Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-23

THAT THEY HAD BEEN KISSED
BY A SUBSTITUTE.
The following is the Kansas City
Journals description Of L-~ut. Hob
sons kissing exploits in that city on
Monday afternoon
Lieut.. Richmond P. Hobson, the
popular hero Of Santiago, was kissed 10
a standstill by the women OF Kansas
City yesterday afternoon at the Coates
House. The Chicago record OF pal
try less than 200 was smashed 10
smithereens, AT Kansas City women
paying the penalty which the young
hero of the Merrimac exacts from
every pretty woman he meets.
Lieut.. Hobson arrived in the city
yesterday afternoon at 2 O'Clock over
the Santa Fe and after series OF oya-
lions held a reception for ladies only
between and O'Clock. This was the
real event of the day. One Of the mem-
hers of the entertainment committee
asked the lieutenant if he would not
have something before the ordeal,
but he declined with thanks, as he
laughingly declared that coffee never
had any effect upon his breath.
"There must have been at least 500
women who had gathered in the large
rotunda on the first floor of the hotel,
overlooking the lobby, and they I'M
patiently awaited the time when the
great hero would he led forth TO
slaughter. They bombarded the door
of his room, but the committee took
good care that none OF them got IN
to bother him. They walked up and
down the promenade exchanging views
as to his Lersonality and in particular
{ in regard to his good looks. 1t was
a we'll gowned and well looking gath
ering of women and some of the noted
society leaders Of the city were there
The high school girls were Oh hand IN
numbers, and they were all on the
qui viye to see the hero OF Santiago
They We're inclined to be disappointed
that he waS not in his uniform, and
it is matter of fact that had the
brave officer been adorned with tins
regalia of his army position he would
have been kissed twice as often as hS
was, Perhaps he knew this.
st was Ais o'clock to the secon.
when Mr.. Evans and Mr.. Eppersor
conducted Lieut.. Hobson along tbs
hall, through surging mass OF Wo
:nlen, struggling, pushing women, to al
= facfNageous position near its NORTH
moment there a stand was taken, witt
said. bette.E' to the assemblage tha
: better fe4tobson was prepared to meet
any of the ladies CT the city who cared
10 make his acquaintance, there was :
general stampede to get into line. AND
the Lieutenant braced up and looked
handsomer than ever, and smiled and
beamed, until the men present re-
marked to one another that they would
not blame any woman for kissing him
The first girl who kissed Hobson in
Kansas City was little Margaret Car
ter, the 12-year-old daughter of C. J.
Carter. After that there were hun
dreds, SO many of them, in fact, that
the newspaper men who had started
olt to count them grew tired of the
! task when the 267th mad passed by and
there were several hundred more wa t.
ing.
Nearly every woman who confronted
the lieutenant wanted his autograph.
and before he wrote it he always grave
ly remarked, with a twinkle in his eye:
OF course, | will be delighted to give
you my autograph, but you know that
l nave established an inVari BILE rule
that She who receives my name must
pay the penalty"
4 And then the woman would blush
and look conscious and demonstrate,
and finally wind up by gracefully
yielding, and usually without much
urging, and receive warm kiss full
upon the lips. For the lieutenant eX-
acted the full tribute. He would have
none Of the cheek. but had to have it
In the good old-fashioned style, and
when there was remOnStrance to this
he would gently, very gently, use a lit
tie force upon the head, and bend the
blushing lips until they came in con-
tact with his own.
The women who kiss Lieut.. Hobson
will never forget him. He has a way
all his own, and it certainly looks to
DC very enticing one There is moth
ing half-hearted about him. for he puts
his left arm about the girls neck.
places her head upon his left shoulder,
bends smiling face down to hers, his
eyes looking into hers, and then-oh,
WELL there are several hundred Kan
saS City women who know what hap
pens then. But it is a poem, and there
were number of the girls, the pretty
ones, who came back second time
and quite few the third. Of course
there we're some who would not be
kissed under any circumstances. but
those were mostly married women who
didn't think about it. and then it was
so public. you know. But they all look
ed as if they would have liked toNand
no one could blame them for Their
looks.
Il Just came to shake hands with
you" said one particularly fine-looking
woman, as she beamed into his face a
look tina. belied her words.
But are you not going to pay the
Nenalty2r sfnilingly returned tho lion