Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-27
AN AMIABLE CONVERSATION.

Washington Star: when the Armenian
troubles were at their height a bit short of
two years ago." said a naval paymaster,
my ship, the San Francisco, flagship of
the Mediterranean squadron, carrying
Admiral Kirkland's bit of bunting,
dropped her mudhook in the harbor of the
most important seaport own in one of
the main provinces of Turkey, Asia. The
idea in anchoring there was not alone to
Kill time, but to give the engineers a
chance for some overhauling REQUIRED by
the machinery. After the ship had been
swinging to her anchor for an hour or so,
a 'gayly caparisoned' shoreboat came off
from the beach, bearing a messenger
from the vail, or Turkish governor, of the
province. He was in full Turkish uni
form, this messenger, and he jabbered at
the gangWay for some time before the
officer of the deck thought of sending for
Lieutenant Ward, the champion linguist
OF the American navy who was then at
tached to the San Francisco. Ward is
really a sharp when it comes to the Ian
guages, and he has won wide renown at
1T. What Ward dosen't know about any
old language, living, or dead and buried,
from ancient Carthaginian down to the
coon French of Louisiana, isn't worth
knowing. So the officer of the deck sent
for Ward to see if he could pick any talk
out Of this violently ~gesticulating duck in
the baggy gilt pants at the 1t
was easy, easy for Ward, talking Arabic
was, and in no time he had the wallis mes
senger reduced to smiles With the simp-
lest thing in life. He simply bore the re-
spects of the vail, who would be pleased
to come off to the San Francisco himself
on the following day, with the gracious
admirals invitation, etc. All of this was
70 r1sin1 off tn Admiral J(irI1nrI Of
course. and, also, of course, the bluff old
gentleman replied that ned be delighted
to receive his vali-Ship aboard the San
Francisco on the following afternoon.
well, the vail, gorgeous as the eastern
star in his clothes and jewels, came off to
the San Francisco, attended by his en-
tourage, whatever that means. on the fol-
lowing afternoon. The vail was a good
looking Turk, with a shreWd eye in his
head, and he was the incarnation, quint-
escence and tintype of courtesy and
grace. He spoke only in Turkish, and,
of course, Lieutenant Ward had to be
summoned to interpret his talk to the
admiral. At the gangway the vail eX-
pressed his appreciation of the nobility of
Admiral Kirkland, as exhibited by his
gracious invitation, and got off a lot of
other taffy like that, which Lieutenant
Ward faithfully translated. Then the
vail was conducted aft to the admirals
cabin, where, with the assistance of the
dragoman, Ward, the bluff old seadog and
the Turkish governor settled down for a
talk.
Now, I ought to say that Admiral
Kirkland didn't nave a bit of use in the
world for a Turk, and he was also pretty
sore at this time over the Armenian
massacres. He would like to have had
permission from this government tc
waltz into the harbor of Constantinople
-- L 11-.x Ll~+ 49,, ~"+ Df tha ofH
and, what's more, he often said SO right
out loud, so that he could be heard. Sc
that he didn't feel particularly honore6
over the visit of this vali-man, big guI
as the latter was in the eyes of the sui
tan. The vail, Admira kirkland anC
Lieutenant Ward, the interpreter, sa'
down at one of the admirals tables for {
y talk.
= "sWard,' said Admiral kirkland to hi:
Interpreter, you can tel that beady-eye(
S devil, that looks as if he's got murder il
. his heart. across the table, that if | ha(
= my way about it I'd keelhaul every blth
I ering mothers son of a Turk that wear:
= hair; YOU tell him that, Ward and the
f admiral looked as graciously as YOU
e please at the pleased-lookinS vail.
y The august admiral translated
Ward to the bowling vail, m,
= to tender to your eXcellency his renewed
assurances of his most devoted and solici
tous consideration
S Then the vail bowed his thanks grace
fully.
".Did YOU tell the curmudgeon that
Ward?' inquired the bluff old admiral
All right. Now you just tell him that i
these outrageous massacres continue, II
be sWuzzled if I won't some day forge
my orders, or, at any rate, get away IRON
cable communication, and find some pre-
text to hammer a few Turkish towns
ANYHOW. Tell him that, Ward-tell tn
black-browed runt that, lieutenant, /
you'll be so kind and Admiral kirkland
bowed respectfully in the direction of tn
vail.
1.-The most august admiral Translates
Lieutenant Ward, desires me to conve,
to your eXcellency the hope that you
present station is one of unending happi
ness for you and our-er-fainlly ana I
express the earnest hope that you
shadow may never, no never, grow less
(Which the vail received with man,
murmured expressions of gratitude.
ooh, it was pretty good, that talk o
the admiral's and the Wallis. Ward sal
afterward that it was torture for him., h
wanted so fiercely to yell, to roll on tn
ground and shout. With a countenanc
that was the very picture of amiabillty
the splendid old admiral said the mos
terrible things right to the Wallis face an
pretended that he expected Ward t
translate them just that way. Now, Ad
miral kirkland wasn't just what you ca
a-er-profane man, but Ward says ina
he did permit himself to drift into a rev
harmless swear words as he pleasantl
conyersed with the vail. The converse
ton went on in his way for almost a.
hour, and then the vail rose and. wit
many expressions of appreciation an