Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-31
THINGS HEARD AND SEEN

tween the army and navy, and probably
there always will be. When men of either
service can work off joke at the expense
of the other they never miss an opportun-
ity. The navy officers are now telling one
on the army. 1t was at Fort Monroe
where one of the vessels of the navy was
temporarily awaiting orders, that delega-
ton of army officers stationed at the fort
came aboard. There is set naval regula-
ton that nothing can be so on board ship
until the commanding officer orders It,
While the army party were looking over the
ship II o'clock arrived. A Junior officer
approached the captain and said, with a
salute:
ut is ~ o'clock, SIR
make it So" responded the captain; and
eight bells were struck. The army officers
suspected that the navy men wanted them
to ask some questions, and get sold. or that
this was lit of foolery got up to joke the
land warriors.
Some time after a party of the army Of
ficers invited the officers of the warship to
dine with them. The dinner was progress
ing, when a lieutenant entered, and, salut-
ing the senior officer present, said gravely:
Colonel, the majors blind horse is dead"
Make 1t So" responded the officer at the
head Of the table, with the greatest gravity,
and the dinner proceeded. Nothing was
said at the time, but the navy officers tell
| the story.
This one is told by navy officer on him.
self: One of our handsome ships. with her
handsome officers, was cruising in Peruvian
waters. and while in port the grand ball
given in honor of the wife of the president
OF the republic was given. The young officer
was there in full uniform, which is warm
enough at any time, but which in ball
room, after number of whirls in a giddy
waltz, such as the Spanish descendants in
Peru put up, Is anything but an ice cooler.
Our young hero invited charming Peruvian
to waltz. She consented, and away they
went.
After several turns about the room he
began to wish the young lady would sug-
gest that they promenade as most of the
other couples did from time to time. But
not She On they went, spinning and
prancing The heavy uniform has become
sweat box The young man was burning
up. ''Will she revar stop" asked the
young officer under his breath. Early in the
game he had exhausted the few Spanish
phrases he knew. He did not dare stop I'M
I'll she did. as such breach of etiquette
might mean that her brother would be like
ly to put stiletto between his ribs for in
sulting his sister by stopping in a waltz
before she did. The Peruvian waltz lasts
twenty minutes. That is a long time in a
| tight-fitting uniform in a tropical climate
Our ensign began to wobble, but he kept his
feet. and that girl never seemed to weary.
When the twenty minutes had expired the
and stopped and waltZed again. Some of
his brother officers had waltzed with half
a dozen beautiful senOritas, and they were
wondering why he was so devoted to the par
ticular one he was still hugging and whirl-
ing when the music stopped. He led her to-
a seat, and for himself sought the open air
and unbuttoned his coat. He was in a
pitiable plight. He did not enter the ball
room again for two hours, and when he did
was still too weak to dance or enjoy the
festivities. The young lady he had waltzed
with avoided him. Other ladies, who had
seen the long distance record, seemed pleas
ed that he did not ask them to dance when
presented. Later in the evening he learn
ed that it was the Peruvian custom for the
gentleman to suggest that they should
cease waltzing and promenade retire
from the floor Ii would have been immod-
est for his partner to have suggested stop
ping The young officer says the memory
of that Peruvian night haunts him still.
They were talking about the tariff and
some one was commencing Representative
Stevens of Massachusetts because he made
no kick about the wooden schedule of the
tariff bill.
rs Stevens a wooden manufacturer"
lone Of the largest in the United States"
was the answer.
| well, with wool on the free list he ought
| not to complain" said the first speaker
| Now he gets all of his wool free of duty"
| MY friend, let me tell you something"
| said Mr.. Stevens friend. wool enters into
| the manufacture of wooden goods to a very
| small extent. Wooden goods are composed
| largely of jute and fibers. This is not gen.
| orally known. but is fact just the same"
Mr.. Stevens will not be candidate for
| reelection, and the democrats of Massa-
| chusetts think that republican will be
| elected If any other man should run than
Stevens.
| 1t is along the lire Of the R.,F and p road
| that lies the sportsman's paradise Qua ntico,
| the nearest town to the recent express rob-
| lar IL. ITO hon rtArS fnr ayI,i
| tonians who are looking for ducks. Then as
you go nearer Aqua creek, the scene of the
bold hod-up, there is the station Of Wide.
| water. Here ii is where Mr.. Harrison when
| President came to shoot ducks. The Poto-
mac is very wide at this place, hence the
name of the town, or rather station, for
there are not more than half dozen houses
i'm sight The shooting is excellent
There are innumerable little inlets and
bays, with creeks, affordng shelter for the
ducks from the rougher water on the river.
All the way to Aqua creek the houses are
scarce, and there is little to brighten away
| the game. Aqua creek is a navigable
stream, and there is an old wharf near the
| drawbridge which was formerly used by
| boats for receiving shipments of goods,
but hardly a vessel stops there now. 1t is
true that some go through the drawbridge
occasionally. but while once a considerable
freight point. it is not now recognized as
| such. The freights that were formerly car
| ried by the boats find a speedy outlet by
rail. The drawbridge furnishes the neces-
! sary stop for hunters who are looking for
| ducks in this vicinity, and many a man
comes here for game and drops off the pas
| senger trains that stop for the drawbridge.
| The same stop enabled the robbers to board
| the night express from the. south when
they made such a successful raid. 1t Is a
very lonely spot. and one well chosen for a
raid of the kind that was made.
Frank Jones' assistant postmaster general
can tell a very good story when he is so dis
posed. A republican was in his office the
other day, giving him a very discouragine
outlook of the situation in New York. 81
know a story that fits your case" he said
lone year we were having quite a warm po
litical contest in Illinois and everybody was
doing his best. We had meeting In a lit
tie town in one county, where we were
rather short of speakers. Everybody was
called on to say something. and finally q
man that none of US ever heard Of before
was called for by some one in the back par
of the hall. He came forward and talked
for five minutes, during which time he made
the eagle soar. We congratulated ourselves
and said we had found a gem, and nothing
must do but that he should be the principa
speaker at a big county seat meeting the
following night The arrangements were
made and the meeting held. We had out &
big crowd, and everybody waited long pas
the usual time, but our spellbinder did no
| appear Finally he put in an appearance