Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-19
AN ALLEGED JOKE ON GRANT.
How He Came to Search for Parson
Shanks.

How He Came to Search for Par.On
Shanks.
From the American Horse Breeder
While President General Grant was in
the habit of taking quiet drives around
the environs of Washington. He had one
or two horses that had lots of speed and
a general thing, he was able to give the
best Of the road brigade his dust. Nothing
seemed to please him more than to tackle
some Of his friends on the road and give
them the go-by.
One evening while out with his favorite
trotter he came upon an old rattle-trap of
a wagon, to which was hitched a common
looking horse whose harness was made up
Of leather and rope. The wagon contained
an old man and woman with faces black
the of spades. and they were seated
in two old armchairs. which were tied to
the wagon tc keep them from falling out.
chicken coop. containing a lot of chick
ems. was in the hind end of the wagon. The
President pulled out to go by the outfit,
shook up his horse. and disputed the right
to give up the road. The President soon
found that he had struck mares nest,
and gathering his horse for a sure-enough
road race set sail for the chicken coop in
good earnest. Although the general was
driving horse that could speed a 2:3O clip.
he was unable to head the old negro and
his degenerate-looking outfit, and they had
1t hot and heavy for nearly a mile. Dur
ing the spin the old woman had pulled Off
her SunbOnnet, and was going 1t bare
headed. her eyes rolling like two peeled
onions, and she was grinning like a Chesy
cat.
AS General Grants motto was Never
say die" he stuck to the colored individual
to the end Of the road. but couldn't head
him Off. and to make the race more binding.
rooster in the chicken coop sent up his
shrill cry of victory. AS the general walk
ed his horse along after the spin. his lower
to- Ill &1,-
mails spirit, and showed that he was net
tied at what had occurred. For a while
he remained silent. and the old darkey rode
behind as grave as If going to a funeral.
After the general had cooled off little,
he addressed the old man. saying:
Where did you get that horse?"
He belongs to man ober de ribber.
boss. an he am honey bee, sho."
Where did the man get the horse?"
HE glib two muells and $3.50 for him
bout tree weeks go. sah."
What does the man do?" asked the gen.
eral.
He trades horses and muells and chick
ems weeks days and breaches de Lord
Sundays. boss
What's his name?"
'Zeb Crook Shanks. an he Ibis down de
ribber bout five miles, sah."
The general made a memorandum Of the
name and turned around and headed for
the White House, soiiloq aiZing on the event.
The next day he sent a man down the
river road with instructions to collect sta
tistical information concerning Zeb Crook
Shanks and his resources. with a view to
getting some of his friends to buy the
horse that had given him such drubbing
on the road. But Zeb Crooh Shanks was
nowhere to be found. neither could the
negro or old woman be unearthed. In fact,
the chicken outfit was never driven into the
city after that night. The old man and
woman washed the burnt cork off their
faces. and after changing their clothes APP
peared in the forms of two of General
Grants friends. and went up to the White
House to listen to the generals recital OF
the road race with the chicken coop. One
of the pair was a well-known hotel land
lord In Washington. The cat was not let
out Of the bag until long after the occa-
sion.