Evening star., 1898-04-30

Written for The Evening Sta-.
I'll bet Representative Joe Cannon was
spry fellow in his youth, and I'll bet
even money. too, that his music was not
wei developed as his muscles said a
former member of Congress few days
ago.
And on what do you base your prep
osition?' asked The Star reporter with
whom he was talk:rg.
We'll, / don't mind telling you. One
night in the early rart of February l was
sitting in the lobby of the Cochran. Can
non and Representative Shattuck of Ohio
came out from dinner and stood talking
near the news stand. Just then a street
piano on the outside struck up some SLOW
and pathetic melody-I think it was Ben
Bolt'-and instantly Uncle Joe pegan a
double shuttle. 1t was only for a moment
that he permitted his feet 10 work. but
long enough to show that he must have
been the pride of the country girls OF his
Ullinois) district in the days when he was
young.
II think he would have danced a trine
longer If Shattuck hadn't whispered to
him that the piece was not a Jig, but a
touching melody.
1T was indeed too bad to break Up
Uncle Joe's' frolic.''
That Billy goat the boys had for a mas
cot on the New York" remarked the pay
masters clerk, suggests monkey that my
father used to tell me about that they had
on a frigate in the times before the war.
This monkey the sailors had picked up
somewhere in the Indian ocean countries.
1t was a bright little pink-nosed fellow that
preferred association with human kind to
his own, and he hadn't been aboard ship
-
beriess ways how much better satisfied he
was with his new home than he could posi-
bly, have been with his old one in the lush
forests of the tropics.
He was everybody's favorite and had a
special fondness for the cook who was a
darkey from Virginia. The ship was sta
TONED in the China ports for a year, and
during that time the monkey was the light
and joy of the whole crew. When the
Fourth of July came around permission
was asked from the harbOr authorities of
the port where they were to fire a salute
and preparations were made for doing it in
style. The regular salute was fired and
then it was proposed that the crew sing
The Star Spangled Banner and fire a gun
for chorus The gun was loaded and every
thing was left ready while the crew went
to the main deck. where something to drink
the health of the nation was to be served
before the song was sung, and the gunner
was to be sent back to shoot off the chorus.
The program was carried out to the let
ter, and my father always said he never
heard the Banner sung half as we'll before
nor since, and the cannon chorus couldn t
be beat Then the men scattered and
somebody thought of the monkey. You
See. he wasn't a native American as my
father always said and they had over
looked him in the celebration. But he was
not to be found The cook hadn't seen him
nor had the cooks boy nor would he re-
brought him flying. What had become of
him no one knew until at q o'clock when a
boats crew went ashore 10 big spring for
water The ship lay off from this spring
about 4 quarter Of ii mile. and over it was
big tree as shade. When the men came
to the spring they noticed in the branches
of the tree something that had a familiar
look to II. and knocking it out with sticks
and stones they found the pink nose of
their poor little pet attached to a few
shreds and patches Of monkey skin.
That told the story of the disappearance
OF Mug, the monkey He had in a spirit
of sport chased himself into the mouth of
that saluting cannon, and when they fred
II Mug went ashore"
< < =
There are some things funny even abou;
going towar. Some of the swell naval militia
have found this out. though the real humor
Of ii is not as plain To them as to the out
side looker-on. The Detroit naval militia
Is just now playing a serio-comic part to
the great amusement of some of their less
patriotic friends and to their own great en-
barrassment. This naval organizati ton is a
very swell affair in Detroit. The humblest
tar under the command Of Lieutenant Com
mander Wilkes counts his wealth by the
hundred thousands. The whole organiza-
ton is composed of rich young men who
live on the one particularly fashionable
street in Detroit, and is as exclusive as any
swell club in the country. Being the naval
militia meant to them giving official char
acter 10 II very delightful and well-regulat-
ed yachting party. 1t with great
prOmptness and pride that they volunteered
their services to their country at the first
sound of war. They had visions of having
d vessel all to themselves and sailing under
their own commander, who would recognize
the social equality existing between the
officers and the men. 1t was cruel shock
TO them when they discovered that after en-.
listing they would be common sailors and
nothing more, subject to the orders of the
department, liable to be separated from the
good society OF each other and to he asso-
Grated with sailor men who have never had
any social status above the TO castle and
De expected TO scrub deck and do other dis
tasteful and unbecoming work that sailor
men have to do. With this terrible pros
pect before them they got up a round
ropbln ana sent two representatives, to
Washington to consult with the Secretary
or the Navy about the matter. These rep
resentatives We're lieutenant Comma nder
Wilkes and Chief Boatswain's Mate JOY.
They saw Assistant Secretary Roosevelt
and for the first time in the history of The
navy so high an official was called upou Ia
discuss with a chief boatswain's mate a
question of raval regulations and the pro-
priety of said chief boatswain's mate and
MS associate sailors being ordered to this
sort OF duty or that. The interview with
MT Roosevelt only served to make il plain
er to them than II had been before that If
they enlisted in the navy they would have
10 be treated as other enlisted men ard %
TO such duty as they might be ordered To
without having the choice of maintaining
their own exclusive circle where the dis
their social claims. They are now con-
fronted with the prospect of being com
PEELED to serve wherever ordered, as com
clOn sailors, or else to retrace their steps