Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-01
THE CARS JULEPS.
MINISTER CURTIN SHOWED THE EN-
PeRoR HOW re MIX THEM.
a Eeminiscence OF Diplomacy Under Alex.
ander II Of Eussia-The Gar . Lover
Of Darby Anecdote and Dialect-Amer.
lean Whisky For His Cellar.

lean whisky For His Cellar.
Il was in Paris" said Colonel ". F. |
" Mccarthy Of this city, THAT / be. |
came acquainted with ar aid Of the |
Car Alexander IL The Russians are
greatly interested in applied chemistry
end novel mechanical devices for war
fare. / had some ideas on these subjects
which an aid asked ne 10 put befors !
his superiors. The Grand Duke Constan.
tine vas there. and was presented to
him. Our interviews finally led to my
going 10 st. Petersburg. where ! was
presented t. the car himself.
"A first met the emperor in the Win.
ter palace one morning at O'Clock. He
was an early riser. and the machinery
Of the court was all in operation by tina.
hour His majesty received me kindly
aud at once put me at my ease. L love
Americans, be >aid. with smile. and
soon learned that this was true An
drew q. Cuntin Of Pennsylvania was
then minister from the United States nc
the imperial court, and there was no.
body in whose society the car took more
satisfaction.
III never forget the mysterious er-
rand upon which ! was dispatched one
cold and stormy night by. and 1 may
say with, General Curtin, as he was
universally called in IT. Petersburg.
My entry into the emperor's secret ssrv.
ice had by that time become an accom-
plishcd fact. l had become Russian,
had sworn allegiance 20 the car. spir-
itual and temporal, and had been en-.
tered on the official list of the chancel.
lorio rs Nasili Makroff. William Z.
Mason Mccarthy ceased to exist from
that hour. at least in Russia. \ mes.
scuger had como asking me to the
American legation at : o'clock that
evening. without uniform These
words naturally excited my curiosity.
] wore the imperial crown on the COL
lar az my uniform coat, and in that
dress passed ut VIII through the streets
Of St Petersburg by day or by night.
FCr was supposed to he all the while
ON my imperial masters business.
When got TO the embassy, learned.
to my surprise, that the minister and !
were to visit the car incoSnito.
"Gcheral Curtin had parcel under
his arm when we reached the palace.
and 10 my amazemcnt 10 was prompt.
IL admitted without question to the
cars private apartments l followed
after him. The emperor at once dismiss
cd his attendants, gave us hearty hand
shakes and babe Us be seated in front of
CHEEKY coal fire in large comforta-
bic looking sitting room General Cur
tin was evidently very much nc home
there. and from the packet under his
arm he now produced large black bot
tie. y servant brought lemons. crack
ed ice, a silver bowl Containing Il mag
niticont bunch Of mint, loaf sugar, yer.
mouth and brandy. And thereupon in
my presence the American minister
gave the ear lessons in the art of max
ing mint Julcrs and whisky cocktails.
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 i'll his life
rs tho julcps, and he forthwith commits.
| stoned General Curtin to order for the
imperial cellars a large quantity Of the
| rye whisky. which lie had never heard
Of until after the arrival Of Curtin il
-. Petersburg. Ten barrels Of MOnon-
gahcla rye We're shipped from Pcnnsyi.
vania nOt long afterward to the car.
You'd never guess my part in the fcs.
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 antebellum
days, and the ear never tired of hear.
ing them. Folklorc tales and the quain,
conycrSltion between Br'er Rabbit and
Br'or Bar delighted him. Aftcrward,
at the cars request. l sent to New
York for all the books Of this descrip.
ton could get.
| General Curtin won the affection of
his majesty by his genial personality.
his fund OF anecdote and his unaffected
4 III NNAlil NNAA slOTN allGl
story Of American life and incident, a,
many Of which Alexander laughed n.
merrily as a schoolboy. Il love to be
with men, he would say. Hove Amer.
leans as 1 hate sycophants.' He was
heard to say more than once that the
happicst hours Of his life were those
passed in this way with General Curtin.
THE peculiar affection for the Unit.
cd States cherished in Russia. in spite
Of the Russians dislike for foreigner.
in general. l. a national, religion.
sentiment IL every Russian church the
visitor Is impresssd-if al American be
il astounded-by the prominent posi-.
ton in which he beholds three grea,
portraits displayed with reverence and
deep significance Tho first is that O.
Peter the Great, tho father Of Russia,
rs we know 1t. The second is that O.
Abraham Lincoln, the liberator. The
third is that Of Alexander. Tbxf wa:
an evening TO be treasured up in mem
ory. New York sun.