The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-05-06
ADMIRAL DEWEY's CHECK.
Il Is for $40, but seems 90 BE Worth n
Good Deal More 90 Some Men.
New York Sun.)

Admiral Dewey's check on New York
bank for the sum of SO has occasioned
NJ end of perplexity 10 perfectly we'll
meluing citizen. The check is regularly
Or wn and was issued in the ordinary
oourss OF business Nobody doubts that
there are ample funds in the bank to
NEST It, There are no complications of
Endorsement, Identification or anything
OF that kind. In word, everything is
as right as right can be, and yet the hold
er Of the check can't make up his mind
for the life of him to deposit the paper
ami get the proceeds as he ordinarily
would.
1t befell in this way: The holder Of
the check is an otler In the navy and "a
member Of the University club His
name is neither here nor there. He is a
member of the committee of alumni of
Annapolis appointed to raise the money
which, is to pay for carving the crest
Of tho Naval Academy on one OF the
marble medallions that are to adorn the
facade of the new University club build
ing in Fifth avenue. There is one of
tnese medalllons for each college whose
alumni are eligible to membership in the
club, and the cost Of carving is borne
by the alumni OF the respective iustitu-
lions.
Commander Dash, which is not the
name of the officer in question, wrote to
Admiral Dewey at Manila, apprisiug
him of the medallion scheme. and inti-
mating that the admiTal's assessment
was Sc and some odd cents. BY return
post the committeeman received nice
letter. Likewise, the admiral inclosed his
check for $40 sending little more than
was asked for, beoause-well apparent
ly because that's the kind of good fell
low Admiral Georgia Dewey is.
Commander Dash opened this letter
in the smoking room of the University
club one evening and, as there were sew
eral Annapolis men present, he read it
aloud. There was the m ost respectful 81
lence until the reader ca me to the pas
sage, II inolose my check for $40, which,
sic, +" when some fellow broke in with:
"Sny, I'll give you $50 for that check T.
FIFTY devilsi I'll give you hundred !"
Hundred N 1ftyi'
1.-TWO hundred - Three hundred "
''Four hundredP'
Rattlety- diff bangl And so on, until,
N less than a jiffy, the bewildereG com.
manler found himself the center of an
eager gang of aniable sayages in even
ing Dress every man-jack of them hound
to own that check, and deuce take the ex-
Tense.
1t YVES exactly at this point that the
commanders perplexities began. 1t was
hard to turn away all that good money,
more by token that it would come in
handy for a number of little frills partic-
ularly desired at that time in connection
with the medallion, and sundry other
vanities needed at the new club house in
behalf Of the Annapolis alumni (most of
whom, being nothing but heroic defend
ers of their country, are, OF course, ohron-
icnlly hard upl. But, on the other hand,
what right had he to part with the ad-
miral's check in such fashion without the
admiral's consent? 10 write to Manila
ana get back an answer would take a
month Of Sundays and be too late. And,
finally now was he to decide between
the two OF the savages in even ing dress
each of whom asserted, and swore to it,
that he was the rightful author OF the
highest bid?
In his perplexity, Commander Dash
pat the check back into his pocket tell
lug abe excited bidders each and several
ly to go to the deuce. All OF which hap
pened some days ago. But the fate of the
admiraPs check isn't deci ded yet