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Show , '.7:3 mi mm Cleveland, or Mr.- Lamont - would 'be tetter, in the circumstances. " "Blime me. now, what d'ye think o' that!" mattered the confused Mitchell when he got outside with his companions compan-ions after the audience. "Th Guv. nor of a whole bloomin' country, y'know: an, th' war. minister,. an th? "both of them keen t' be plain misters." Excellency, He Bald. James' J.' Corbett, io in his salad days, rather plumed himself upon his ease of manner in-meeting up with all sorts of renowned persons, employed the "Your Excellency" title in addressing ad-dressing the first President he ever met, Cleveland. - "I am honored to meet you, rour Excellency," Ex-cellency," he said, with a finely rehearsed re-hearsed formality when Mr. Cleveland received him. "Glad to see vou, Jim," responded the President, with eyes a-twinkle, and Corbett waited a bit. He didn't edge in the "yonr Excellency" thing after, that, but addressed the Chief Magistrate Magis-trate as Mr. Cleveland or Mr. President. Presi-dent. Peter Maher, the eminent big man of Philadelphia, and the only heavyweight heavy-weight in American pugilistic history who, in his day, was licked in a punch by every other heavy-weight on earth, called upon Mr. McKinley one day during dur-ing the latter 's incumbency. "Cap'n." said Peter, holding out the massive right that never succeeded in landing on anybody except dub sparring spar-ring partners, " Of 'm plazed t' meet wit3 vex." "Not Captain, Mr. Maher." whispered whis-pered Private Secretary Cortelvou in the big pug's ear. "Mr. McKinley has left the armv, rou know." "Th' divvle" he has isn't he sthill th' commander-in-chafef " retorted Maher, Ma-her, with unexpected quickness. An Amicable Reply. ''Captain is good enough for me," amiably pat in Mr. McKinler, clearing the situation. "But you might give me my brevet rank. Major." "Thereafter for the remainder of the interview, Maher addressed Mr. M-Kinlev M-Kinlev as "Maje" and everything was all right. Tom Sharkey was a prettv raw one, and not long out of the United States navy service when he was dragged to the White House by his main plHgger and press agent to call upon President McKinley. The President received the blocky Irishman most cordiallv. "I believe that I have heard that you served your country as a sailorf said Mr. Mi'Kinley to put the pug at his ease. "I was a masbter -at arms when Ol got me discharge, sorr, " corrected Sharkey. "But a master-at-arms in oyr sea service is a sailor, isn't he? ' ventured ven-tured the President. "He may be all o' that, sorr," replied re-plied the stolid Sharkey, without cracking crack-ing a smile, "but divvle a rope do Oi know. Oi 'm no sailor." "He has a full-rigged ship tattooed on his chert." said Sharkey's boomer to the President. "Well." said Mr. McKinlev to the press agent. smiling, "couldn't he learn the necessary ropes from thatt" Whan '.Tarry McOovarn, accCmpanlad by hla "private aacratary,' 'called upon' President Rooaavalt ' racantly rturtnfl a partly lucid Interval ha gava vtteranc to kn expraaalon which, aomehow or othor, hearty all puglllaia employ when they ara visiting PreaJdtnta of tho United 6tataa aya' tho'Now York Sun. ' . Mr. Rooaovolt 'chatted pleasantly with the pecuUaxly actlna1lttla.aluooar .for .a ' apaco and then by certain manifestations of raatloaanaaa Indicated that that would bo' about all. Tarry took tho hint. Ho v gava tho two little ehapa a parting hand ahake. . fWtll, Proaldont,, aald McGovarn aa ho - backed out, "If there's ever .anything I tan do tor yoi, why, I live In Brooklyn, , you know, and I'm there give you a lift any time you tip me off. Nearly all pua-ftista aay that, or something some-thing like it, to Presidents. They never make ft clear Just why, or how, or when, m"Prealdent could erer by any chance need the aerrlcea of a puaillst. They Jost cheer the President's thorny paths by telllnj them that they, the pugilist, approve of them, the Presidents, and that "they'll "be there" In the hour of 'eed. v John L..Wif 'Em. The mlhty John L. . haa In the prog-raea prog-raea of hla checkered life, told five Prealdenta that he, John, waa wit' 'em ' pronouncements which clearly show the catholicity of John's political Ideas, for theee Prealdenta. were both Republicans and Democrats. John told them all that he waa theirs to command. Mr, Arthur waa the first President John lj.rer