Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-02
THINGS HEARD AND SEEN

John NJ. Thurston, who succeeds Mr.. Man.
derson. Forty-eight years ago he opened
his eyes upon the picturesque hills and
dales of Vermont. In early childhood he
was taken by his parents to the unbroken
land Of Wisconsin. In the new country he
was taught what eight generations" OF
Thurst ons knew so well, 20 pillow, to plant
and to harvest. He became a typical farm
er boy. perhaps not as stalwart as some of
his neighbors, and, though he could cradle
and bind with the best of them, agricultural
pursuits were not to his taste. He was am
bilious to acquire an education and estab-
lish himself in profession. Working hard
by day and studying diligently by candle
light, with many obstacles to overcome. for
the responsibilities of the farm were thrown
upon him at the age of sixteen by the
death of his father, he passed through
Wayland University and fitted himself for
law. Years passed, though, before he was
prepared to knock for admission to the bar.
Finally. young Thurston. by harvesting
here and there for his neighbors and by
doing odd chores which fall in the way of
a country boy. was enabled to scrape to-
determined to abandon farm life and enter
the law. With a buffalo robe. one of his
mothers spare blankets, some crackers and
such other little things as he could con-
with brave heart set out for the budding
city of Omaha. He met Herman Luthe
row a successful lawyer in Colorado. then
a young disciple of Blackstone, like himself,
room with Justice Morris. Trying times
were those which followed. Cases were not
easily obtained and less easily won But
Thurston made his $40 go long ways.
the office floor served as refreshing couch
and more than once did his box of crackers
satisfy the pangs of a gnawinS hunger
when funds ran low. Denying himself the
Inv ri md linz npov ha
necessities, the young farmer boy kept body
and soul together and fought his way to
the front.
favorable impression as a lawyer and
SPEAKER that he was chosen a member Of
the city council and later city attorney.
The path of politics was like an open road,
and he soon found himself in the legislature
as chairman of the committee on judiciary.
At the same time he became an active par
ticipant in the conventions of state and
nation. Thus his SNOWFALL of fortune
formed on Wisconsin farm has rolled
steadily onward to the United States Sem
ate.
In one of the Washington jewelry stores is
a diamond breastpin valued at $1,000. A
young woman whose love for ornaments Is
much greater than her ability to buy them
happened to be in this store when the pin
was shown to a lady who did not purchase
it. Two or three times a week since then
the girl has gone to obtain glimpse of the
beautiful pin, until she finally made up her
mind that she would make an effort to own
it, so the following colloquy took place, that
/ happened to hear:
How much is that ping"
"A thousand dollars"
well, 1 will take it If you will let me
pay for it at 81 a week. I only make 81 a
week. l buy everything else that way"
The astonished clerk told her that he
would have to speak to the proprietor, " no
was out, and the girl promised to return.
There should be some provision made for
pensioning fire department horses when
they become disabled for service, and es-
pecially the sale of them to individuals
for family horses should not be allowed
Once trained to go at the tap of bell,
they cannot be made to forget it. A coun-
try minister, living not far from Wash
ington, has one of these horses, unless he
has succeeded in selling him during the
past week. An old lady died and the bell
of the country church tolled the number of
years she had lived. The minister's horse
heard the tap of the bell and started He
soon distanced the rest of the funeral pro-
cession, and, although his Mortified driver
could guide him all right, stopping him
was impossible until the cemetery was
reached, when the bell having stopped
ringing and the horse seeing no smoke or
flame, the intelligent animal concluded
that it was false alarm, and stood as
peaceably as though he had never ran in
his life.
Here is one on Assistant Postmaster Jones
which he did not give out: Some days ago a
letter was received at the department i'd
dressed to 1.-THE Postmaster General of the
U. States of America, Washington, D. c., u
S. America" 1t was registered and came all
the way from Bombay. India. When opened
1t was found that the contents concerned
some alleged fraudulent concern doing bust
ness in New York The writer had been
the victim and had lost considerable money.
The letter was turned over to the assistant
attorney general, who takes charge of all
such matters. Then was found the meat
Of the epist.e. 1t was stated, among other
things, that the victim had written to First
Assistant Postmaster General Jones. con-
corning how he had been defrauded, but
the reply was very unsatisfactory, leading
the writer to believe that Mr.. Jones was not
assisting in the recovery of his money, and
was beneficiary with the others.
Whether it is that Minneapolis women
are more attractive, or Minneapolis men
are more appreciative CT their charms, GER
tain it Is that the latter pay more COM
pliments to their wives and sweethearts
than the men in any other locality.
sample of them is the speech made at
Chicago hotel table last week by Min
neapoliS man. he was asked by ex-IreaS-
| urer Gilfllan in joking mood:
"Mr Shute, If you were not yourself who
would you like to be?'
| He replied promptly and without mo-
ment's hesitation.
Were I not myself, should want to be
| Mrs Shute's second husband, whoever and
| whatever he may be-"
A man in the Treasury Department has
| very obstreperous boy in his family,
| about seven years old. He corrected him
several times one day, then whipped him,
then when he finally punched the eyes of
| his sisters doll in, 'just to see how shed
| look" his father was in despair.
He sat down, took the boy on his knee,
and asked him if he didn't want to be a
good boy. The young Arab spoke up quite
promptly:
| NO indeed, papa, I don't! I know I'm
| a little devil, and l want to be big one"
|
| A lost baby in sleeping car in the middle
| of the night is rather novel situation. This
| is how it occurred:
Two maiden ladies of Washington on the
| Chicago limited express were awakened by
| the crying of a baby close to but outside the
1