The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1912-02-27
HEa NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Story About the Second Visit OF
Lafayette.
Great Frenchman Left Banquet 81
Utica 70 Call on a Cousin of
President Adams and For
got His Hosts
BY ]. EDWARDS.

visited when he was ia this country
Ia 1s24-5 was Utica, n. 7. ! was Ia
my fifth year at that time. and can
just remember the visit But ! know
that while he was in Utica Lafayette
did one thing that caused no end OF
comment for years there. / presume
that It was utterly unlike any other
incident Of Lafayettes tFiumphal tour
Of the country fifty years after the
signing Of the Declaration Of Inder
pendence. Ny father told me about it,
and he knew whereof he spoke from
personal knowledge; for as prom
inent citizen Of Utica, and one who
was deeply interested financially IN
Erie canal shipping, then just begin
ming. he was one Of those who vel
coined Lafayette to Utica"
SO said to me the late Commodore
Alfred Van Santvoord OF New York
city. who. at the time OF his death in
1901, was the owner Of the largest
feet Of river steamers in America and
worth ten million dollars.
Lafayette arrived In Utica over the
newly opened Erie canal" continued
the commodore; mis- was one Of the
first trips made on that canal The
citizens Of the town had arranged q
great feast IN honor OF the distin.
guIshed guest, and to It Lafayette
was conducted as soon as the formal
welcoming was over Lafayette was
in high spirits; from his place at the
table he greeted the goodly number OF
survivors OF the Revolutionary war
who were present--among them was
Rev Daniel Walso. who was one OF
the last. If not the last survivor OF
that war-and promised to shake
hands with them all after the feast
was over.
Suddenly, in the midst OF the feast.
Lafayette felt in a pocket, pulled out
a memorandum, and then. turning to
one OF the hosts, who sat next to him.
asked II Alexander B. Johnson was
present He was told that Mr.. John
son was not In the banquet hall and
then he asked where Mr.. Johnson
lived. Having received that informa-
tion. Lafayette turned to the presid.
ing oficer and said that It would be
necessary for him to retire for a time
from the feast. Then he abruptly left
the table Some thought be was iii;
ali were astonished at the action. II
was expected he would return III a
few moments. but he did not, and the
feast was ended without his presence.
"Of course, there was searching for
him, and 1t was recalled that he had
asked where Alexander B. johnson
lived. A few gentlemen thereupon
went to Mr.. Johnson's house. There
they found Lafayette in earnest con
versation with Mrs. johnson. Seeing
his late hosts, he seemed suddenly to
recall the fact that he had abruptly
left the feast and he said to them:
~ met John Adams when | was
here for the war. In 1879, when !
went back to France for a short Pc
riod, ! met his son, John Quincy Ad.
ans who had accompanied his father
on his diplomatic mission to France.
Recently, when | was in Washington
as the guest OF President John Quincy
Adams, l told him that / was going
to VISIT Utica. He asked me. II
made that visit, not to fail to call up.
on his cousin, who, he said, was the
wife Of Alexander B. johnson. He
explained the relationship to me by
saying that Mrs. Johnson was the
daughter Of his uncle, Charles Adams.
and was therefore his own cousin. She
had married Mr.. Johnson and gone 10
Utica to live. He told me that /
would have most entertaining hour
or two II called upon her, for she
had many intefesting "reminiscences
which. he was sure, she would delight
IN recounting to me If / would pay nv
respects to her.
"'At the dinner this afternoon sud
denly recalled that had promised
President Adams to visit his cousin: /
left the table simply to pay my re.
spects to her. But have, as the pres.
ident told me / would. been so enter.
tanned, and have with her revived so
many pleasant recollections. that
forgot the lapse Of time. WIN you take
this statement as an apology to nv
friends for what may seem to them
discourtesy?
"0f course" continued Commodore
Van santyoord. ethe banquet was end.
ed and the evening had come; 1t was
not possible to make explanation to
all who had been present And years
passed before the incident was for
gotten
fCopyriehf lqfi ly n 7 rawsr4s ~