The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-30

most entirely eliminated Now the game
has become so swift that when six or seven
are playing two decks of cards are used
and ii player is a little slow he is ruled
out and loses his interest in the pot. The
rake-off has become exorbitant and the
kitty from being a harmless depository
for a few chips TO pay expenses. has be-
come a ravenous wolf which devours the
substance of the players in few hours
sitting The days of poker as sportsman
like game between gentlemen are coming to
an end. No more will the Capital hear
stories like those of other days when Henry
Clay and Daniel Webster bet many thou
sand on nary pair"
If this country should have a war with
Spain one of the first things that would
have to be done to make the naval branch
of the military service effective would be
to retire about a hundred superannuated
officers. The pay rolls are clogged with
names of naval officers who would be as
helpless as schoolboys if called upon to
take command of modern men-cf-war or
gunboats. They received their training
in the days of wooden battle ships, and
have not seen anything of active service
since. They draw the fat salaries, and
their mission in life seems to be to Keep
back the younger officers who are Skilled
in modern naval warfare. 1t is claimed
by those who are we'll informed in naval
matters that it would take good war to
cure the Generalization that now curses the
navy. The line and staff of officers are
at swords points, and their feuds are con-
tinualy being aired before Congress COM
mittees and in many other ways. These
two branches of the service employ high
priced lobbyists and attorneys to fight
legislation not to their liking, and the
consequence is that no legislation has been
enacted to effectively reconcile the differ
ences or to restore harmony between the
warning factions.
Alvey A Adee assistant secretary of
state, whose name has for some weeks
been very prominently mentioned as
successor to Minister Taylor at the
court of Madrid, is a very peculiar in
dividual. An unfortunate defect in his vo-
cal organs gives him a very indistinct enun-
citation, and he is also very hard of hearing,
but even these serious handicaps have not
prevented him from becoming indispensable
to his country. He has been connected
with the diplomatic service for about thirty
years, working his way up from a subordi-
nate clerkship. He speaks half a dozen
languages and reads a dozen more. He is
a tireless student of international law, has
statecraft at his tongues end, and yet has
time in spite of his many official duties,
to perfect himself in several scientific spe-
cialties. For instance, he is acknowledged
by experts to be the finest photo-micro-
scopist in the United States; he can defeat
not few of the professional chess players
in their speciality; he is a devotee of the
and Great Britain; he is proficient bill
HARDEST, and ranks as one of the best
Shakspearean scholars of the day.
Mr.. Adee is eccentric and at times ex-
ceedingly irritable. He is very particular
about his food, and his monday lunches
must be served in a certain way and at a
regular time. One day his messenger
brought in his lunch and set it down on
table by his side Mr. Adee was engaged in
a difficult and important translation and
did not look up. The servitor who stood at
his elbow was in a quandary Finally he
hesiIatingly touched the secretary on the
shoulder to call his attention to the waiting
viands. Without word the diplomat
wiped his pen, put it in rack, and, Selling
the tray with both hands, threw it violently
over his head back into space. He then
picked up his pen and resumed his work
as though nothing had happened. The
tray and it's contents struck a costly
painting of the Shah of Persia, which had
just been presented to the department with
great ceremony. Pie and coffee, and
scrambled eggs and jam smeared the pic
ture all over and it took two weeks to re-
move the stains and make the Shah pre-
sentable again. Even then it presented
badly disfigured appearance and was taken
down from its place in the secretary's room
and placed in one of the corridors. After
that the messenger never interrupted Mr..
Adee when that gentleman was engaged
upon a translation. If he should go to Mad
rid the naughty dons will have to walk
straight line or be held accountable to Uncle
Sam for their misdeeds.
Among all the great paintings at the Cap
itol none attracts more attention than Col.
John Trumbulls Washington Resigning
His Commission 1t adorns the rotunda
near one of the main entrances, and is in
very conspicuous position. There are bet
ter paintings in the building than this one
in finish and in design, but there is a pc
culiarity about this particular creation
which makes it a perpetual object of inter-
est to sightseers. The artist has endowed
two of the female figures in the foreground
of the picture with five hands. Everybody
about the Capitol knows of this and no
one ever forgets to point out the FIVE hands
to visitors they may have in tow. One of
the numerous guides at the Capitol lament
ed this fact, and said to the writer the
other day, mourningly
Il wish them jay congressman could be
taught to see something else about this
building but them five hands. Every time
anybody comes to see them they rush joy
fully down into the rotunda, and, in open
mouthed ecstasy, point to Trumbulls pic
ture and say: Look at that. See them
FIVE hands on them two girls? Hee-haw!
Hee-hawv 1t makes me tired"
w. G. NICHOLAS.
Stray Thoughts.
find earth not gray. but rosy.