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Show THE BULLETIN 'Twas a Son of St. Patrick Who Gave Us One of Our Most Familiar Lincoln Yarns The Story of Grant's Whisky By ELMO SCOTT WATSON (Rale ued by Western Newspaper Union.) VF ALL the stories told U about Abraham Lincoln few are more familiar to the average American than the famous "Grant's whisky" yarn. Yet none of them has less basis of fact than this one. According to it, the Great Emancipator, in response to a protest that the general whom he was about to appoint commander-in-chie- f of the Union armies was too much given to drinking whisky, is supposed to have replied, "Well, I wish you would tell me the brand of whisky that Grant drinks. I would like to send a barrel of it to each of my other gener- als." There are several versions he did his best work. Both hla articles and humorous of the inspiration for this re- political writings were so popular that the ply. .One is that it was "a circulation of the Leader inmember of his cabinet" who creased tremendously and it anon a political power in New uttered the protest against became xonc. Grant's appointment because Joins Union Armv. of his alleged intemperate By this time the habits. Another is that "a immigrant was enjoying a large delegation of clergymen" income, but at the outbreak of called on the President and the Civil war he cave this un to asked him not to put the vic- accept a commission as a lieu in the sixty-nint-h New tor of Vicksburg in high com- tenant York reeiment. commanded hv mand. In either case Lin- Colonel Corcoran. So rapidly did coln's reply is essentially the ne master the details of military life that he was to masame, and it has-beequoted jor and became promoted on the adjutant an endless number of times staff of Gen. David Hunter. by banquet speakers, lectur- When Maj. Gen. Henry W. Hal- ers and others- more con- iecK oecame commander-in-chie- f cerned with "getting a laugh" of the Union armies, Halpine was to his staff and sta than with historical accuracy. iransierred tioned in Washington. In addi For the fact is that Lincoln tion to preparing ail of Halleck's never received any such protest omciai correspondence, Halpine against Grant's appointment for began writing again for the New the reason given in the story and xorK neraid. therefore did not make the reply Under the nom'de plume of attributed to him. Moreover, "Miles U Ketfly," he assumed the several times, after the yarn had character of a private in the been widely circulated, he dish New York regiment claimed authorship of the quip. and began a series of writing But he did so with such evident amusing articles which became approval of its humor that his instantly popular. It was in one denial helped increase the popu- of these articles that Halpine larity of the story. started the Lincoln-Gra"whis The real author of this story, ky myth" which has persisted to which was entirely fictitious, was this day. In its issue of November 26. a "son of St. Patrick," Irish-bor- n Charles G. Halpine, a corre- 1863, the New York Herald car n spondent for the New York Her- ried a article, signed ald during the Civil war, who by "Private Miles O'Reilly. signed his dispatches with the which was given almost as much typical Irish name of "Miles prominence in the paper as the O'Reilly." Halpine was born news story of the victories near near Oldcastle, County Meath, Chattanooga. It was captioned Ireland, November 20, 1829, the "Miles O'Reilly at the White son of an Episcopal clergyman House" and was a wholly ficti tious account of O'Reilly's be ing made a guest of honor at a large function at the White House, attended by all the Washington notables, including Presi dent Lincoln, Secretary Stanton, General Halleck and Lord Lyons, the British ambassador. A Party at the White Ilouse. A part of Halpine's dispatch. describing the festivities at the White House, reads as follows: " 'Colonel Bell, please touch the bell,' said Mr. Lincoln, 'and let Burgdorff, my messenger, send us up the decanters and I have some French things. wines sent me from Paris by Secretary of Legation Pennington, whose tongue is so completely occupied in the business of tasting vintages that he has never had time to teach it French, though a resident in Paris many years. If you prefer whisky, I have some ULYSSES S. GRANT that can be relied upon a preswho was also editor of the Dublin ent from Mr. Leslie Combs. I call it "Grant's Particular" and Evening Mail. Entering Trinity Ilalleck is about issuing an order college in Dublin while still a boy, that all his shall use it.' generals young Halpine soon gave evi" we news 'With the have todence of the literary ability that ran in his family. Although he day from Chattanooga,' said began the study of medicine, General Halleck gayly, 'I think after his graduation in 1846, he the country will indorse the orsoon gave that up to enter the der to which Mr. Lincoln has referred. For my own part, I'll more congenial field of journaltake some of that whisky just ism. He began contributing to news- enough to drown a mosquito, Kel-to-n and, ' with the President's papers in Ireland and England, married