The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-12-30
THE CARS JULEPS.
MINISTER CURTIN SHOWED THE EN-
PEROR HOW TO MIX THEM.

A "Reminiscences of Diplomacy Under Alex
ander II of Ruasia-The Gar a Lover
of Darky Anecdote and Dialect-Amer-
lean whisky For His Cellar.
Il was in Paris, " said Colonel w T.
NJ Mccarthy of this city, THAT | be.
came acquainted with an aid Of the
Car Alexander IL 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 ear himself
Il first met the emperor in the Win
ter palace one morning 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. i love
Americans, he said, with a smile, and
| soon learned that this was true An
drew q 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 er-
rand upon which | was dispatched one
cold and stormy night by, and | may
say with, General Curtin. as he was
uni yersally called in ST Petersburg
My entry into the emperor s secret serv-
ice had by that time become an accom-
plished fact | had become a Russian,
had sworn allegiance to the car, spir-
itual and temporal, and had been en-
tered on the official list Of the chancel-
lerie as Yasili Makroff 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 . o'clock that
evening, without uniform. These
words naturally excited my curiosity
| wore the imperial crown ON the col
lar of my uniform coat. and i'll 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 | got to the embassy. learned,
to my surprise, that the minister and /
were to visit the car Incognito.
General Curtin had parcel under
his arm when we reached the palace,
and to my amazement he was prompt
ly admitted without question to the
ear $ private apartments followed
after HIM The emperor at once dismiss
ed his attendants gave as hearty hand
shakes and babe It's be seated III front OF
CHEEKY coal fire IN IL large cOmforta-
bic looking sitting room General Cur
tin was evidently very much at home
there, and from the packet under his
arm he now produced IA large black bot
tie. A servant brought lemons crack
ed ice a silver bowl containing mag
nificent bunch of mint loaf sugar, yer
mouth and brandy And thereupon in
my presence the American minister
gave the car lessons III the art Of max
ing mint Juleps and whisky cocktails
THE whisky was old Monougahela
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
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
- 81, g
st Petersburg Ten barrels of Monon-
gahela rye were shipped from Pennsyl-
vanla not long afterward to the car
You d never guess my part IN the fes
tiyitles 1t was nothing more nor less
than telling Niger stories OF course
knew plenty of them, having been
brought up III the south in antebellum
days and the ear 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 czar's request 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, ut
many of which Alexander laughed as
merrlly as a schoolboy i love to be
with men, he would say L love Amer
leans as hate sycophants He was
heard to say more than once that the
happlest hours OF his life were those
passed in this 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 a national, u religious
sentiment In 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 liberator The
third Is that of Alexander That was
an evening to be treasured up in mem
DRY New York Sun.