
gets the nomination from the next ma
tional convention. They were wro:-g.
The major kept himself alive by becori-
ing the governor Of great state.
McKinley's Double.
Here is where Major McKinley's
double comes into the story. A gentle
man conspicuous in the politics of Ohio
said to a friend, 81 will not support
this man Mckinley for governor. !"
WHY" said his friend. Because" he
replied, 81 cannot support for governor
man who gets drunk. " Drank" said
his friend. You never saw William
Mckinley drunk. doubt if lie ever
tastes liquor. "That shows how little
you can know of the man, " said the
first speaker. II say, him blind drunk
not many days ago at -" Major
McKinley's friend was much disturbed.
He knew there was mistake some
where. But where? He went to the ma
jor in his extremity, and it happened
that on that very day there came to the
home of the major man who lived not
many hundred miles from Canton. His
card came in when the conversation
was in progress. The major listened &c
what his friend had to say of his con-
versation with the accuser. Then he
sent for his other visitor. He entered.
The first caller looked at him i'll sur.
prise If he had met him ON the street,
he might have mistaken him for Major
! Mckinley The major smiled that quiet
smile which has made so many Of his
recent visitors at Canton feel at ease.
"Were you at - ON such a day." he
/ asked. The newcomer said he believed
he was. my dear fellow" said the
major, "you will ruin me if you don't
take the pledge. Here is a gentleman
who brings me the story that I was
drunk in - on that day, when
wasn't within 100 miles Of the place. u
The visitor confessed that he had in
deed been drunk OH the day and ut the
| place named. He was good friend Of
the major. He was not u public char
acter, and he had not realized that his
conduct was u matter of Importance to
any one but the members of his family
and himself. He and the major had a
| good laugh over the confusion of their
identity and the first visitor went away
| provided with an alibi for the major
and solution of the story which his
friend had told.
President Cleveland's Double.
President Cleveland, as I have said,
has many doubles Some people think
| that A. A. Wilson, the marshal of the
| District of Columbia, looks like him.
| The resemblance does not strike me, but
all eyes do not see alike. Any stout man
with fat face and mustache, without
| positive features, might look little
like Mr.. Cleveland tosome eyes. Speaker
Reed is another fat man who has dou-
bles. The chief among these in Wash
ington was the late Charles N. Bell, the
photographer He really did look like
Reed, the point of difference between
them being that Reeds little mustache
was black, while the shadow which
hung on the upper lip of Bell was red.
If Mr.. Bell were living now and had
shaved off his mustache, as Mr. Reed
has done, there would be little to dis
tinguish one from the other. What made
! it easy to recognize Mr.. Bell or Mr..
Reed when Mr.. Bell was alive was the
fact that Mr.. Bell rode up Pennsylvania
avenue in a carriage, while Mr.. Reed
always walked or took cable car. Few
Of the statesmen who sit in the house or
senate have carriages.
The likeness Of Mr.. Bell to Mr.. Reed
was source of annoyance to Mr.. Bell.
! This is not often the case with men who
are doubles. Usually the double takes u
i pride in his resemblance to some public
man, and sometimes nc uses it as Il
means to play jokes or get drinks. There
is clerk in one Of the departments who
is used as the instrument of practical
joke very often. Tie looks like a con-
spicuous statesman, and be is introduced
10 group Of strangers ny his friends rs
Senator - lie assumes the char
acter very seriously, and tie visitors 80