called upon. The world waa ringing ring-ing ,wlth tho fame of the Boaton boy at that time, for he was still fresh from his triumph over Paddy Ryan and Just be-; be-; fanning hla career of triumph. John waa exhibiting; at a local variety theater, and with hla manager and a couple of apar- . rlns; partners, both "good fellowe." he - dropped In at the White House to mltf Mr. Arthur, the courlieat of modern mod-ern American Presidents. The champeen of the world forgot to remove his expensive ex-pensive plug hat aa he entered the East room with his companions, and his manager, man-ager, with a deft rear movement, took it off "for John. Sullivan didn't like that. "He resented having his chapeau removed by another man, even his manager, at any time or place, and told hla manager so out of the southwestern eorner of his facial orifice. "Hey. cut that." growled John, lndlg-.nantly. lndlg-.nantly. "The boas wouldn't mind seein' me In me lid he wears one of 'em himself, him-self, don't he? I guess he's a guy wit' hla top on." Patronized Mr. Arthur. John's manager soothingly explained to . him that while the Preaident, no doubt, ' wore a beaver at certain times, he didn't sport it in the house nor go o bed with It on. and Sullivan waa appeaaed. "How's things, boesT" John L. greeted Mr.- Arthur when tho suave and handsome hand-some President stepped Into the East room. "You know who I am from me pitchers, don't you? I'm ycurs truly. John L.," and he held out his hand of might. "I should have known you even had you not been announced. Mr. Sullivan." taking the big man's proffered hand. John L. gave the President's hand a bone crushing squeeze, but Mr. Arthur waa too game a man to wince. "You're chunky. Guv'nor, and you look aa if you could 'a' learned t' han'l your dooks If you'd gone in f r it an' trained," observed John L. then, at the same time, giving the President an encouraging dig below the waist line with the outstretched out-stretched fingers of his mighty rlght. "Ever had the mltu on?" Just Dropped In. "Not since I was a lad." repiied President Arthur, "aad I was a pi,&r hand at it then." 'Well, I just dropped :n, Guv," Mid John It. then, preparing to execute his getaway. "Come down and Lave a peak at me show if you frit time. Me maaager here '11 stake 70a to a box. I punch op a couple o' duba v'ry night an' you might git some points. Well, bo long," and he held out his hand again. 'Any time you need me, bo, you can find out where me show is by buvin' a opy o' th' Clipper an' lookin' over th road list. I voted t'r Hancock, but I'm wit e. all right, boss, an' I'm ours truly, ' and John L. backed out from hia first audience with a President. Presi-dent. Harrison Would Ssnd. , John L. has told all of the Presidents since Arthur's timer told some of them several times, that he'd be there 'with the helping hand any time they frammohed him. Thia' offer appeared to affeH- the omewhat icy and punctiliously polite ..Mr. Harrison quite considerably, for he (replied with a degree of -.-armth that jrught have been deemed suspiciously bantering in tone had Mr. Ilarriaon beea addicted to bantenn. tLat be certainly would send for John I... the very first time that he felt he imperatively impera-tively needed his presence. Some of the renowned pugilists visiting, visit-ing, the White House have aieared to be at a loss aa to vast how to address the President. Charier Mrholl, the English fighter, e illod upon Mr. Cleveland Cleve-land during the la:Ws second incumbency, in-cumbency, and tb? br-it stab that he eould make at addressing the Trident Tri-dent waa to call him "Your 'Ighness." Secretary of War Dan LaMont, who was 'with Mr. Cleveland at the time, geatly sought 'to put Mitchell right. ' Vo Highness Here. There are no highnesses in this country, you know, Mr. Mitchell," he said to the British scrapper. The President feels that it is very kind in-deep in-deep nd wholly well meant for you to bestow that title' upon him, but er -Mr. President; i the nearest we get to the title business." "Oh, thynk you, thynk you, your Judshipl"i said JiiteheJl effusively to 8ecf etary Can. 'Thank'ou, Mr. Mitchell, very ranch indeed," promptly replied the Secretary, "but I am not a lord, either, you know."- ,,. , "But, your honor" began MitehelL " "Not an honor," said the Secretary. 'I am Mr. Secretary and this is Mr. President," -nodding in' the-directlon of the amused' -President, "or plain Mr. ' -. - - |
