Dateline September 21, 1818, Erie, Pennsylvania
The Hon. Louis Tullio, Mayor of our fair city, granted a proclamation to Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, to honor him for his heroics in the Battle of Lake Erie five years previous. Commodore Perry was visiting the city from his home in Newport, Rhode Island.
The mayor, currently in his second term, also presented the Commodore with the key to the city and two drink tokens from the Dickson Tavern.
Not all in attendance were pleased with the Mayor’s action. A young man in a fedora named Mario Bagnoni chided the mayor, saying that he could do a better job as mayor and would be running against Tullio next election.
“Now I’m off to Central America and shall return to the United States in a short time,” said Perry, adding, “unless I get Yellow Fever down there, ha ha”; a remark that elicited hearty chortles from the crowd.
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