The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-10
THE COLONEL'S STORY.
AbOut Little Game, Some JuIeps
and a President.


From the Louisville Courier-Journal
The colonel was mixing his old-fashioned
toddy with that scientific care for detail
that actuates a skilled chemist in the clos
ing stages of an important laboratory ex-
pertinent. At last the perfect blend of SUI
gar, water, ice and-something else-was
achieved. He slipped, smacked his lips with
a satisfied "Ahg' and then answered our
question:
No, did not miss my toddy during my
two years stay in Europe. Drink, like
morality, is entirely a question of climate.
Acid wines in the tropics; heavy blood
making ports and Burgundies in foggy
England; Scotch and soda on the Highland
moors; the wine of the country always. l
suppose saki is very good in Japan. vodki
in Russia and pulque in Mexico. At all
events, Bourbon is the drink that the edu-
Gated drinkers system demands in certain
sections of America.
But speaking of Bourbon whisky re-
minds me of a story 1 read in a Courier
Journal sent TO me In Vienna last year. It
was taken from New York paper-the
Sun, believe-and professed to be an ac-
count of the embarrassment of President
Arthur when an exuberant Kentucky adj
mirer sent him a barrel of whisky after
the Presidents return to Washington from
the Louisville exposition in the early
eighties. 1t was a very good story, but il
had one defect. President Arthur would
never have been embarrassed for a mo-
ment under any circumstances. Since Vir-
ginia ceased being the mother of Presi-
dents, he was the only occupant Of the
White House who, in my opinion, was a
gentleman-a welI-bred, well-reared man
of the world. And he would have accepted
or declined that whisky with promptness
and propriety and with perfect considera-
ton for the feelings of the sender. But it
wasn't about that especial whisky start
ed to tell you, but about little incident of
Arthur's visit here.
ut taught me one thing. Being Pres
ident Is very well in some ways, but it
is too much of good thing oratorically,
to suit me as a steady job. When Ar
thur reached Cincinnati on his way to
Louisville, a delegation met him with
speeches TO welcome him to Kentucky.
Crossing the Ohio, he Jared worse than
Washington did on his Delaware trip,
for another delegation awaited him with
speeches. AT every water tank groups of
representative citizens were in ambush,
and every representative citizen was load
ed with a speech. Near Louisville a COM
mittee boarded the train-wth speeches.
There were speeches on the way to the
carriages at the station here, and of
course a speech or two when the hotel
was reached. The President, like the old
Kentucky politician had seen his duty,
and he done IL noble" He had answered
every blessed one of those speeches, but
he was showing symptoms of brain-fag.
His big speech at the exposition didn't
worry him. He had expected that. But
then came a dinner at the Pendennis
Club, and the final flood of the oratorical
freshet.
HE was a tired man when a party of
six or eight of us accompanied him to his
hotel The rooms of the presidential par
ty were a suite of half dozen on the
first floor of the Gait House. His bed
room was one of those toward the rear.
and he promptly babe us goodnight and
retired. Blank. the banker: Dash. the
railroad man; So-and-So, who had come
in from his stock-farm, and myself re-
NAMED with several good fellows of the
Presidents party and discussed a few
mint-juleps in one of the front rooms The
night was young, the party jolly, and
little game of draw was in progress.
We had been playing half an hour. 1 sup
pose, with jokes and drinks going the
rounds when the door opened. and there
stood Arthur in slippers, pajamas and
bath robe. Chairs were pushed back cards
dropped and every one arose. confused
murmur of apologies expressed our regret
that we had disturbed the President But
he stopped the excuses with a wave of
his hand.
"'This isn't the President of the United
States he said, The President of the
United States is back in that bedroom. If
| you want 10 see the President of the Unit
ed States go back there and make a
| speech to that silk hat and dress suit.
| This is Chester Alan Arthur private citizen
| and Chester Alan Arthur private citizen
wants one of those julips and a stack of
! chips
II don't suppose a party of men, SUD-
posedly acquainted with the amenities of
social life ever before cheered man be-
cause he asked for drink and a hand
in card game. But that's what we did.
And until the morning gray crept through
the window shutters. Chester Arthur. pri-
vate citizen, took his drink and told his
| joke and played his cards like a club
! man and gentleman. He won our money
| too, though in a tasteful and unobtrusive
way he tried to keep the game even bv
! unduly liberal play after the cards began
| TO run his way. Finally he told us good
night, saying
Boys, it has been a very pleasant night.
| l know you'n never tell on me- as long
as It might hurt the feelings of any Puri-
tanical friends. And now l am going back
to see whether anybody has been making
speeches to the President of the United
States while 1 have been enjoying nv
| self
1T is a good thing for the political rec
ords Of several rock ribbed Democrats thar
Arthur was defeated for denomination ;,
| concluded the colonel. FOR there wasn't
one of us there that night who wouldn't
tell me that the man who sat opposite
me at that table would have been shocked
and embarrassed because barrel of Ken
lucky whisky was sent to him as a gift {"