The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-03-28
vagarles of Joe Wheeler.

committec.rooms into which he is sure
to drop some time during each day.
Some article Of his clothing is slowed
away in the closet Of nearly every
room. He has way of jerking off
his cuffs and putting them in un-
looked.for places frequently in tn &c
waste basket. After while he miss
es them, and runs around to the va
rious doors and insists that such and
such an attendant has put them where
he cant find them. After exciting
searches they are sometimes found,
but more often overlooked and packed
away in the official wardrobe. Many
a pair Of sleeve links has the General
lost in this way. He will run into Il
committcc-room, and il he finds there
q group talking on any subject in
which he is interested, will drop his
hat and coat on the floor and in two
minutes will be in the heat of heat
ed argument. Some pondcrous mem
Der Of The committee will get up to
leave the room, inadvertently step on
the hat, aud in astwinkling the brave
little man is up and smoothing out
his battered headgear with the greatest
surprise and solicitude, wondering
how on earth it came to be on the floor.
He is said to have lost more hats than
any other man in Congress, aud the
official barber always keeps an extra
hat on hand for General Wheeler. in
case of emergency. When the mem
bers see him starting for home, al
most lost to sight under very large
hat that has evidently belonged to
"a sized head, they know what has
happened.
All the members Of the Wheeler
family have been ever independent in
their movements, and one rarely cx-
pressed any curiosity about the doiugs
of the other, and, while confidence
was always enjoyed, it was never for
ced. On one occasion, during tho
life Of Mrs. Wheeler, who was wo-
man of charming personality, if some
times bit absent minded, this lack of
family consultation placed the General
in somewhat awkward, and certainly
very unusual predicamcnt.
The General, says the Chicago Inter
Ocean, had lodged his family for the
winter in apartments in fashionable
section of the city, but after trial
Of them for few days, Mrs. Wheeler
became dissatisfied, and ono evening
when her husband returned from Con-
gress she said:
Father, I don't like this plac, at
all and really think we had better
move, if you don't object
Certainly not, mother returned
the ever gallant General. "Just please
yourself anything suits me-
Nothing more was:said on the sub
ject, but couple of days later, on
seeking the society Of his family after
the official duties Of the day were over,
the Congressman found the apartment
deserted, and on inquiry that his
family had moved during the day.
No one knew where they had gone.
Mrs. Wheeler had merely neglected to
inform her husband that 't'ley were to
move that day, and where the new
residence was. HeI went to various
hotels, but didn find them, so finally
spent the night at one, and next day
his colleagues were highly diverted
and interested atithc engaging oandor
with which the great little man re-
lated how he had lost his family and
asked their advice as to where they
supposed he could find them. In the
course of the day one of the children
came to the Capitol to find out why
the father hadn been at home the nigh:
before, and then the omission Of let
ting him know the secret of where
they had moved was rcctifcd; and he
went away gayly to the new quarters,
where with Mrs. Wheeler he had a
hearty laugh over their temporary
separation.
General Wheelcr's lunches do not
put many shekels into the pockets of
the restaurant keepers of the House,
but he is always welcome guest, and
at irregular hours drops in for a bowl
Of crackers and milk, which is his in
variable luncheon fare. lie never
feils to'give tip which amounts to as
much or more than the cost Of his
luncheon, and the walters vic with
each other in their efforts to take his
order. He is beloved alike by all
sorts and conditions Of men land when
he gets back to Congress Will be wei
coined by the humblest attcndcnt as
we'll as by the::most distinguished Of