Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-24
A "REMINISCENCES OF THE BALL.
How an HibeFnian Driver Attended
the Garfield Ball, and the Scandal
that Ensued.

HOW an HiDeTnian Driver Attended
the Garfield Ball, and the Scandal
that Ensued.
There are q number Of odd characters In the
different departments Of the government, and
among them is q driver Of one Of the official
carriages. He is a giant from the Emerald Isle,
with fund Of the proverbal good nature COM
mensurate with his size. 'Thim army and navy
officers had purity party at Marini's last night"
he remarked to q STAR reporter the other
morning.
'Were you there?" asked the reporter.
Now phwat the dvil wud be dom there
wild fut like that" he replied. lifting a heavy
brogan of immense size. mighty little room
wud lave fur the dancers. Yis, it's good
tut. 1t is. Mines fits it, but tirteens is aisier
I'll tell you phwere | wuZ oncet though.
l whit t the last magnesium ball, l did.
and / whit in shtyle. Twas nv day on at
the comment (gOvernment) shtable. and /
shoveed manoor all day. but cum night, l whit
home, TUX baht and drissed meseI in me claw
hammer suite, one borried from the elevathOr
man fur TIL avenin. Thin had q dvil of a tonne
gittin' these hands into thin white kids got
ON Sevent shtreet. Did 90 to tn ball alone?
Not much didn't me darlint. had coompny
and f1rst-class coompny twas. To till t thrOoth
twas at her invitashun wint, and she stud tn
blOont av tn expense. She was a LYNN out
guyrl, but che had yearnins fur tn ball. and 60 she
wud, and pay fur all. il consulted to 90 wild her
Twas Jist twinty dollars. Foive fur tn kirridge,
foive fur tickets, foive fur supper and foive fur
shpindin' money. Az coorse had to git the
consint av tn auld woman. else feared the
consequences. 1 fixed it all right and we whit
t tn ball. Altho' she was Twin out guyrl, as
l said, ye couldn't a tould it, she looked so
foine. She was drissed in white satin from her
trOat t the doore yander. When we promynaded
she looked lOike ship under full sail, and whin
we danced it TUX the bote OF us thould up the
train, twas so long and hwy. Ye padent laugh.
l kin dance and doant We furgit it. Win 1 was
daddy buck in tn aud country TUX dancin
lessons fur tin years. My feet has growed hivier
since thin, but I'm purity good at it git. Whole
we was prOmenadln we ruined slap agin tn
boss He knowed me as soon as he set eyes on
me, notwithstanding me disguise, and I was
compelled to sthop out ov RESPECT. and inthro-
doOced him to me coompny. Thin it's not yer
wOife?' says he aside. No. says /, it's me
wife's cuzzin from New Yorick.' little turder
and we stumbled across tn boss docthor. /
cudn't fool him. as he had been tendin' tn auld
woman hersef so l Civ him tn same shtory
Nevertheless we had lots ov JOY Tn supper
tho was cauld. bad luck to it, but barrin that
everything was fOine. TIL proceedins thin was
all shquare, but dye know harrum cum of it.
Yis, some av tn other Twin out guyrls was el-
lus, and they told tales t. tn auld woman, how
she Civ me tn money, and we was goin t. lope
and SIGH shtories. She got on tn rampage and
forbid tn house to me coOmpny. Still I'd risk it
again had l tn chance"
Colonel Frederick t8urnaby. Author of
the ''Ride to Khiva,'' Killed in Battle.
Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Burnaby. of
the Royal Horse Guards (Blues), who was killed
on Saturday in the engagement between the
English troops and the rebels in Egypt, was
one of the most gallant and capable soldiers in
the English army He combined the quality OF
soldier of fortune with the chivaIry of Bay
ARD and the ettainments OF Crichton, and was
one OF the most indefatigable workers and stu
dents OF the day. He was born in 1872 his
parents being of the highest social position in
England. After an education at Harrow and
some tuition in Germany, he obtained a COM
mission In the Horse Guards or Blues" as
they are called in contradistinction to their
sister regiment. the Life Guards. His well-knit
muscular figure soon became conspicuous
even In regiment composed entirely of big
limbed men over six feet in height and his
soldierly qualities not only brought him to the
front among his brother officers, but caused
him to be almost idolized by the men,
His attention to gymnastics, however,
broke down his health. and he obtained
leave Of absence to travel. which from
time to time was extended. He journeyed all
over Europe and then directed his attention to
South America, Central Africa and Central
Asia, travelling very often alone away from the
beaten tracks. and fearlessly traversing terri
tories hitherto almost untrOdden by any Euro
pean. On his Journeys he managed to pick up
several languages and his peculiar qualities
taught him to adapt himself to all possible cir
cumstances. His romantic and often wonderful
adventures he relates in two OF the books he
subsequently published: travels in Central
Asia" and lon Horseback Through Asia Minor"
In 1875 he started on his memorable ride to
khiva, which he described In book which was
one of the literary sensations of the day. On
his return from Khiva Colonel Burnaby became
the lion OF English society. but he was not the
man for adulation. and in 1877 he again mounted
his horse and started for tour which pene-
trated into the heart OF Persia He next accepted
the position of military correspondent with Don
Carlos, in Spain, and when the pretender retired
from the field he passed year or two in making
balloon ascents until the Egyptian troubles
broke out. In September. 1882, he applied for
the position of British attache to the Turkish
headquarters in Egypt In February last he
was attached to General Valentine Bakers
force, and took gallant part in the battle of
Teb. When the British attacked the fort at
that place, he was the first to mount the
parapet, firing double-barrel shotgun into
the enemy and receiving bad sword thrust
in turn He recovered in time to take part
in the Wolseley expedition for the relief Of
Khartoum.