The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-13
SORRY SHE'S DEWEY'S COUSIN.
Some Unexpected EmbaTrassments Of Sec
oDd-haBd Fame.

Ida K. Dewey in New York Journal.
once | was proud that | was Dewey
and relative of the great Admiral Now
1 wish with all my heart that | could get
away from the name for little while.
came to New York from Walton, y. Y,
three years ago. 1t was necessary for me
to earn my own living. and | thought !
could do best in a large city. At that
time no one knew me. l could go where
liked and do as / pleased. / was not
stared at in the streets, neither did people
follow me nor write me letters.
| My troubles began soon after the victory
| Of Admiral Dewey at Manila OF course,
/ many people knew my name, and they
| asked me if | was any relative. In an
| evil moment | told the truth and said
that We were cousins. That was tie end
| Of my peace OF mind.
A day or two later one of the Sullivan
/ County papers printed an article about our
family and gave my address in New
/ York
Two days later a theatrical manager
/ called upon me and wanted 10 know IL /
[ aid not want to go upon the stage. |
said most emphatically that / did not.
That refusal did not seem 10 make any
! difference to the theatrical man he tOld
/ a reporter that l had "histTionic ambi-
! tons" and there was an article in the
/ newspaper.
/ l cried half the morning over that first
| newspaper story, but / had TO wipe my
/ eyes to go down 10 talk with two other
callers They were both theatrical men,
and they offered me more inducements
I than the first one. / still refused, That
evening my fellOw-bOarders began 20
I make jokes about me, and things grew far
/ from comfortable
After that / saw some newspaper men
and told them all about myself. They
/ printed exactly what l had said. and /
( hoped that il would stop the talk and
make people let me mind my own busi-
ness in peace Well. il didn't. The only
/ effect was 10 bring another heatrical man.
He wanted me TO take part in a "Jekyll
and Hyde company / told him that |
couldn't act; that ! didn't know thing
about the stage; that didn't want 10 act.
and, lastly, that / never could stand up
before whole lot OF people and 90 any
thing at all.
That didn't bother him a bit. He said
that the acting part Of IL was inmate
rial. and that II / didn't know how 10 act
he would soon teach me. ] don't Ike 20
confess il, but the fact is that he made
me almost believe that all 1 had 10 do
was 70 show myself upon the stage 20 be
an instant and complete success. Then,
too, he offered me quite d good salary,
ahd-well, / had come 10 New York u
make my own way III the world, so /
accepted
[ went 20 just one rehearsal Of the
"Jekyl and Hyde" thing. and then / de-
{ fALsl lfldt 4 fOlilu Z ana ~OulGnt. DE
stared at for a price just because / was a
Dewey. IL il had been FOR me, myself, II
might have been different. / refused 20
90 on the stage, for / saw In a minute
that / could no more act than / could fiy
and j asked the manager 70 take my
name of the billbOsrds. lie said he would
but he didn't
Finally fell sick from sheer wo.ry ard
humiliation. and had 10 be laksn 10 :he
hospital for quietness- There were a iof
OF soldiers there. and, q course, / was
Interested in them fust a. other pe1ale
might have been While xes coaEalesc-
ing q man / knew slightly .Oid me :hzt
one OF the soldiers had been arrezt.d
while he was Out for exercise. / said thar
Il was 4 shame The man said %, course
IL h. and suggested that. as the soldier
had no friends. I should write . nae 20
the Magistrate, or 70 10 court and try %
get the soldier set free. ] VAS s9fry for
the soldier. and ] went 10 court.
Dc yeU think that the man Wns Eor me
70 60 there Was interested IN ths sOidierz
Not bit Of IL. He went ngnt away and
sold a stsry 10 a nswspaPer Of how the
cousin 0f the great Admiral had rescued
peor soldier from iah-" That was what
he did il for
Only a few Says age 7 had 4 chsnes 70
work Tor fen days D. exhibiting some
neS materials Tor children wear " a
stere IL WSs not very nice W0Ta. fsr it
necsssitsted sitting 10 a sisre window. bat
/ did Ii became ] had 10 live.
All 7 heard ali day long was That's
that Miss Dewey" There's Aiss Dewey,