Evening star., 1935-03-31
CHAPTER XLVIII
BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.


BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.
~ EN- BUTLER is here again at
- Washington looking about the
same as he has looked for the
IL past 20 years. His left eye
has the same peculiar twist
to it and there are no more crows
feet. around it than there were when
Butler was in Congress. I under
stand that Gen. Butler is about to
start out on a new departure which
will bring him again prominently be-
fore the country. He is one of those
fellows who are nothing if not differ
ent from the majority of humanity,
and he has an appetite for notoriety
which nothing will satisfy. His cam
paigns for various Offices, in many
of which he knew at the start that
he had no chance of success, have
cost him large fortunes. His guberna-
torial campaigns cost Butler, a friend
of his told me, 100000 apiece, and
his outlay during the last presidential
race was such that he had to mort
gage his big stone house on the hill
near the Capitol for $4,000 to get
the ready money needed to cut him
self forward as the peoples caudi-
date
No one knows whether Butler is
rich or poor. Some of his acquaint-
ances will tell you he is worth a
half dozen millions, and others will
say it is a question whether he is
worth as many hundred thousands.
I happen to know that he has large
amount of mining and other lands
scattered here and there over the
country, and can assure any per-
son who may hold paper against him
that they may consider it gilt-edged,
for Butler makes enough at his law
practice to satisfy the ordinary debts
common to humanity. He makes,
am told, all the way from $4,000 a
year upwards at the law. and I doubt
not great many cases which he
tries before the Supreme Court here,
pay him as big a fee as the salary
of a cabinet minister.
Ben Butler is a curious fellow in
his animosities, and enough peculiar
humor shines out of his cooked eye
to have made him a Josh Billings
or a Sam Cox, if his talents had
not been turned otherwheres Speak
ing of Cox, you remember how the
whole country roared when Butler
silenced some of the latter's long
speeches in Congress by the words:
"Shoo F1y!" heard last night Of
a funny little incident in regard to
his treatment of John A. Bingham,
our late Minister to Japan. Bingham
and Butler were in Congress together,
and Bingham was making one of his
most eloquent orations, in which he
held his audience spellbound. Judge
Pettis of Pennsylvania, told me the
story. Said he:
81 was sitting beside Ben Butler
when Bingham concluded. The
speech was such an able one that for
a moment the wrapt silence which
had prevailed during it held: you
could have heard a pin drop any
place in the room. We we're all
ready to burst into applause when
Ben Butler, cooking up that queer
eye of his at me, said in loud enough
tones to be heard over half of the
hall, I always did like that speech. "
A $50 Monkey.
Yesterday I heard the first true
version of the monkey and the hand
organ" story which has been pri-
vately told in Army circles here now
and then. but not always correctly.
1t comes to me from a high Treasury
official, who had something to do
with the settlements of Gen. Buffers
Civil War accounts. These accounts
were very large and some of the
items seemed out of all nature to the
expenses incurred. However, after
Butler had explained them, it was
seen that they were right and proper.
There were so many of these strange
items that Butler was called to the
Treasury to look over the accounts
with the officials.
One New Orleans item objected to
was Banquet, Post Office to st.
Charles Hotel, $400."
Now" said the treasurer, ''its all
right, Gen. Butler, for you to give
as many banquets as you please, but
don't see how, in justice. you could
ask Uncle Sam to pay S400 for a
supper which you choose to give to
the postmaster at New Orleans at the
st. Charles Hotel"
"Oh," said Gen. Butler, with a
laugh, that item is easily explained.
Banquet is the New Orleans name
for street, and that S400 was spent
for fixing the street between the post
Office and the st. Charles Hotel" "
After the laughter over this item
had subsidized, the Treasury official
said: well, Gen. Butler, I have no
doubt these accounts are all right,
and if you will explain satisfactorily
one other item I will pass them. Here
is charge for $50 for a hand organ
and a monkey. Now what possible
use hand organ and monkey could
be to the United States Government,
or to you as its general, cannot see. -
Gen. Butler then told the following
story:
ct can also explain the hand organ
and monkey item" he said. III
was during the hottest time of my
campaign about Baltimore. The
Rebels were close-mouthed, and
could get no inside news as to their
doings. One day saw great crowd
gathering round a man with hand
organ who had a large dancing mon
key. AS drew nearer noticed that
the organ-grinder looked much like
a smart Irishman whom I had among
my soldiers. I said nothing, but
went back to my headquarters, and
calling up the Irishman. in whom
I had perfect confidence. I gave him
some money, told him to go and buy
out the musician. He bought the
hand organ, the monkey and the
musicians clothes, paying $50 for
them, Dressed in these, I sent him
out as a spy. He travelled all the
surrounding country and brought me
some invaluable information. This
information was worth thousands OF
dollars to the United States Army,
and" concluded Gen. Butler, you
can thus see why 1t was good busi-
ness for the United States to pay
$50 for hand organ and monkey u
In Congress.
n,,r;,o BON putler,c conoraSSinna Il