The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-29
RARE POWER IN POLITICS.
INK BLRBECUB NAN TELLS NOW HE
RE-ELECTED GEN. GRANT.

gathering in a Close District, in q Close
county, in tho Close state of Ohio, Jnst
before the Crucial October Election.
$40 was never u professional politician" said
,,e man Of experience Tho fact Of tho matter
Is have voted but three timcs in my ftc This
r,gect Of civic duties has not boon due 70 lack OF
po,riotsm however, but TO a strongly developed
nomndic spirit which has kept me on tho go so
,,o0diy tina, have seldom lived In one State long
enough at time 70 acquire the rights OF citizen
ship But in spite Of my apparent apstheuc az
uiude toward machines, and bosssrn. and tariff
and the like. can say, with posiuveness that
Cen Grants election as President the second time
was attributable directly to my efforts and In
auence Tho General, himself, recognized the
value Of my services and once whom / attended u
public reception at the White House no bnde mo
.,ep out Of tho limo and stopped shaking hands
long enough TO thank me for my efforts in his be-
half This was unprecedented action on tho
mart Of the Chief Executive and valued tho favor
very highly.
The young man who spends three-fourths Of
his waking hours In smoking pulled away harder
,han ever then at his newly filled pipe.
"SJ?" he said Il was reading up on that cam
ps,gn only last night Funny didn't see your
name mentioned any place.
There's nothing funny about II" returned tho
man u experience, complaoently. Z am n modest
man and II WAS my wish that DO kept In the back
ground as much possible II was only by a
mere chance that Grant found out what had done
for him Was sort Of dark horse, politically
speaking working for money instead OF glory,
and / was quite willing to lot the big guns con-
nected with take the credit and add II TO their
own regulations. Besides. az told you, | was
not really in politics, and it was not in the capac-
~. I ln,iJ od q hat -
In .hc United States in 1872
q was starring through the country then as a
professional manager OF barbecues. What days
those were! You dont see such dongs now.
Your presentday endeavors to celebrate and have
a good time make me laugh in dcrison. This Is
the season when barbecues ought TO flourish in
all their glory. Just the other day read that
there was going TO be big blowout at some little
town in New Jersey. The notice awakened many
old memories, and went down out Of curiosity.
And what did they have7 BAH few thin
slices OF tough roast beef and key Of pale cider
Just as II that constitutes barbecue. II may be
ono VI your 1899 brand, but it wouldn't have passed
muster In 1872 But then that was a rattling
year, no matter in what light you look at IT,
Political managers began to play their cards
early that season and by the middle Of August
had more engagements on my hands to prepare
those interesting feass than l knew what 10 do
with My services were in demand all the way
from New York to st Louis This geographical
magnitude OF my popularity Is not surprising
when you take into consideration that II there
any one thing that could do better than
another it was TO roast an OK. Although was
in demand throughout such wide territory the
majority OF my engagements for that fall were
made in Indiana and Ohio BY the first Of Sep
m
another so rapidly that WAS kept on the lump
night and day. Within a week or so after busi
ness reached aood-tido ! began 10 notice some
thing strange. This was that wherever I went
and whatever sort Of meeting / catered TO he II
Democratic or Republican, there was one certain
man who was always present | found ont
through careful inquiry that he was a West Viz
Rinlan named Henry Lever. He was one of the
qucerest-iooking chaps you saw He was A
great strapping fellow more than six feet high
His arms were unusually long his hands and
feet were unusually large, and his head was so
small in proportion to the rest Of his body III a,
he would have looked like a freak had he not boon
blessed with an extraordinary mon of red h,i,
winch Helped build the top part of his BODY ont
haH oeeh moneyed man or a man Of any
great Importance politically or socially | SHOULD
have attributed his continual following in m,
been considerably worried by it. But rs l wa
nothing but plain ordinary OK rooster the ide
tina, anybody could hope to derive any benef,
from foul play with was absurd. Leeve
seemed to be kindly, good natured chan in snit
OF his grotesque appearance, and after had see,
him several times | concluded that he wasn't
bal sort after all.
One day when / was attending a meeting /,
the ncighborhood of Hillsboro, Ohio | had A,
opportunity to speak to Lever and asked him
point blank, how II happened that his inclina
Tons and duties were SO nearly related TO min
that our paths crossed continually He laurhe,
heartily
Why, said he, I thought you understood
You ought to know We're both working in tb
same cause, only along different lines. Yo,
serve in the capacity OF barbecue overseer and
as special agent AS you have probably OBJ
served never go about with catter and a bang
proceed more on the order Of a silent partner
but assure you my quiet force Is tremendousl,
effective, have been assigned to work the larg
est OF the rural gatherings Of both parties. Fo
mat reason have followed you You are tn,
oes' hand at getting up an outdoor feast l eve
saw, hence you naturally draw the crowds Fol
lowing that limo OF Reasoning still farther 70,
will readily see that II is to my nteres. to worl
In conjunction with you
The man flashed me such friendly loo]
as he said that that he disarmsd me Of the las
remaining vestigo Of my former prejudice
didn't exactly understand what he meant b.
being special agent l had a vague unde
nnrd idea, OF course that he was laboring In
quiet and even substantial way, for one Of tn
great parties but that was all knew. intende
70 ask him for d more comprehensive statemer
ou some one came up then and interrupted Ii.
II that's the way you feel about my spreads
said, as | turned away, I suppose I'll sec 20
Gown In the southern part Of the State next weel
I'm to serve n big Democratic meeting at Palestir
on Wrdn" 'day
u h" there, he said and that ended our col
Vefsaon for that time
he next week went down to Palestine
was the custom for the local committee in cha
o. the rally to make a contract with the cater
whereby they agreed to pay him stipulated sur
III exchange for which he was to assume all ris
am responsibility and all expenses incurred rel
we 70 the feast The selection Of the OK YVES il
,Auaoy LETT to me, and | always arrived at
""n a day or two before the time set for the raj
pcAdnlhe the cattle in tho ncighborhood al
ssiecl the animal hest suited to my purpose I
Laesune rally was 10 be held the Last WednC
Uay IN september, | reached the place on MOI
aay evening Early on Tuesday morning
hcI Uul tn hunt nice iuiry heaat I uaa III,