Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-12-17
THE GLARS JULEPs.
MINISTER CURTIN SHOWED THE EN-
PERoR HOW TO MIX THEM.

andcr IL Of Russia-The Cur q Lover
of Darby Anccdote and D;alect-Amcr-
lean Whisky For His Cellar.
81 was in Paris, said Colonel w. +.
NJ. Mccarthy of this city, "that l 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. l had some ideas on these subjects
which IN aid asked me to put before
his superiors. The Grand Duke Constan-
tine was there. and l was presented to
him. Our interviews finally led to my
going to ST. Petersburg, where l was
presented to the car himself.
~ first met the emperor in the Win.
ter palace Que morning at 8 O'Clock. He
was III early riser, and tho machinery
of the court was all in operation by that
hour. His majesty received me kindly
and at once put me ut my ease. Il love
Americans. he said. with u 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 i'll whose society the car took more
satisfaction
"Ill never forget the mysterious er-
rand upon which l was dispatched one
cold and stormy night by, and l may
say with, General Curtin, as he was
universally called i'll st. Petersburg.
My entry into the emperor ) secret serv-
Ice had by that time become an accom-
plishcd fact. 1 had become u Russian,
had sworn allegiance to the car, spir-
itual and temporal, and had been en-
tered on the official list of the chancel-
lerie us Vasili Malsroif. William +.
Mason Mccarthy ceased to exist from
that hour, at least in Russia. a mes
senger had CON asking me to the
American legation at s O'Clock that
evening, without uniform These
words naturally excited my curiosity
l wore the imperial rown 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 l was supposed to he all the while
When L got to the embassy, l learned,
to my surprise. that the minister and l
were to visit the car incognito.
General Curtin had u parcel under
his arm when we reached the palace,
and to my amaZement he was prompt.
ly admitted without question to the
cars private apartments. | followed
after him. The emperor at once dismiss
ed his attendants, gave us hearty hand
shakes and babe US be seated i'll front of
u CHEEKY coal fire i'll q large comforta-
tin was evidently very much at home
there. and from the packet under his
arm he now produced IL large black bot
tie. A servant brought lemons, crack
ed ice. Il silver bowl containing a mag
nificent bunch of mint, loaf sugar, yer.
mouth aud brandy. And thereupon in
my presence the American minister
gave the eau lessons in the art of max
ing mint Julels and whisky cocktails.
1.-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 Il 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 car.
You'd guess my part in the fes.
tivities. 1t was nothing more nor less
than telling niger stories. OF course ]
knew plenty of them, having been
brought up in the south in %antebelluml
days, and the czar never tired of hear.
ing them. Folklore tales and the quain,
conversation between Br'er Rabbit and
Br'er Bar delighted him. Afterward,
at the cars request. l sent to New
York for all the books of this descrip.
ton l 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 afte,
story of American life and incident, al
many Of which Alexander laughed as
merrily as a schoolboy. Il love to be
with men,, he would say. .Ilove Amer.
leans az l hate sy%cophants.' He wal
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 i'll Russia, in spite
of the Russians dislike for foreigners
in general. Is IL national. u religion.
sentiment. In every Russian church the
visitor is impressed-lf all American he
is automatically the prominent posi-.
ton III which he beholds three great
portraits displayed with reverence ant
deep significance. The first is that o.
, Peter the Great. the father of Russia,
as we know it. The second Is that O
Abraham Lincoln. the liberator. Tho
third is that of Alexander. That wa.
an evening to be treasured up i'll mem.
Dry New York Sun.
That Awful Child.
The Dear Child-Oh, Mrs. Peek
+ when did Won get back.