Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-16

BOYS WANTED To APPLAUD But COULD NoT-A
BRIEF TALK BY ATTORNEY GENERAL MILLER
SECRETARY HALFoRD TELLS STORY.
Beneath the gracefully draped folds of .
huge United States flag sat President Harri-
son yesterday afternoon. Immediately in
front of him was a table upon which stood a
vase filled with a bunch of rare roses. Beyond
the roses were nearly two hundred boys, and
these boys and the President were looking at
each other very inten;ly. 1t is but rarely that
the President Of such big and exacting nation
as this can md time TO talk to the inmates
OF the District Reform school but this par
tcuiar President did find time enough yester-
day afternoon. and he gave the boys something
to think over, to talk about, to remember.
In close proximity to the president were
President Falls of the board of trustees, Col.
ShaIenberger. superintendent OF the school;
District Commissioner Douglass, Private Sec
rotary HalfOrd, Mrs Dimmlck, DIR. and Mrs.
Carpenter, Mr. and Mrs. Henry A. Willard, DIR.
W. ). Thompson, Mr.. y. W. Burcheli. Mr.. Bev-
eridge, Mr.. James F. Fitch. Mrs. ShalleBberger,
Mr.. Robert Cohen aud others.
Everybody stood while the boys, led by their
director, Mr. VIII Cohen. sang about THE
CroSning Dav That's Coming by and By" and
everybody listened very attentlyely to the Rev.
DR.. Butler, chaplain of the Senate, as he read
the parable of the sower and the parable OF the
tares.
LISTENING TO CHAPLAIN BUTLER.
Let US pray said the chaplain. as he closed
his Bible, and every boyish head-white or
black-was bowed until the prayer ended,
and then the boys. in response to Col. Shaken
berger's request. arose and sang We're March
ing 70 Zion
When the singing ceased the chaplain talked
TO the attentive auditors of The Best Thing"
He said the best thing was not food. nor cloth
ing, nor kind friends, although these were
good and necessary. knowledge of work
was good thing-there would be fewer bad
people if everybody learned to workout it
was not the best thing. The best thing WAS
religious truth. and he was glad to see that it
was being instilled into them in the days of
their youth. Religion was very simple thing;
II simply consisted III trying to do right. In
explaining the parable of the tares the doctor
casually mentioned the fact that he had read
recently of a bad boy IN Washington who led
astTsy by dime novels, had attempted to chic
reform bis parents. The enormity of the boys
offense was dwelt upon with considerable force
and the boy himself had good opportunity TO
know Just what the chaplain thought of his
caper. for he was one OF tine congregation
something the doctor was not aware of. While
the moral being pointed there were
many sly glances cast at the amateur burglar.
Jesus Is Mighty to Save" sang the boys, and
while they were in the middle of the first verse
Assistant Superintendent Porter conducted
party up one of the side aisles of the school
They were Attorney General Miller and Mrs.
Miller and solicitor General Taft and Mrs
Taft. They had wandered off on the wrong
road.
THE PRESIDENTS TALK.
1t was with evident pleasure and justifiable
pride that Mr. Fails introduced President Har-
riSOn TO the boys, and it was also evident that
the President not displeased He looked
over the school fOr little while and then said:
My young friends. the hardest thing a boy
has to do Is to sit still. | cannot help but feel
compassion, great compassion. for boys who
have to stay in a school room on afternoon
like this. / say this out of my own knowledge
and from close observation of boy with whom
/ have something to do. Five or six years ago
was here. but there are not many doubt If
there Is OHe-of the boys now before me that
was present when first visited this place
DO any OF you know where the Yellowstone
Park is!'
There was no response. so the President went
on: Certainly. none of you boys have ever
seen 1t and only few of the grown people
present have gdZed at its wonders. Now. in
the Yellowstone Park the most remarkable
thing they have Is the Geyser Basin. A geyser
Is spouter. Do you know what a spouter Is?
Some of you perhaps. have used that word
when speaking OF 4 schooimate who talked too
much
After describing the geysers and their meth
DDS or lack Of methods the President went on
to say that the geysers in the park had good
many names. one was the Giant, another was
the GIantess, another was the Beehive because
the cone looks like a hiveJ. while another is
called odd Faithful" Can you guess WHY il
Is called Old Faithfully querled the president
1t Is because 1t spouts every hour. A great
many people go 10 the park, spend days there
Walt1ng for the Giant or Giantess or the Bee
hive to spout and then go away disappointed
because these geysers would not spout or as
they say up III the park wouldn't 20 of but no
one ever went up to the geyser basin that didn't
see old Faithful spout: You may 90 to the
hOtel-thcy have a very fine one there nOw-or
TO your tent certain that Old Faithful will not
spout before you return, provided you get
there Oh time. You can depend on Old Faith
full
Now. l told you that story simply to bring 70
your minds this idea: Better be Old Faithful
than be the Giant. Old Faithful gives more
pleasure 10 more people than the Giant. Now,
leave that word faithful with vou They
call the geyser .Fa-. full because il don't disau-
point You. don't fool you, don't deceive YOU
study the word faithful. lie that Is faithful is
one ON whom parents and teachers and fellow
beings can depend; the government. of which
ne Is part. eau depend on linn. great word
Is the word 'tdelty. / would like to leave that
IN your minds. Ii were called upon TO give a
boy watchword-a keynote tor his whole life
II would be fidelity. Some day you NAV read
OF the Yellowstone Park: some of YOU NAV see
Il Remember Ola Faithful and remember if
Is called 50 because II never deceives nor dis
appoints any one who goes to see it."
THEY COULD not APPLArp.
The boys looked when the President sat
down. just as though they would have liked to
applaud, but the day and the occasion forbade
outbursts of that description. They worked
their accumulated steam of Oh a very sympa-
thetic rendition of steal Away to Jesus"
There WAS the least suspicion of u smile ON the
lace o! one tOungster as lie sang with the others
the last IInc OF that beautiful negro hymn: the
words. Il amt got long 10 stay here. were evil
IDENTITY not III accord with his idea of the facts
III his particular case.
TIE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
As the yocalIstS sat down Mr. Falls stepped
to the front and after stating that the gentle
man he was about TO present was by Jaw ,he
real had of tue school introduced Attorney
General Miller. who said: Ny Young friends
Ss list, ned 20 the talk Oi the President it &C.
CURED 10 me that II might not be Inappropri-
ate 70 suggest that the faithful man must get
started night. | was late coming here today
because didn't get started right. 1 have been
wandering about ana hence could not be de-
pended upon 70 be here III time this afternoon
Get ia the nigh: way. STAY there am g,a,.
To believe that yOu are on the right road aud
have yOur faces Ia the right direction. Some
da: when the President doesn't talk 20 YOU
may have some thing TO say TO Won. will come
again
Peace. Be StIll." was then given bv the
school: tEt Lords PRAYER MAS chanted. th.