The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-06-29
POPULAR UNCLE JERRY.

Favorite Attitudes and Personal Charac-
tsristics of Secretary Rusk.
Uncle Jerry Rusk has taken the Casey
House, So called, at 1880 Massachusetts,
avenue, the one which Secretary Bob
Lincoln used to occupy, and before long
his refined and charming hayseed pres
ence will cease to add to the attractions
of the Ebbitt House. Uncle Jerry is
really the most delicious character in
Washington. The employees of the Agri.
cultural Department, the Cabinet officers
the loungers about the hotels, the seek
ers after places under the government
they all not only admire and respect him,
they love him. 1t is because he is a
thorough Democrat. They like him bet
ter because he took no credit to himself
for shooting the Anarchists, but merely
said, or was reported to have said: Il saw
my duty and done it." They think the
more of him because he is by far the
handiest man with the scythe in this
whole town, and is not ashamed to ride
horse at such swell affair as General
Agnus is noted for giving, if that seems
to be the natural thing to do. Every.
body calls Uncle Jerry thoroughbred.
There isn't single frill to him, and not
an atom of deceit. OF what other man
in this resort of great little men and
little men Can SO much be said?
There are two attitudes which Uncle
Jerry falls into as easily as pool ball
does into the side pocket, and which it is
always pleasure to try to describe, be-
cause it taxes to the utmost the descrIp-
tive faculty. The first finds the Secre-
tary of Agriculture sitting in the ordinary
hotel arm chair on the pavement in front
of the EDbitt House reading room win
dows. The chair is tipped 80 far back
that it is in danger of dumping its valu-
able contents still farther back. Uncle
Jerry cocks his legs up upon the topmost
round in front. His trousers would be
baggy at the knees dozen times worse
than they are if they were not baggy at
the knees as badly as they can be already.
With his thumbs caught in the armholes
of his waistcoat and his white high tile
OH the back of his head, or else swinging
in his left hand to give his right chance
to play carelessly through the white locks
on the top of his head. Uncle Jerry tells
stories, and good ones, as the most care
less listener may see, because he laughs
at them himself. And let others tell
SUITES, duu GuCSO az ihoiO
heartily. Anybody can approach him
and talk to him, and be treated like a
lord of creation. His eyes are always a
twinkle, his face always red with vigor
ana blood and satisfaction, and his white
beard fairly bristlss, p to speak, with
the Of his good nature.
The other attitude-though this one is
sometimes varied, as when the secretary
Tugs his chair around to the other side
walk and sits under the naples of News
paper Row-discloses Uncle Jerry perch
ed upon the granite sides of the west
entrance to the Ebbitt. Sometimes it is
the steps themselves that hold him up,
but that Is usually not high enough. 1t
is also not comfortable enough, because
it is more comfortable. Here, too, he
has his companions, who find it hard to
appear at ease on the hard seat. But
Uncle Jerry doubles one of his legs up
and rests upon his opposite hand, and
tips his bat back in the same careless way
and strokes the same silver whiskers, aud
tells the same grist of good stories and
listens to the same grist. When he is
tired-which is not till it is very late
he drops into the other attitude in front
of the hotel with the same facility of the
football, or else he says good night to his
companions-and everybody feels like a
companion co Uncle Jerry-and let's the
willing elevator boy take him up to bed.