Year: 1870

After had drifted into the Whit,
House with the food tide of human
ity that had been washing steadily
up the street for an hour, / obeyet
the orders of the soldier at the doc,
and the policeman within, ant
banked my hat and umbrella with :
colored man, who gave me piece
of brass with q number on it an(
said that that thing would repro
duce the property at any time of the
night. l doubted it but l was OIL
unknown ground now, and must bt
content to take good many
chances.


Another person told me to droI
in with the crowd and Iwould como
to the President presently. Ijoined
and we drifted along till we passed
a certain point, and then we thinnet
out to double and single file. 1t was
a right gay scene, and a right stir
ring and lively one; for the whole
place was brightly lighted, and al
down the great hall, rs far as one
could see, was a restless and writh-
ing multitude of people, the women
powdered, painted, jeweled, and
splendidly upholstered, and many Of
the men gilded with the insignia OF
great naval, military, and ambassa-
dorial rank. 1t was bewildering.


Our long line kept drifting along
and by and by we came in sight OF
the President and Mrs. Grant. They
were standing up shaking hands
and trading civilities with our pro
cession. l grew somewhat at home
little by little, and then l began to
feel satisfied and contented. l was
getting to be perfectly alive with in
terest by the time it came my turn
to talk with the President. l took
him by the hand and looked him in
the eye, and said:


swell, reckon, / see you at last
General. | have said as much as a
thousand times, out in Nevada, that
if | ever went home to the States, ]
would just have the private satisfac-
ton of going and saying to you by
word of mouth that l thought you
was considerable of soldier, any
way. Now, you know, out there
we


/ turned around and said to the
fellow behind me:


"Now look here, my good friend,
how the nation do you suppose l can
talk with any sort of satisfaction
with you crowding me this way? ]
am surprised at your manners"


He was modest looking creature
He said:


"But you see the whole process,
sion's stopped, and they're erowdine
up on me-"


l said:


Some people have got more
cheek. Just suggest to the parties
behind you to have some respect fol
the place they are in, and not try tc
shove in on private conversation
What the General and me are talk
ing about amt of the least interest
to them"


Then I resumed with the Presi
dent.


"Well, well, well. Now this il
fine. This is what / call some
thing like. Gay? Well, l should
say so. And so this is what yor
call a Presidential reception. Tn
free to say that it just lays over any
thing that ever saw out in the sage
brush. | have been to Governor
Nye's Injun receptions at Honey
Lake and Carson City, many ant
many time-he that's Senator Nyt
now-you know him, of course
never saw man in my life that jim
Nye didn't know-and not only that
but he could tell him where he knew
him, and all about him, family in
cluded, even if it was forty year.
ago. Most remarkable man, jim
Nye-remarkable. He can tell 4 Ii,
with that purity of accent, and tina
grace of utterance, and that con
vincing emotion"


l turned again, and said:


My friend, your conduct sur
prises me. l have come three thous
and miles to have Il word with tn
President of the United States up
on subjects with which you are no
even remotely connected, and b,
the living geewhillikins | can't pro
ceed with any sort of satisfaction
on account of your cussed crowd
ing. Will you just please to go
little slow, now, and not attract S
much attention by your strange cor
duct? If you had any eyes yo
could see how the bystanders ar
staring"


He said:


"But l tell you, sir, it's the pee
pie behind. They are just growlin
onJ currinr r opI ebn,-;,cr cr onI vic