St. Louis - The Fourth City, Volume 1. Walter Barlow Stevens

name was Palmer. To this member from the southwest part of the state the routine procedure of legislation was a great surprise. Palmer could not understand why it was necessary for the bills to pass one house and then the other, and yet not become law until the governor approved. He thought it was undemocratic to place such power in the hands of one man.

      During a session of the senate Andrew S. McGirk and Duff Green got into a quarrel. McGirk threw a pewter inkstand at Duff Green. Green and McGirk began to fight. Governor McNair came forward and tried to part them, but as soon as he seized Green to pull him away, "Ring Tail Painter" Palmer grabbed the governor, pushed him aside and shouted:

      "Stand back governor, stand back; you are no more in a fight than any other man. I know that much law. I am at home in this business. Give it to him, Duff, give it to him."

      When the legislature met at the Missouri hotel it included several members who up to that time had never seen a steamboat. One day when a boat was about to start down the river a motion was made to adjourn in order that the members might go to the bank and see the boat leave. The captain had been fully impressed with the honor about to be shown him. He ran the boat upstream, turned around and came down at full speed past the legislators assembled on the bank. As the boat went by, the cannon, which was part of the equipment on all steamboats in that day, was fired. The legislators raised their hats and swung them, but "Ring Tail Painter" Palmer let out a series of yells.

      The old Missouri hotel was for many years the place chosen for banquets and for balls. There it was his admiring fellow citizens entertained Barton with a grand dinner when he returned from making his great speech in the Senate. St. Patrick's Day was celebrated with banquets in the Missouri hotel. Expeditions were planned there; principals and seconds met to send challenges and to receive, acceptances. Gen. William Henry Harrison, afterwards President; and Gen. Zachary Taylor, also afterwards President; and Gen. Winfield Scott, who tried to become but was not President, were guests at the Missouri hotel.

      Isaac Walker became the owner of the Missouri hotel by sale from John F. Darby in 1835 a "d owned it for many years. He had a controversy with a man to whom he rented the hotel for operation — tavern keeper as he was called in that day. Walker complained about the manner in which the tavern keeper was conducting the place; he said this man "was not fit to keep tavern; that his butter was so strong he could hang his hat on it." The tavern keeper sued Mr. Walker for slander and employed Uriel Wright, the orator, to take his case.