Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 June 1885 — How Webster Stopped a Leak. [ARTICLE]

How Webster Stopped a Leak.

The Cabinet meetings are, you know, always secret Just off the Cabinet room is the library, and when Webster was Secretary of State it was noticed that the Cabinet meetings were reported in full in certain of the newspapers. Various means were undertaken to find out who was the leaky member of the Cabinet, but each denied that he had told anything to anyone. One day Webster excused himself and went ottf into the library while the others were talking as usual He found he could hear every word uttered within. He came back and said he thought the secret must have gotton out through a correspondent listening in the library. After this the library was locked during the Cabinet session, and the reports immediately ceased.— “ Carp,” in the Cleveland, Leader.

A clergyman, preaching a very dull sermon, set all his congregation asleep except a poor fellow who was generally considered deficient in intellect. At length the reverend orator, looking round, “What, all asleep but the poor idiot!” “Ay,” quoth the fellow; “and if I had not been a fcol 1 should have gone to sleep tod.” <