Page:The autobiography of a Pennsylvanian.djvu/505

 to the shore. Ere long the man with the white shirt lay on the broad of his back in the bottom of the boat, retching and gasping, while the fish were being thrown all over him. ‘Damn him,’ said the Senator, ‘he ought to have had sense enough not to come out here.’

“On another occasion, at Atlantic City, he said to Sooy: ‘Ben, I will give you ten dollars if you will jump into the sea.’ In an instant Sooy was overboard. We threw him a rope. The Senator drew a knife and said: ‘Ben, give up those ten dollars, and I will not cut this rope.’ ‘I will swim to China for ten dollars,’ said Sooy. All laughed and drew him in.

“Another time we were fishing in Florida. The large, powerful fish (tarpon) had to be exhausted before being taken into the boat. We had lost several from the lines while playing with them. The Senator said: ‘I intend to draw the next fish straight to the boat,’ and he did. It was a dangerous proceeding. When it came near, the Senator called: ‘Ben, gaff that fish.’ Sooy struck it and in an instant the harpoon and fish were up in the air, and Sooy was battling with the waves. We helped him into the boat whereupon, disgusted, he shouted: ‘If any damn fool wants another fish harpooned, he may do it himself.’

(Turning to me.) “He was very fond of you and proud of what you accomplished. I was at a hotel in Washington one evening with Quay, Penrose, Durham, Larry Eyre and John P. Elkin, and we had been discussing for several hours Pennsylvania affairs. All of them, except Eyre and myself, retired to an inner room. It had been assumed everywhere that Elkin was to be the nominee for the governorship, and everything looked favorable. When they came out Quay had been drinking some, and I ordered a carriage and went home with him. On the way he was silent, but finally said to me: ‘The old man is not dead yet, Fleitz, you stick to me, and you will come out all right.’ He repeated the words. I knew that something had occurred in the room, and Rh