young and, believing permission, our first toast will that America offered better op- be. the health of Ulysses Grant, e of the Missisthe. portunities for success, emigrated to this country in 184!). He sippi.' went first to Boston where he ob"Secretary Stanton seconded tained a position on the Boston the toast in a neat and spirited Post. Then he sent for his young address, Mr. Lincoln frequently wife whom he had left in Ireland applauding. The health was reuntil he established himself in his ceived with all the honors, every adopted country. Soon after her one present standing up while the arrival he became 'the leading liquor went down, and the comeditor of the Carpet-Baa hu- pany giving three cheers for morous magazine which had been General Grant, and th.cn three established by Benjamin Shilla. more, and then three after that to ber of "Mrs. Partington" fame top off with." and Dr. Sheplcy. The story spread all over the But the Carpet-Ba- g proved to country and eventually "Private be a failure and in 1852 Halpine Miles O'Reilly's" part in it and moved to New York where he his authorship of it were forgotwrote for the New York Tribune, ten. People began telling it as worked for a few months on the "another good Abe Lincoln New York Herald and then Joined yarn." Naturally, the friends of Henry Raymond on the New York General Grant, who had been Times. After a short stay on the troubled by rumors of his intemTimes he became a partner of perance, were glad to spread the John Clancy in the publication of story, since Lincoln's alleged rethe New York Leader for which mark provided a good excuse for n - forty-sevent- his drinking, if it was true that ne was addicted to liquor. As the storv sained currenev. it occurred to some of Lincoln's friends to ask him if the story were true. Among them were the war department telegraphers, his "boys" whom he saw nearlv ev ery day when he called at the telegraph office to get the latest news from the front. One of these was Albert B. Chandler. later president of the Postal Tele graph company. Lincoln Denies Authorship. In 1895 Chandler attempted to dispel the myth by making this statement: "Major Eckert asked Mr. Lincoln if the story of his interview with the complainants against General Grant was true, viz. that he had inquired solicitously where the general got his liquor and, onjbeing told that the uuormauon coma not be given, the President replied that he would very much like to find out. so that he might get enough to send a barrel to each of his gen erals. Mr. Lincoln said that he had heard the story before, and that it would have been very good if he had said it but that he didn't He supposed it was 'charged to him' to give it currency.. "He then said the original of the story was in King George's time. Bitter complaints were made to the king against his Gen eral woue (victor over Montcalm at the Battle of Quebec which ended the French and Indian war), in which it was charged that he was mad. The king replied angrily, 'I wish he would one some oi my otner generals, men.' "He then mentioned a bright saying which he had recently heard during the draft riots in New York, in which the Irish fie ured most conspicuously 'It is said that General Kilpatrick is going to New York to quell the riot; but his name has nothing to do with it.' " Similar testimony Is given by Chaplain James B. Merwin, who was commissioned by Lincoln to talk temperance to the soldiers. nt five-colum- . river-hors- g, Reference has been made previously to Halpine's part in enrolling the first regiment of Negro soldiers. This was a subject which caused a great deal of discussion early in the Civil war. Of course, the Confederates were horrified and threatened all sorts of reprisals against . Union officers who enlisted or commanded Negroes. Even in the North there was considerable opposition to the idea, since it was held that "only white men should be allowed to fight for the Union." Halpine took notice of this discussion in one of his most famous poems: Sambo's Richt to Be Kilt Some tell us 'tis a burnin' shame 10 make the naygers fight; An' that the thrade of bein' kilt Belongs but to the white: But as for me, upon my sowll So liberal are we here, I'll let Sambo be murthered instead of myself, On every day of the year. On every day of the year, boys. And in every hour of the day; The right to be kilt I'll divide wid him, An' divil a word I'll say. In battle's wild commotion I shouldn't at all object If Sambo's body should stop a ball That was comin' for me direct; And the prod of a Southern bagnet. So ginerous are we here, I'll resign, and let Sambo take it On every day in the year. On every day in the year, boys, And wid none o' your nasty pride, All my right in a southern bagnet prod ' Wid Sambo I'll divide! The men who object to Sambo Should take his place and light; And it's betther to have a 's hue Than a liver that's wake an' . white. Though Sambo's black as the ace of spades, His finger a thrigger can pulL And his eye runs sthraight on the nay-ger- Potato Treatment A method of boiler-wattreatment used at an Oakdale, La saw UI to keep scale from sticking is the