Badly Damaged Shamrocks
Mr. John W. Paul related a very good St. Patrick’s day incident which happened in Boston one year ago. A certain Mr. McClanahan, who had been a councilman for several years and failing of re-election, started a saloon on Court street opposite Young’s hotel, which soon became the headquarters for city officials and Irish societies, imported a quantity of genuine shamrocks from the old sod. These were placed on a large platter on the end of the bar of his saloon and were intended for the buttonholes of customers on St. Patrick’s day.
A German entered shortly after and ordered a glass of beer and spying the shamrocks he took them for water cress and forthwith proceeded to make a free lunch of them, and was only discovered as the last few were disappearing. Quite a commotion followed, but it was finally decided that even if a stomach pump were used the shamrocks were too badly damaged to be worn.
From the Omaha Daily Bee, Sunday March 18, 1894, p. 7 column 1A