Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-12-30
THE CARS JULEPS.
MINISTER CURTIN SHOWED TIE EN-
,TROR HOW TO NIX THEM

| III MCtdllDy "a WIS Cityi th"c 10
came acquainted with an aid Of the
Gar Alexander III. The Russians are
greatly interested in applied chemistry
and novel mechanical devices for war
fare. had some ideas on these subjects
which an aid asked me to put before
his superiors The Grand Duke Constan-
tine was there, and | was presented to
| him. Our interviews finally led to my
going to st Petersburg, where l was
presented TO the car himself.
Il first met the emperor in the Win
ter palace one morning at 8 o'clock. He
was an early riser, and the machinery
of the court was all in operation by that
hour His majesty received me kindly
and at once put me at my ease. Il love
| Americans, he said, with smile, ana
soon learned that this was true. An
| drew g. Curtin Of Pennsylvania was
| then minister from the United States at
| The imperial court, and there was no.
| body in whose society the car took more
satisfaction
I'm never forget the mysterious err
cold and stormy night by, and | may
say with. General Curtin. as he was
universally called in St Petersburg
My entry into the emperor secret serv-
| ice had by that time become an accom-
plished fact | had become Russian,
had sworn allegiance to the czar, spir-
| itual and temporal, and had been en-
H.. Al. 4. 4
lerie as Vasili MakroT William F.
| Mason Mccarthy ceased TO exist from
! that hour, at least in Russia. A mes
senger had come asking me to the
! American legation at 5 o'clock that
| evening. without uniform These
words naturally excited my curiosity
1 wore the imperial crown on the col.
| lar of my uniform coat and IN that
| dress passed AT viii through the streets
| of ST Petersburg by day or by night
| For | was supposed TO be all the while
| on my imperial master business
! When | got TO the embassy, learned,
| to my surprise, that the minister and
were to visit the car incognito
General Curtin had a parcel under
! his arm when we reached the palace,
and to my amazement he was prompt.
| ly admitted without question TO the
| czar' 8 private apartments. followed
after him The emperor at once dismiss
| ed his attendants, gave us hearty hand
! shakes and babe MS be seated in front Of
"A CHEEKY coal fire in "a large comforta-
/ bio looking sitting room General Cur
| tin was evidently very much at home
| there, and from the packet under his
arm he now produced large black bot.
tie, servant brought lemons, crack
ed ice, silver bowl containing mag
niticent bunch Of mint, loaf sugar, yer.
mouth and brandy And thoreupon il
my presence the American minister
gave tho c2ar lessons in the art of max
ing mint Juleps and whisky cocktails
The whisky was old Monongahela
rye, sent to General Curtin from the
state of Pennsylvania, Of which he had
been governor His majesty said he had
/ never tasted anything SO good III his life
rs the Juleps, and he forthwith commits
stoned General Curtin to order for the
imperial cellars a large quantity of the
\ rye whisky, which he had never heard
/ Of until after the arrival of Curtin in
ST Petersburg Ten barrels of Monon.
/ gahela rye Were shipped from Pennsyi-
wanna not long atterward TO the car.
/ You never guess my part IN the fes-
/ tivltieS 1t was nothing more nor less
/ than telling niger stories OF course /
knew plenty of them, having been
brought up IN the south in antebellum
days, and the car never tired of hear
ing them Folklore tales ,.nd the quaint
conversation between Br'er Rabbit and
Br or Bar delighted him Afterward,
at the cars request. | sent to New
I York for all the books of tins desurip.
, tion | could get
General Curtin won the affection of
his majesty 10y his genial personality
his fund OF anoodote aud his unaffected
sincerity He would tell story after
story of American life and incident. at
many of which Alexander laughed rs
merrlly as Schoolhoy 1 love to bu
with men, he would say | love Amer
leans rs | hate sycophauts lie was
happleSt hours OF ms life were those
passed IN tins way with General Curtin
The peculiar affection for the Unit
ed states cherished IN Russia IN spite
OF the Russians dislike for foreigners
IN general, is IL national. religious
sentiment In every Russian church the
visitor Is lmpressed--lf an American Ls
~ t,fi. "A.
ton IN winch he beholds three great
PORTRAITS displayed with reverence and
deep significance The first Is tina, OF
Peter the Great, the father OF Russia,
as We know 1t The second Is that OF
Abraham Lincoln the ibwat0 Tho
third Is that of Alexander That was
an evening To be treasured up IN mem
CRY New York sun
That ANIuI fbtln