The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-31
COL. LUDLow's $50 CIGAR.
An Accident in the Official Life of
the Engineer.

the Engin eer.
Lieut. Col. Ludlow, who testified Tues
day as a witness for the defense in the
Carter court martial, was formerly in
charge of the government work at Savau-
nah, being the first engineer in charge
here after the war
Among other responsible positions which
Col. Ludlow has held is that OF
chief of the Philadelphia water depart
ment. Along in the sos the Philadelphia
water works got in such bad shape that
the authorities were in despair. The Sec
rotary of War was asked to assign a mem
Der of the engineer corps to take Charge OF
the works. He did so, and manage d them
for two years with great success. I'hila-
delphia'S politics were evidently not free
then from the rottenness which dis tin
cuisines them to-day, and the following in
cident,narrated in the Philadelphia Rect nc
and republlshed in the Morning News son lt
ten years ago, is said to have been an ACT
ual occurrences:
That's cool fellow" said an up-tow u
manufacturer, pointing across Chestnut
street, where Col. Ludlow, the chief of the
water department, was waiting for car.
Let me tell you something which hap
pened few days ago to friend of mine,
whose large establishment consumes a
great deal of water, and who has frequent
fayors to ask of the water department. He
recently visited the chiefs Office and found
Col. Ludlow, as usual very polite. My
friend, before preferring all his requests,
took $50 bank bill from his pocket and
passed it over to the chief, who examined
1T curiously for a second and then spread
1t upon the desk before him. He did not
utter word at the moment, but when his
visitor was about to go away said:
Now, my dear sir. what is this for?'
holding up the bill.
: OH that's to buy cigars for the boys,
was the careless reply.
Yes said Col. Ludlow; then sup
pose that you are fond of the weed your
self?'
MY friend said that he enjoyed moth
ing better than a good cigar.
Then allow me-, said the Colonel,
suavely, to insist upon you trying one CT
these, moving to a secretary and taking
down box of Henry Clay Specials.
Each gentleman took a cigar and bit
off the end. Then with a careless gesture
Col Ludlow rolled up the $50 bill into a
paper lighter, reached up to the gas, al
lowed 1t to become thoroughly ignited and
slowly lit his own cigar. You know that
to light your own weed first Is good
test of politeness. 1t comes from the
French, who very sagely reason that
whatever fumes or gases are generated in
lighting will be absorbed into the first ci-
| gar. This done, the Colonel turned with
an easy and polite motion, and said: Per
nit me-, and held the blazing bill under
the nose and up TO the cigar of my amazed
| and startled friend, whose eyes had now
become almost as big as dinner plates.
With two or three gasping inhalations he
managed to get a light. He kept his eyes
| upon the bill until it had burned to the
| very fingers which held it. Col. Ludlow
watched its last expiring spark as he Idly
| allowed the smoke of his cigar TO escape
| from between his lips. When the bank
| note had been completely reduced to ashes
| the Colonel turned TO his visitor and said
carelessly: How do you like your cigar?'
| The gentleman admitted its excellence ard
took his departure, attended to the door
| by the chief, who, with the utmost couc-
| tesy, shook him by the hand, and then
| closed the door to resume his work at his
desk. My friend gets purple in the face
| every time he thinks of the affair, and
confided it to me simply to warn me low
to behave myself at the water depart
ment."