People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 February 1894 — How He Put It. [ARTICLE]

How He Put It.

Col. John Hay happened to be in Chicago at the time of the great fir® Shortly afterward, as the story goes, while seated in the parlor of a hotel he noticed two persons whispering and glancing at him. Presently one of them crossed th® room and said: “Are you Mr. Hay?” “Yes,” replied the colonel. “You wrote ‘Little Breeches,’ didn’t you?” was the next inquiry. “Yes,” responded the poet. Upon that the man returned to the place where his friend stood, and bringing him back presented him solemnly to Col. Hay as “Mr. M’Kaigins.” Col. Hay received the newcomer politely, though he had never seen or heard of him befor*. After a short pause the first mao said, in an impressive manner: “Mr. Hay, shall we soon have th* pleasure of seeing the great fire embalmed in verse?” —Youth’s Compart ion.