dumping of a bucketful of Irish potatoes into the drum after washing out the boiler, about once a month, according to Power er non-taxab- le Texas Road Construction Childhood Rheumatic Fever cent of all childhood Sixty year for construction and mainte- rheumaticper fever cases develop heart nance of Texas roads and bridges. trouble in later life. It costs more than From undher its thatch of wool. hear me alL boys darlin'. Don't think I'm tippin't you chaff, The right to be kilt we'll divide wid him, And give him the largest half I Among Halpine's published works after the war were "Lyrics by the Letter H," "Life and Adventures, Songs, Services, and Speeches of Private Miles O'Reilly, 47th. Regiment, New York Volunteers" and "Baked Meats of the Funeral: a Collection of Es says, Poems, Speeches, and Banquets by Private MUes O'Reilly." Among the poems in the latter volume is one which has often been reprinted. In some respects, its theme was curiously prophetic of the "Last Man" banquets held by Civil war veterans during recent years. It reads as follows: The Thousand and Thirty-Seve- n - (April 20. 1884.) Three years ago, today, We raised our hands to Heaven, And, on the rolls of muster, Our names were thirty-seveThere were just a thousand bayonets. And the swords were n; 135,000,000 s Freedom's Handicap birthObserving his ninety-fift- h day, Zion Timothy Turner, former Alabama Negro slave, living at Ashland, Ky., said he still felt President Lincoln "handicapped" him by giving him his freedom. 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ABRAHAM LINCOLN Merwin stated that Lincoln de nied authorship of the quip about Grant and said that the joke was a hundred years old when he first heard it attributed to him. Athough Halpine's chief claim to fame seems to rest upon his authorship of this story which be came a favorite "Lincoln myth," he had other distinctions which should make his name memorable. For, as the popularity of his "Private Miles O'Reilly at the White House" demonstrated, he had a genius for imaginative writing. He had proved that early in his career as a New York jour nalist To win a bet he produced a long account of the resuscita tion of a pirate named Hicks, who had been executed on Bedloe's island, and this hoax, which was believed by many people, caused a great deal of excitement in New Oh, sun-brig-ht tials With the musket and Shrill rang the fifes, blared. GET POLICY TRUSSES 'twas a gallant day, In memory still adored. That day of our M. 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Ball Lake Two hundred march today : Hundreds lie in Virginia swamps, NEW ROOFING & REPAIRS And hundreds in Maryland And -- While clay: other hundreds less hap pydrag Their maneled limbs around. calm, blessed sleep Of the battlefield's holy ground. And envy the deep, For the swords one night a week ago The remnant, just eleve- nhis return to New York Gathered around a banqueting he served on the staff of Gen. board John A. Dix and during that time seats for thirty-sevewrote a series of articles expos- There were two came in on ing the corruption of the city gov crutches, ernment which attracted the at And two had each but a hand. tention of the Citizens' associa To pour the wine and raise the tion. As a result he was offered cup the editorship of the Citizen, the As we toasted "Our Flag and organ of the reform movement Land!" which was inaugurated at that Soon afterwards he And the room seemed filled with time. whispers the paper and plunged bought As we looked at the vacant into politics to tight "Boss" seats. Tweed. He scored his first vicAnd with choking throats we coalition of a when Demo tory pushed aside crats and Republicans elected The rich but untasted meats; him to county register by a large in silence we brimmed our majority and this was followed Then glasses by other political triumphs. As we stood up eleven During all this time, Halpine And bowed as we just drank to the with his continued had literary Loved and the Dead labors and his constant writing I Who had made us Thirty-seve- n made him subject to insomnia After Halpine's death which for which he took opiates. The result was a tragic end to his Robert B. Roosevelt, uncle of the career through the mistake of a President, called "a national druggist he took an overdose of calamity," Mr. Roosevelt edited chloroform, when attacked by a a volume of his poems and issued severe pain in his head, and died them as "The Poetical Works of on August 3, 1863. Charles G. Halpine." York. Upon Ute" Brand roof compound for roof leaks. Economical. Write for fall details fret inUTAH ROOF CEMENT spection. CO, Baildinr. Salt Lake City. Utah. Template BABY CHICKS, TURKEY POULTS All Leadfnir Varieties. Superior Breeding. Hatched RIGHT Delivered FRESH. Over nifbt delivery service to moat all Intern oun-tai- n Brooders. Feeders, Waterers, Etc point. Credit available. It months to pay Writs or wire for free illustrated folder. Ramshaw's Pioneer Hatchery 3CS7 Sa. S Eeome ISS Baths . SI N ta SI.SS family Beams for 4 persona . . S4.SS Ah? Cooled Lea age aad Lahay CrUI Room.. Cotes She . . 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