Smith managed to secure a
large number of "expeditions" through Parson Obadiah Bruin Brown,
commonly called "Parson Obadiah Bruin Beeswax Brown," the Superintendent
of the contract office of the Post-office Department. In place of
the horseback system stage lines would be substituted, and this
service would be frequently "expedited" without much of a view to
"productiveness," from one trip to three or six trips per week.
All of these "expeditions" were noted by stars (* *) at the bottom
of Smith's vouchers, which, interpreted, meant "extra allowance."
So frequently did these stars appear in the Virginia contractor's
accounts that he soon came to be known in the Post-office Department
as "Extra Billy" Smith, and it adhered to him in after life, when
he became a member of the House of Representatives and afterward
Governor of Virginia. He still lives at Warrenton, a hale and
hearty old man.

Mr. Van Buren had an abundance of political nicknames. He was "the
sweet little fellow" of Mr. Ritchie of the _Richmond Inquirer_,
and "the Northern man with Southern principles" of the _Charleston
Courier;_ Mr. Clinton baptized him "the Political Grimalkin;" Mr.
Calhoun, "the Weazel;" while he helped himself to the still less
flattering name of "the follower in the footsteps"--that is, the
successor of his predecessor, a sort of masculine _Madame Blaize_,

"Who strove the neighborhood to please,
With manners wondrous winning,
And never followed wicked ways,
Except when she was sinning."

who clad all the hungry and naked office-holders "that left a pledge
behind" of supporting him; and, like that good dame, led the way
to all those who came behind her.

The Southern nullifiers, who had been "squelched" by General Jackson,
began to revive under the more genial rule of Mr. Van Buren, and
they established an "organ" called the Washington _Chronicle_. It
was edited by Richard K. Cralle, who came from Leesburg, Virginia.
He was a well-educated gentleman, ultra in his opinions on free
trade and Southern rights; but those who were enthusiastic in their
praises of his editorials did not subscribe to the _Chronicle_, or
if they did, never condescended to pay their subscriptions. So
the paper ruined its printers and then gave up the ghost, Mr.
Calhoun securing a department clerkship for Mr. Cralle.

[Facsimile]
Tristram Burgess
TRISTRAM BURGESS was born at Rochester, Massachusetts, February
26th, 1770; was a Represe