Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-12-30
THE CARS JULEPs.
MINISTER CURTIN SHOWED THE EN-
PEROR HOW TO MIX THEM.

A Reminiscence of Diplomacy Under Alex
ander III of Russia Gear Lover
of Darky Anecdote and Dialect-Amer-
lean whisky For His Cellar.
81 was in Paris, said Colonel w. f.
M. Mccarthy of this city, "that I be.
came acquainted with an aid of the
Gar Alexander Ii. 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 was
presented to the czar himself.
81 first met the emperor in the Win.
ter palace one anorning at 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. II love
Americans, he said, with smile, and
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. e.
"In never forget the mysterious er-
rand upon which was dispatched one
cold and stormy night by, and I may
say with, General Curtin, as he was
universally called in St. Petersburg.
My entry into the emperor's secret serv-
ice had by that time become an accom-
plished fact. I had become Russian.
had sworn allegiance to the ozar, spir-
itual and temporal, and had been en-.
tered on the official list Of the chancel-
lerie as Vasili Makroff. William +.
Mason Mccarthy ceased to exist from
that hour. at least in Russia. A mes
senger had come asking me to the
American legation at s o'clock that
evening, without uniform. These
words naturally excited my curiosity
l wore she imperial crown on the col
lar of my uniform coat, and in that
dress passed at will through the streets
OF st. Petersburg by day or by night.
For / was supposed to be all the while
on my imperial masters business.
When l 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 aIazement he was prompt.
ly admitted without question to the
czar's private apartments followed
after him. The emperor at once dismiss
ed his attendants gave US hearty hand
shakes and babe us be seated in front of
a CHEEKY coal fire in large comforta-
BILE looking sitting room. General Cur
tin was evidently very much at homo
there, and from the packet under his
arm he now produced a large black bot
tie. A servant brought lemons, crack
ed ice, a silver bowl containing a mag
nificent bunch of mint, loaf sugar, ver-
mouth and brandy. And thereupon, in
my presence the American minister
gave the czar 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 in his life
as the juleps, and he forthwith commits
stoned General Curtin to order for the
imperial cellars 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 Pennsyl-
vania not long afterward to the czar
You'd never guess my part in the fes-
Invites 1t was nothing more nor less
than telling niger stories. OF course I
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 and the quaint
conversation between Br'er Rabbit and
Br'er Bar delighted him. Afterward,
at the oars request, I sent to New
York for all the books of this descrip-
ton could get.
General Curtin won the affection of
his majesty by his genial personality,
his fund Of anecdote and his unaffected
sincerity. He would tell story after
story Of American life and incident, at
many of which Alexander laughed as
merrily as "a schoolboy. 4 love to be
with men, he would say. love Amer
Jeans as l hate sycophants. He was
heard to say more than once that the
happiest hours of his. life were those
passed in this way with General Curtin.
1.-The peculiar affection for the Unit
ed States cherished in Russia, in spite
Of the Russians dislike for foreigners
IN general, is a national, religious
sentiment La every Russian church the
visitor is impressed-if an American he
is astounded-by the prominent posi-
ton in which he beholds three great
portraits displayed with reverence and
| deep significance. The first is that of
Peter the Great, the father of Russia,
as we know it. The second is that of
Abraham Lincoln, the iberator. The
third is that of Alexander That was
an evening to be treasured up in mem
DRY New York Sun.