The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-01-21
BILKINs IN WASHINGTON.
He Finally Reaches the White House
and Receives q Hearty Welcome
Had to Run the Guantlet Of the
White House Detective Force-The
President Was Not Very Busy.

Had to Run the Guantlet Of the
White House Detective Force-The
President Was Not Very Busy.
Correspondence of The Caucasian
Enterprise.
Washington, D. c., Jan. 18, 1903.
/ am still roaming erround this
purity city seekin' whom l may de-
YOUR. / hev bin wantin' ter see Pres
| urally bashful, an not bein' uster
goin' ermong crate people. hev bin
slow gittin' ter see him.
When the Preserdent wuz at Ra-
leigh ter make a speech at the State
Fair an go a bear-huntin' with me,
he told me ter be sure an cum ter
Washington soon an ter not stand
on ceremony when 1 got thar, but ter
go rite ter the White House an re-
port ter him an git a real old-fash-
ioned American welcome.
Well, / hev seen the elephant.
hev bin ter the White House an hit
wuz jist like havin' tooth pulled
the pain most awl cum before the
puliin' an while the pullin' wuz
takin' place.
Yes, l finally mustered up courage
an jist marched rite into the White
House yard az bold az a book-agent.
A feller wuz walkin' erbout In the
yard with over-alls Oh pretendin' he
wuz lookin' at the bushes an flowers
an things. I seed two or three 9TH
ers a-pretendin' ter be doin' sump-
thin in the yard. They air what you
call detectives, an they never sleep
that Is. sum ov them air awlways
mean man mite git in erbout the
White House an blow hit up with
dynamite. Or they mite shoot the
Preserdent on site.
Az / walked up towards the front
door ov the White House one ov them
fellers met me sorter polite like, an
seq: ''Who do you wish ter see?"
'The Preserdent," sez 1. "On busi-
ness or pleasure?" sez he. Both"
seq I. Then / told him that I wuz
frum North Carolina an that my
name IL Bilkins; that had met the
Preserdint at Raleigh durin' hiz visit
ter the State Fair, an that took him
on big bear-hunt while he wuz
thar"
II thought / recognized you az
that same man." sez he. "I wuz with
the Preserdent on that trip. But
wanted ter be certain. He wuz tell
in US erbout you on the train az we
came back ter Washington, an now
I remember that he sez: eff my old
friend, Bilkins, Gums ter Washing
ton, throw the gates wide open an
don't stand on ceremony. Turn him
rite in.'' "An' I am goin' ter do hit,
too" sed the detective. "The Preser-
dent may be busy ter-day, but, If hit
IL not sumpthin' dreadfully import
ant, he will lay hit aside fer awhile.
Cum rite this way, Major"
We walked ter the front door ov
the White House an the detective
| rang the door-bell Another detec-
tive on the inside opened the door
But he wuz rigged up like a waitin'
boy. When he seed the other detec-
tive an me standin' thar he looked
lsorter surprised. The one with me
seq: "Iz the Preserdent busy?"
''Erbout az usual" sez the one on
the inside; "you know he does four
days work every day"
| well, mean air any ov the Cab
met or any Senators hangin' er-
round?"
''No," sez the other one. The
coast IL Clear
Have you a card?" sez the man
with me. I handed him my card on
which I he'd had printed: 'Zeke
Bilkins, Bilkinsville, N. c., U. s. A.,
Globe Trotter."
He looked hit over an turned hit
over an turned hit erbout ter see
that hit wuz not loaded. an then he
disappeared inside ov the White
House. After erbout two minits he
cum back smilin' an seq: "The Pres
erdent seq: I am never too busy ter
see my friend Bilkins. Bring him
rite in, dead or alive"
So the detective led the way an
followed Them White House halls
air the purtiest I ever seed. After
walkin' purity nigh a mile, hit seem.
, ed ter me, the man knocked at 9
door. Come in," sez a deep, strong
, voice inside, an the man opened the
, door. Thar wuz the Preserdent OF
the gratest country on earth. HI
jumped up an shook me by the hand
till my arm jist ached. How ali
you, Major Bilkins?" sez he. "Hov
e IL Mrs. Bilkins? Did you bring he
erlong?" "No. she had ter stay a
home an tend ter the chickens an
the cows" sez I. "Grate woman
she H." sez the Preserdent; yo,
ought ter be nifty proud ov her." ''
= am" sez I, "even il we do belcni
e ter different perlitical fackshuns; sh
liz a nifty guide woman"
eyes. yes, every man orter be NIT
proud ov hiz wife," sez the Preser
: lent. when did you arrive i
: Washington, Major?"
1.-TWO weeks ergo" sez I.
-, "An' you hev jist now got erroun
Il ter see me.'' seq the Preserden
= why did you wait so long?"
W "Well, wanted ter look erroun
here sum, an / felt sorter skittis
erbout trublin' you, fer seed by th
papers that you wuz tryin' ter G
"a ter the bottom ov them land fraud
ic out West, an I knowed by experient
- 49, ~.