The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-02-24

How EK-President Cleveland Ate vi
worth of Them Negro HOstleri
Faith In the Prophetic Power OF
whitney's Hands-A Joke Played
by Him on a TObOEgan Party.
Since the death of William @. Whit
ney, the financier and sportsman. many
stories of his life at Washington while
he was secretary of the navy have
been told, but none more frequently
than the story of the peaches, says the
New York World.
When Mr.. Whitney came to give his
first cabinet dinner, at which he en-
tertained the president and his col
leagues of the cabinet, he desired to
have some novelty, and peaches ap'
pealed to him more than anything else
His dinner came in the middle OF Feb
ruary, when peaches are not ordi-
narily in the market in Washington.
He went to fruit dealer there and
asked him where he could get some
peaches.
The fruit dealer told him of man In
Pennsylvania who grew dollhouse
peaches and suggested that he might
get some of him. Mr.. Whitney gave
the fruit dealer fifty dollar bill and
told him to go to the grower and see
what he could do. The marketman
journeyed to Pennsylvania, found that
the man had four dozen ripe peaches
and bought the lot for dollar apiece,
q Co., L.o L. n crhf fhnn1
Washington and notified Mr.. Whitney
that he had forty eight fine peaches.
How much did they cost?" asked
Mr.. Whitney.
Hes a robber," said the marketman
HE made me pay $48 dozen for
them"
Mr.. Whitney thought the price pretty
high, but he gave the man a check for
5000 for the forty eight peaches. They
were the hit Of his dinner, which was
as it should be, inasmuch as they had
cost Mr.. Whitney $3.50 all told.
"They were fine" said Mr.. Whitney
in telling Of the dinner, but thought
President Cleveland rather crowded
the mourners on them. He ate five"
The following story is told about VIII
liam G. Whitney and one Of his negro
hostlers, says the Chicago Record-Her-
aid. Mr.. Whitney had noticed that
each time he visited his stable this man
watched every move he made and, up
on one prGtext or another, managed
to keep near to him from the moment
he entered the stable till he left 1t.
The financier was greatly puzzled by
the conduct Of the negro, and one day
he called him aside:
Peter" he said, why do you follow
me around and watch me so closely
every time l enter the stable? You
must have some good reason for your
actions What is it?"
HAS l gotter splain, sah?
Certainly"
us powerful 'fraid it'll spoil de
charm, sab"
spoil what charm2 What do you
mean"
"Well, sab, it's dis here way Ev'ry
mawnin' l looks up de entries TO de
days races. Den l names things in de
stable To- de bosses. See? De wheels of
de kerriges, de heads an de tails an
de shoulders an de TANKS of de bosses,
de harnesses, whips-ev'rything in de
stables done gotter name of one of de
bosses dat'll run in de races today. Fo'
instance, when yo' comes in yo' walks
round an specs things, an yo'
&ouohos fhinUc Whatever VO' touch L
plays. Dat air wheel what yo' just
shook ter see if it's sound is named
Gold Heels, an dis niger g gwine ter
play Gold Heels TO de limit"
Mr.. Whitney laughed heartily.
"Are you lucky, Peter"
Lucky Why, Mr.. Whitney, dem
hans of yourn knows mo- bout proph-
ecy dan ole 'Lijah hisself!"