Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-29

Written for The Evening Star.
Seeing Former President Harrison COM
ing from the White House grounds one day
this week recalled exciting race / wit
messed few years ago." said an employee
OF the Treasury Department to a Star re-
porter. The participants were Gen. Har-
rison and billy goat that used to tote
Baby Mckee about the executive grounds
ut was al exciting race too, and it
looked for time as if the billy goat were
going to be victorious.~e~The race also
demonstrated that the former President Is
a Splinter of small ability. On this
afternoon / speak of the goat was hauling
Baby Mckee about the front yard and
Gen. Harrison was walking about SO as
to be near at hand in case there was a DOS
sbility of any harm coming to his grand
son.
Finally. without any warning of his in
tentions. the goat started down Executive
avenue On a brisk canter At the foot of
the descent there was an excavation where
workmen had been repairing the street
The President saw this and started on a
walk behind the cart. The goat went a
little faster and the President cuickened
his steps When he heard footsteps behind
MIN the goat gave n toss to his head and
broke into genuine run.
When half way down the walk was
each doing their best. The Presidents
coat tails shot straight out behind and
the pdttering of his feet on the cement
pavement sounded like a woodoecker's at
spring.
For an instant they were neck and
neck. but finally the President gave
squirt and. by a brilliant coup. caught the
bride of the feet-footed billy goat just
before the excavation was reached. Baby
Mckee was as unconcerned as could be-
out his distinguished grandfather was
pretty well winded he led the goat and
cart back to the White House.
Yes, that was more fun than 1 have
had for years Gen. Harrison display red
better running qualities than he did at the
polls the following year."
Very few people outside the trade"
said leading wholesale dealer in handker-
chiefs in New York to a Star reporter re-
Gently. are aware that the consumption
OF handkerchiefs throughout the United
states amounts to about 5000 dozen daily
TIL means 27,375.OOO dozen yearly or 32S,-
6O,OO single han0kerchiefs. To satisfy
this enormous demand there are always
Kept IN stock in this city at least $50 OOO-
OOO handkerchiefs. 1t would be extremely
dHlcuit 20 say what such supply of goods
Is worth in the aggregate. as handkerchiefs
sell wholesale at anywhere from 30 cents
to $iO per dozen, according to quality and
finish. But the figures which 1 haye given
you are not exaggerated, and they throw
strong light on the gigantic dimensions
Of an important branch of the dry goods
business. ass
"A comparatively small number of hand
kerChiefs are manufactured in this co,Ir,-
try, and those that are made here are
mostly OF the cotton and inferior silk va
riety- The finest silk goods imported
principally from Japan, which country
sends us annually between 100000 and
100000 Japanese pongees.' The best
cambria article comes from France and
Belgium. and linen handkerehiefs come
from the nutth Of Ireland and also from
ST. Calls. Switzerland. Japanese silk hand
kerchiefs are worth from So to $40 per
dozen. while the imported cambrics from
Brussels sell for from IS to 81 Dozen,
and the cotton product manufactured in
Pennsylvania and New Jersey may be had
for 30 cents per dozen. 81.
The capital invested in this business is
immense. 1t may possibly amount to S1OO-
OOo.OOO. but owing to the fact that the trade
10 distributed. nothing like accurate fig
ures can be given. There are six or seven
firms in the dry goods district which deal
exclusively in handkerchiefs. But only two
OF these houses handle tire domestic article
extensively. Most of the large American
factories are located outside of the city,
but New York as in several other branches
of the dry goods business. is the great
distributing center for the trade"
= +
Edward Parker. the little old colored
man who occupies the sentry box at the
tomb of Washington at Mt. Vernon, lives
in Washington That is. his family live
here. and he comes over by special permit
OF the organization which has control of
the old home of the first President of the
United States.
For years the tomb Of Washington has
been constantly before this old colored
mans vision He has never missed a day
from that dingy sentry box since Mt Yer
non passed into the charge of the ladies',
and before that, dating from 1S4l, he had
lived on the place. He was a slave of John
Washington and is the last of the old SER
wants now living
Every other Saturday Parker comes over
to Washington, always carrying with him
an old-fashioned carpet bag, so common in
the days of reconstruction. The following
Monday morning he may always be seen a
naf hour at least before the first train
starts for Mt Vernon waiting around the
ccrner of Pennsylvania avenue and 18th
sueet He has never missed the first train
sirce me electric cars began running to
Mt Vernon Before that, the first boa. to
MI vernon on alternating Monday morn,
ings always found him a passenger
Parker Is indeed a character. He as
oiStcu III ouiyiuS the last person consigned
70 the vault in Washington's tomb After
that the key to the vault was thrown into
the Potomac. This was in the early 5Os
I have travelled about this country a
good deal during the past twenty years -
said a commercial drummer land 1 saw
something tonight that 1 have never seen
in any other city"
And what was that?' Star reporter
asked.
Il saw two Cinnamon, real un-American-
lied ce!estials. with their queues done up
in twists on their heads. occupying front
seats in one of the leading theaters of
the city. Understand 1 am not finding
fault with the presence of a Chinaman in
a theater; 1 merely speak of it because of
its novelty.
In New York the Cinnamon have a
theater of their own in Doyer street. which
is one OF the principal thoroughfares in
that part of the city known as Chinatown,
and there every night in the year you may
see congregated several hundred ceiestiais
and hear the weird melodramatic. music or
discord. which is a necessary adjunct to
their entertainment.
The fashion and wealth Of 5th avenue
often attend the Chinese theater as mat
tor of ri rsSxffr ax.1 ff