Hide Article Text (OCR)
TITE WEEKLY TELEGRAHENDRICKS AND THE MAWKEYE MAN.Burdette Tolls How He Once Dined With the Democratic Candidate.Brook 17a Eagle. 1Do you know I have a very, very pleasant recollection of Mr. Hendricks? The only Mr. Hendricks In the world just now, of course. I never met him but once, and | on then I had the honor of dining with him.I do not mention this fact in order to I ed create the impression that I am on easy, | to familiar terms with all the candidates in this Presidential campaign. I fear I am 1 at not. If I wanted $500 to-morrow—and 11 cli '* probably will, at least I want it to-day, and [, I am not the man to change my convlc-1 s tions on financial matters in twenty-four | Pu 1 hours—I do not know a single candidatefor President or Vice-President whom 11 8 could, so to speak, strike for that amount. I Well, Mr. Hendricks had the honor ofdining with me—that is we dined with each , nq other. It was tills way: I had been lec- rf turing after the “count” of 1870, out in the s vast, free, glorious West. I wag hasten-1 'n ing home to Burlington, over the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy. On that same day 1BU I Mr. Hendricks was on his way to Califor-■ I nla. Both day trains on the Quincy road V. dined at Wormley’s, at Chariton, Iowa. | ** Mr. Wormley met me at the door of thedining-room with even more than the usu-1 siml ■al cordiality. Said he to me: ol•• Good, 1 have company lor you to-day. ...1-1 Come right over to this table.”I followed him, and a gentleman so much better looking than his campaign F * I portraits that I did not recognize Mr. Hen- 01 is dricks until wo were introduced. His face i0 was pretty attractive. His manner no lesscharming. I was pleased that fate' had , cast me m bis way; that is, I was at first. 01 He was so pleasant I liked him. Early gl... in the course of a brilliant conversation n !{' about the weather, he said:?* “You are the young gentleman who b. j the young gentleman whoi writes the poetry on the Hawlceye, I bc-*® lleve.” Abd you never saw a more be- irlt;lt;witching smile on a man’s face. .Now. that was the very thing I didn’t g;want to talk about I had been writing k- whole pages of campaign “poetry,’’ they ?;• call It in the Hawkeye, hut, you under*0:11- stand, that excellent' family paper wasn’t c' JM exactly a Democratic paper. At least, it v '*• was no more Democratic than the most c *• rantankerous. rally round the flag, boys, | tl third term, Hayes and the whole ticket, Republican paper of Republican Iowa, lel could be expected to be. It was just about. . P; as Democratic as the Eagle is Republican. I, ht And 1 knew been writingtic as the Eagle is Republican, f what kind of “poetiy” 1 had }' ;. I fidgeted a little, poured a •I spoonful of sugar in myjoup, and owned “® up that I was the 1. man. Then 1 asked him tial how long be expected to remain in Califor- t*r‘ nia. .h. I He told me, and then said: “Therewas i *n ths little poem”—now, see how kind he *,, was-be called it a poem. “There was one c1 little poem you wrote, beginning: ‘There an old booster as I’ve heard tell’—'P* I now, how did the rest of that go?” 11Go? It went for him, tooth, claw andofwe□dtestmnglertormionestortfittheofitlytoe-nail, and I knew It, and I Relieve he knew It. I feebly said: **I don’t remember,M emptied the salt into my coffee, andhoped he wonld find rest and returning 1th in California.” I alto hoped that Ian-ponthehealth in California.” I also hoped that wonld die in a few momenta, but I didn’t say so. He thanked me in his courteous manner tor the wish I expressed, and then went on.“There was another, a good one; I can recollect only the second stanza; how did the first one run?’’And therewith he quoted a few lines of one of the meanest things I ever wrote about any man. While he quoted my prize poem, pretending to forget the stanza that referred to himself, I was confused, but I seemed abstracted, as I spread fivever^tttlck layers of mashed potato on mynapkin, nnder the impression that ipreading a piece of bread and butter. I said I wasn’t very well when I wrote that one, and had quite forgotten It. lr*- I attempted to wipe the cold, beaded* ot that one, and had quite forgotten It. Then lr*- I attempted to wipe the cold, beaded per-splration from my brow with that napkin, de* and added to my embarrassment; I most°Pa have appeared embarrassed or eccentric, Iieir. am sure.Q,t-1 Well, the long and short of it Is, Mr.ecD Hendricks remembered every mean poem ........ * . Tilde *I had written about Mr. Tilden and him■elf during the bitter campaign, and he motecould qnote just enough of the innocent,good-natured lines of each one to show me tuat hethe that he had read it. I never saw a man with snch a memoir. I hope lie enjoyed ilng his dinner. I think be did. He ate heartily and smiled good-natnredly all the time,! I and he bade me good-bye very pleasantly, and I am confident I showed off to good ad-teen vantage. If I did I dissembled. I didn’t •rth- f«*l that way at all. But I didn’t , . run. I sat there and took my punish* la,t ment like a man. When Mr. Hendricks► bis w* nt to his train I arose and sought Mr.It. HeMrs. Wormley, to tell him about It. He was lying ou the floor behind the cigar counter, _ wheezing and choking like a man who is ®‘“j trying to laugh himself to death. I began to pet mad. I said: t mA *'8«® he™. Mr. Wormiey-”II* feebly motioned me away. “Train time,” be gasped. “Go to Burlington; go away. Let media in peace.”“7,, I turned away and got on my train. I did wrong. I ought to have licked Worm-i.Un ®y while he was helpless. It was the only , chance I ever had. And I never dined hick i with Mr, Hendricks.|| I • •wa, I HON. MILTON P. REESE.He Returns from a Visit to Cleveland and Hendricks, and Civet His Views on the Situation.
Newspaper Details
Macon Weekly Telegraph and Messenger
Macon, Georgia, US
Fri, Aug 08, 1884
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
IA, 28 Mar 2022
Other Publications Near Macon, Georgia
Macon Georgia Weekly Telegraph and Georgia Journal and Messenger
Macon Georgia Weekly Telegraph
Macon Georgia Telegraph and Republic
Macon Georgia Telegraph
Macon Daily Telegraph and Messenger
