Evening star., 1898-12-10

| honesty One of tfre generals NET anfipa-
| thies was debt, as Illustrated in his war on
| the United States Bank. and he despised a
| debtor who would not pay his obligations
| as shown by the following story:
story of Andrew Jackson.
| certain landlady of Washington had a
q boarder a young man working in one OF
the departm ents who had run up a large
account, which be finally refused to pay.
| Some friends having advised her to go
| see the President about it she took this
| iocuIar advice seriously, and went to him
| with her tale Of woe. He received her
| kindly and listened attentively to what
| she narrated, and then said: Go home and
| get that young man TO give you a note for
| the fun amount; then bring that note to
| me"
| The debtor was quite willing to give her
! a note. having no Intention whatever of
| paying it, and she took it to the President.
| as directed. who seized his famous old steel
| pen and scrawled across it's back, Endorsed
| by Andrew Jackson.
Nov. take that to the bank and get
| your money. If the young rascal refuses
| to pay 1t, why, we1l Sect
The note was taken to the bank, and some
| time before it came due the customary no
! tjfication was sent TO the recalcitraut debt
| or; but he paid no attention to it, Then
word was sent that he had better come and
see who his iudorSer was. He went; he
saw: what his feelings We're has not been
Over across the Potomac. at the farther
end of the Long bridge, somewhere buried
in the mud. lies the corner stone of Jackson
City which ambitious spectators OF Jack,
sons day intended should be a rival of
Washington. The President was induced
not only to lend his name to the future
metropolis but to attend the laying of the
corner stone. In common with others, Mr..
Bartle went up from Alexandria to meet
the presidential party, and to get some of
the bounttful banquet which announc'
ed with great flourish Of trumpets and on
flaming posters. He saw the general, ne
though he, boy-like, made his best en-,
deavors to get to the table he obtained
only a chicken wing. But he Jared better
than the general who got nothing at all
He was even prevented by the rush for the
tables from making his speech: had to
struggle for his life, and came near getting
hit on the head by turkey, which two
men had grabbed by the legs and were
Squabbine over across the board. Jackson
City never got far beyond that corner stone,
anyway, and is almost as dead today as the
great man after whom it was named.
Anecdotes of Famous Men,
Gen. Jackson died the year Mr.. Bartle
was appointed to office, in 1915, and If
space permitted We might give his Iemi-
niscences OF the dead and gone giants of
those days, for he ATTENDED the sessions of
the Star Congress, and later heard that
famous trumvirate, Clay, Calhoun and
Webster, in their great debates. He even
caught a glimpse one day, of cranky John
Randolph, as he was hurrying toward the
Capitol to attend session of the Senate.
He has several anecdotes of Daniel Web
steri and in answer to the query If he had
ever seen him, said: yes indeed and |
have here q cherished mamento of that
great man" Going to his desk the aged
Clerk took from drawer small pearl
handled penknife, of the sort a generous
reSentatives--a Congressional knife" in
fact-and which, he said, was brought into
his Office by Webster himself
M Bertie,- sag the great expounder,
name?" The clerk fpid him, and then said
Daniel ''Air. BartIs, take that knife and
have those letters engraved on that silver
plate" He did soa and few days later
naturally oncIudadsthat5 the knife was In
tended for him; but no. The great man
took it, looked at II approvingly. and then
calmly dropped it into his capaciOus pocket
turned on his heel and walked away, leav-
ing the wondering clerk gazing after him
in some aStOniShmCnt
This occurrence took place but a short
time before Mr.. Webster's demise, and
when Mr.. sBartle heard of it ne wrote to
the executor of Mr. Wcbster's estate, at
Narshtieid. Mass, detailing the circum-
stances and requesting that the knife might
b. sent him, il compatible with his wishes.
] MS " dS tbIAt anu the NSTlldDlt kl1e, Win
his initials engraved on the silver plate is
still in his possession He thinks Mr. Web
ster intended to present him with the
knife, but that he forgot it in the abstrac-
tion consequent upon some great question,
and omitted to.carry out his intention.
These two were on very good terms. for
some time before that incident occurred the
"Godike' came TO him and abruptly de-
manded if ne had any money about his per-
son. He answered cautiously. knowing Mr.
Webster's habits, that he hadn't any at the
office
Have you got any at home, then?'
Have you got as much as one hundred
dollars?"
yes, sir
Can you get it immediately"
Yes. sir"
Then bring it to me"
Loaned Money to Webster.
The money was handed over no receipt
being taken or asked, and in view of Mr..
Websters welI-known laxity in such mat
ters, the poor clerk was perhaps justified
in looking upon 1t as gone forever. But
the most astonishing part OF this transac-
ton Is that the money was paid back on
demand. After waiting for what he
thought was a reasonable time the cred
itor ventured to remind Mr. Webster Of
that little obligation.
WHAT exclaimed Daniel, turning upon
him his big, glowing eyes. DO l owe you
one hundred doIars?"
Yes. sir "
We'll, here; take that. 1t happens to be
Just the amount of the Indebtedness"
-Four years ago the editor of prominent
religious paper, who had formerly held
office under the government, wrote: II went
INTO the office of the appointment clerk
and there found Mr.. Bartle in room
commanding d most delightful view of the
Potomac, sitting at his desk, writing that
very moment on parchment the appoint
ment of the United tates minister to Chile.
Mr.. Bartle is now eighty years of age, and
has been in the Department Of State for
nifty years. But you could not read his
age in the large steady characters of his
handwriting. In his last fifty years he
has commissioned a whole army of consuls
and ministers, and l hope he will live to
commission a good many more"
1t is something to have met and conversed
with one whose recollection of events eX-
tends through nineteen out of the twenty
flve administrations which this country has
known; who has met Jackson and Adams
Polk, Tyler, Van Buren, Pierce, Lincoln
Grant, Garfield and Arthur, and who has
conserved within his memory the tradi-
tions of their times. May his shadow
never grow less and may ne live tshouid