Wheeling Intelligencer
March 4, 1897
And His Intrusive Dogs Nearly Spoiled State House Decorations.
Special Dispatch to the Intelligencer.
Charleston, W. Va., March 3.--Governor MacCorkle's temper and his failure to appreciate the ridiculous, came very near spoiling the plans of the local committee for having the state house decorated in a fitting manner for to-morrow's inaugural ceremonies. The committee secured the services of a professional decorator of Cincinnati, who has been at work making the capitol building, inside and out, a thing of beauty.
While the man was decorating the interior, and making it ready for to-morrow night's ball, one of the governor's numerous dogs came in and offended him by its actions, and he drove the animal out. The governor did not like this a little bit, and when a short time afterward, his little son appeared on the scene with quite a number of dogs, and the decorator lost all patience, and drove the whole aggregation from his presence, alleging that the dogs were damaging his decorations, Mr. MacCorkle completely lost his temper. The decorator had shaken a tack-hammer at the boy, and told him to get out or he would make him.
The governor construed this as an assault on his son, and ordered that the man be put out of the building. This was done and for two days there was a state of seige, with the decorator as the besieging party, and the governor holding the fort. The latter declared that the man had threatened him [sic] son, and would not be permitted to finish the work for which he had been employed, while he remained in the gubernatorial chair. The comedy continued, and whenever the decorator would enter the building, he was shown the door by the order of the chief executive.
The work at the capitol was completed by the decorator's assistant and the artistic sense of the guests at the reception and ball will not be offended.
G. A. D.