Evening star., 1898-04-30
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which they can enlist as sailors and pre-
serve their social status and immunity
from the unbecoming duties of fo'castle
life on a man-of-war.
They have been ordered to Norfolk and
are proceeding with the dire prospect OF
fo'castle service in mixed company.
X x x
Zone of the most interesting characters
In the government service" said an official
of the State Department today lis Eddie
Savoy, the colored messenger of the assist
ant secretary Of state He has been en-
poyed in that department for the pas,
tWenty-seven years and is thoroughly i'm
bued with all its customs and traditions
A perfect diplomat in his way he never
sees anything he should not nor
knows anything it is not intended he
should know. At least that is how he i'm
presses the people who do business with
him-his superiors, well as those desir-
ing to communicate with them His posi-
tion is a strictly confidential one, and fire.
quently puts him in possession of highly
important state secrets, the premature dis
closure OF which, in several recent in
stances, would have seriously embarrassed
the government. But never since he first
entered the foreign office, back in the ad-
ministrdticn of Secretary Fish, when the
state Department was located in the build
ing at the corner of 14th and S streets now
used as an orphan asylum, has he been
known to betray trust to tell anything
whatever about the affairs of the State De-
rartment that he was not personally au-
thorized to tell. 1 am reminded of this by
the important part he played in the events
attending the recall of Sackville West the
British minister, during Claveland's first ad-
mlnistration, we'll as those in the more
recent case of Senor Polo, the Spanish min
lster He acted as the trusted messenger
between the Secretary of State and the for
eign minister in both cases. Secretary Bay
ard selected him to personally hand Mr..
Sackville West his passports and Secretary
Day conflded to him the important duty of
handing to Senior Polo, first, President Nc
HlnieyS ultimatum 10 the Spanish govern
ment for the evacuation of Cuba, and next
tfie Official papers insuring him safe con-
duct out of the territory of the United
States. Eddie as he is Familiarity called,
was fully impI essed with the Importance
of these missions and adopted a simple but
shrewd method to satisfy the head OF the
department of their successful execution.
When he handed Minister West the Jack
age containing his passports, he ask ed him
as 4 favor to show that they had been prop
erly delivered that he write his autograph
on the official envelope and give it to him.
Mr.. West did as requested, and Eddie took
the envelope with its autographs indorSe-
ment and broken seal back to the depart
M.ent and showed il to Mr.. Bayard. He fol-
lowed exactly the SAM course with equal
success in delivering the ultimat1m TO Min
lister Polo. The two envelopes are now
'Eddie's' private property having been
presented TO him by Secretaries Bayard and
Day, and are treasured by him relics of
important events in the diplomatic history
of the United States.''
* X =: * x
In a store on 9TH street there is a clerk
who has for months been talking war
Though he handles silks and laces and
smiles sweetly at the fair ones who often
linger at his counter, this has at no time
n ~,
War in its most deadly form is what he
has been craving for; at least, he SO ex-
pressed himself TO the other clerks in the
store.
All he wanted to hear was the call for
arms and he should not be found wanting
This was before the President made his
call for 125. 900 volunteers. The day follow
ing the Presidents call it was noticed that
this feTocious clerk had little to say regard
ing war. Several of his fellow clerks re-
solved to have some fun at his expense
One of the proprietors of the store, who is
also fond of joke, was let into the secret
ard he assisted in making il a bowling sue
cess. lie brought to his aid downtown
friend Of pronounced martial bearing. on
Wednesday this friend entered the 7th
street store and, bringing out some blanks
which looked as if they might have been
issued by the War Department, began tax
ing down the names and ages of several of
the clerks, who at first protested against
being dragged away from a peaceful abode
to scenes of direful carnage. but who final
ly with great reluctance signed their
names to the blanks.
The man of martial bearing then turned
10 register the clerk who had been SO fierce
for war, and whose name is Charlie Char
lie was staggered at the awful suddenness
of the situation and turned pale in an in
slant.
Eha & In,
| fitted kaleGOscope-like before him. and in
fancy he could almost see himself lodging
cannon balls. He registered an emphatic
protest against being hustled off to the
front on so little ceremony
Those who We're in on the little piece of
amusement are equally emphatic when
they declare that Charlie really looked upon
his selection for suitable war material az
official until late in the day, when he found
that he had been the victim of rude jSke
The soda water fountain in a drug store
across the street was kept busy that even
irg, and Charlie footed the bill. Charlie no
more talks of war.
X x !. >:
My colored barber persisted in wanting
war with SPAIN" said a congressman in
talking about some of the incidents leading
up 10 the rupture of relations with Spain.
Every time he shaved me he talked in
fierce and warlike torres and intimated that
the administration was acting In too con-
servative a manner. In fact, he shouted
for gore. 1 grew tired and decided to put
a stop to it.
What is your name? / asked him one
day. He looked curiously at me, but gave
me his last name.
:" Now l want your initials said.
=" LUX hyear. boss he said 'whut yer
want wild my name? / did not answer him.
although he finally gave his initials.
Now. | would like to have your city
address, l said
''He vas badly scared colored citizen by
tLis time Fer grashus sake, boss he
said. in frightened tones. gimme sum un-
derstandng ub dis ting
Il at once told him that the Secretary of
War had asked me to take the names of all
men who seemed inclined to want to fight,
as the Secretary desired to add them to the
list of nervy Ten who wanted to tackle the
Spaniards without delay.
Then 1 had a barrel of fun. Please dom
do dat he begged. De truf is. has bron-
cbitis, Bright's disease and consumption
an my health is in de WIS state l cher
saw 1 promised him to say nothing right
away about the matter. but he never both
cred me again, and SO far as / knew never
talked war with anybody again."