The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-03-22
STORIES ABOUT HARRISON.
Inability to Remember Names and Lack
of Humor His Chief Failings.

| General Harrisons wo'st failing for
political life was his inability to remem-
Der names. He spoke of this frequently
his friends years when
| their series of visits to the fairs, they
went to Indianapolis. A grand reception
was given wen The state fair was in prog
people should pass by President Hayes
and shake hands. AS some of the promi-
nent women came along they were invit-
Hayes. The, committee said to General
Harrison that he must take that part of
the work-the introduction of the women
"Oh, no." said the general. II am not
sufficiently acquainted with the ladies to
But urged the committee, you know
all Of the prominent people here"
Mo- persisted the general, II can't
do 1t. l can't remember names. I pass
people on the streets of Indianapolis
every day-people 1 have been seeing for
twenty years-and l can't recall their
names.'
There was another interesting thing
cept1on, which was that General Harr-
SON had no swallow tail'' coat and never
had owned one up to that time. When he
formed TO customs there and promptly
supplied his wardrobe with an evening
dress.
Il once saw ex-President Harrison in
very undigniiicd position" said an Indian
apolls travelling man a few years ago.
Indianapolis was one of the first cities
afflicted by the roller-skatng craze. A
young man named Fenton, living there,
was the inventor of the devilish contrv-
ance, and he soon had the city wild Rus
sell Harrison caught the infection and be-
came an expert One night he prevailed
upon his father to visit the rink. The
future president looked on the maze of
skaters gliding over the smooth floor. Ii
q W. for
| ice skater in his boyhood, and, like most
others, believed that a man who could
keep his head off the surface of frozen
pond could not be easily downcd. He Sc
| cured a pair of skates, examined them
critically, and looked irresolute In those
days the man who hesitated was lost.
dle,aged pirouetted about him on wheels
and urged him to the trial. An attendant
had ms te rect. chained Gown to the star
gfa ane pe{ors ne n, hardly realized it. He
his right, and did amazingly we'll. It was
| no trick. after all! But he got no farther,
one loot shot out to the east. the other
made Columbian voyage of discovery to
the west They circled around each other
like an erratic comet chasing its tail, and
the future hope Of the nation came down
flicker: In less than three seconds halt
of Indianapolis was on TOP of him, and his
head was just visip:e oeering out from
crushed hats. He sat up when he got
opportunity, removed his skates, went
over to the attendant handed him the Of
tending rollers with polite bow and
| the rink and his last
General Harrison did not carry his own
county, which went for Blaine in 1884, and
the fact is, to some extent, due to the
| misjudgment of him by the people there
When he was candidate for the nomina-
ton for congress in 1872, he was beaten
~
those who worked hardest against him
then were men who had served in his reg
iment in the army, the SEVENTEEN In.
diana. They insisted that the general
had been too strict in his discipline and
they showed their resentment by support.
ing General Browne as the soldiers can.
didate for the nomination. 1t was inter.
esting. however. to see these same ole
soldiers Of the general rally to his sup
port after his nomination for president
and it was still more interesting to see
| foremost among those concentrating him
on his election the non-cOmmissioned Off
Ger who had sworn to get even with the
| general for having to parade in front Of
headquarters. with a stick of cordwoot
on his shoulder as punishment for some
infraction of discipline.
In the Indianapolis Glen murder trial
fought in the courts in one form and an.
other for years, General Harrison wor
renown as an examiner. Tiscus, at the
time reputable citizen, was a witness
known. testified in behalf of Mrs. Glen
the accused. Under prolonged and search
Ing cross-examination. conducted by Har'
rison, he was utterly routed and discred
TIED and never regained his standing II
the community. Some years later in 6
suit conducted by Albert G. Porter, latel
minister to Italy, Mr.. Porter remarked
concerning witness by whom he hoped
to Droye certain point: This, gentle
men OF the jury, Is stated by Mr.. Tiscus
:. but not the Tiscus of the Glen case, ant
juryman piped up: Eyes, he Is, Albert
yes. he is the very same Identical, lyinf
Tiscus."
starch factory nuisance that should 81
abated, Harrison was retained for the de
fense. His best witness was .superan
nuated, antiquated minister, highly re
speoted in the community and well known
i to the jury. The minister testified tha
he had visited Abe factory frequently
he fed his on starch
and that he never detected a stencil, or
indeed. the slightest Objectionable odor
Characterization failed to shake hi:
odor complained OF and could not b
made to say that he had. This was {
serious menace to the plaintiffs case. ant
counsel looked anxious, but were forced
about to step aside he turned with {
whisk OF the wooden leg with which h,
was afHtcted, and. as II casually re
minded of something, said pleasantly ant
appeared senile: There Is one matter
that perhaps ought to have mentioned
to Mr. Harrison. Many years ago wa!
troubled with a catarrh that affected
and, in fact. entirely destroyed my sense
Of smell. The deprivation has been 6
great trial to me-"
The triumphant expression with which
Mr.. Harrison had been regarding the jur,
suddenly vanished, while the amiable ole
witness wondered what the Judge ant
jury and all the spectators were laugh
ing at. a
THAT was an exasperating trick Harri
aon had said ono LAWYER ssof nOddfns