The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-13
A GOOD JOKE ON BOSTON.
Chicago Tribune. }

Boston, the hub of the universe, the
modern Athens. the home of learning,
and the domicile of wit, has just been
A few weeks before the recent anniver-
sary celebration of the launching of the
old frigate Constitution, the Mayor, Mr..
Josiah Quincy, received q letter from
certain Major Garland. who lives in
Hampton. Va, and said he was the last
survivor of the Constitutions crew, hav-
ing served as powder monkey on that
venerable and venerated vessel Mayor
Quincy replied by inviting the Major to
become Boston's guest during the oere-
monies. The Major accepted the invita-.
ton, was entertained at the city's ex-
pense at the Parker House, and, as the
Springfield, Republican expresses it,
was greeted with cheers, which were led
by the Governor of the Commonwealth
himself, dined and wined by the wealth.
lest and most aristocratic women in the
city, bouquets sent to his room every
day, and carriages kept on hand for him
at all hours of the day and evening, and
had an official of the Mayors office ever
ready to anticipate his wishes"
To the reporters the Major told an in
| teresting story of his history. He said
| he was a Virginian, born in 1902, became
| a powder boy on the Constitution in 1879,
| took part in all the subsequent battles Of
| the war in which it was engaged, visited
St. Helena twice, and had cordial rela.
! ton with Napoleon, who was attracted to
| him because he spoke French; was ap-
pointed by President Monroe to do escort
duty to Lafayette In 1924 was attached
| to the frigate Brandywine which con-
|yeyed Lafayette to France in 1876; left
the navy In 1884 and Lived IN Boston four
| or five years; attended Philips Academy
at Andover in 1889, and was ordained
clergyman; went to the front in 1861
with the Fifty sixth New York Regiment
as chaplain. and was made Major by
| General Mcclellan for conspicuous bra
very; was voted medal by Congress,
and received other medals from Generals
Grant, Sherman and Sheridan, and was
member of the Lincoln Cavalry of New
| York and afterward of the Sixteenth Mas
| sacuhsets in which he served to the close
| of the war
This story was so plausible, the Majors
appearance was SO respectable, in spite Of
the fact that he did not look SO old by
many years as he said he was, that he
could read without glasses and that he
had no documents to substantiate his
claims, and Boston was so glad to find
somebody to lionize that no inquiry was
made about him. So for six days the Ma
jor lived on the fat of the land and innu-
merable cocktails, and at last sailed away
accompanied by the sound Of cheers from
patriotic and sentimental Bostonians.
After he had gone, however, somebody
began still hunt for the Majors creden-
tials, and 1t is now clear he was an i'm
poster whose like has not been seen since
the days of the late Alfred Jingle and his
servant, Job Trotter. Though the Major
draws pension from the government it
has not been discovered what services he
rendered or even whether he was ever in
the army at all. and it has been made
certain that he never saw the Constitu-
ton until the other day.
But what does the Major care? He has
had good time and plenty of adulation'
and he rather thinks, no doubt, that the
| joke is on the Mayor, corporation and
citizens Of Boston. And 1T is.