The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

tAtyo0 o. ooi14 able 20 o1lnk more Whlsky
Without showing II than any otnsr M. nan
one day he visited barber shop for the
purpose Of getting his hair cut. and was
ministsred unto BY . colored artist, who
made two or three attempts at discourse
on different subjects. finally remarkin9
that his customer was by no means the
only distinguished man who had occupied
u suppose not" grunted the congress
"Thers was Daniel webster. san." said
the negro, starting In on the shampoo.
HE done sot in this chair dozens Of
times"
"Indeedl'' replied the customer.
You remind me much Of him. san.
man. waking up. I'm the shape of my
head7'
mo, sah."
''In my manner Of speakingr'
mo, sah."
''rn what way. then. do resemble the
immortal Danielf'
I'm your breff. sah.'
one Of ReossveIrs jokes.
Theodore Roosevelt, being in Washing
ton on q flying visit the other day, was on
his way downtown in q pouring rain
without an umbrella. A clerical friend Of
his, stepping out Of . shop, opened his
own and offered 10 share It with the gov
ernor, who accepted with thanks.
us this an affectation Of hardihcod on
your part, Mr.. ROOSEVELT" asked the
good Samaritan.
mot at all" replied Teddy" with
grin. II never carry an umbrella, be-
CAUSE think It more OF nuisance than
It IL worth. But win you permit me to
ask you a question In returnT
"Wfth pleasure"
wen, why is It that you pious folks
permit the exposure Of such horrid thea
ter pictures a. that on the fence opposite,
representing one man stabbing another,
while you object violently to the posting
of counterfeit presentments of girls in
tights and other things comparatively In
nocent7'
II don't know much about the inno-
cence Of girls In tights" said the gospel
expounder, thoughtfuliy. but 1 acknowl-
edge that q preference In favor OF murder
pictures does not seem reasonable"
'Clergymen, guinea pigs and other
nonreasoping animals we might say, for
the sake Of classification" answered
Roosevelt, with q wink. az he jumped
into a passing car and left his clerical
acquaintance shaking q fist at him from
the crossing.
Roosevelt is unquestionabiy the most
picturesque figure In the public life OF
this country today. The possibility that
he may yet attain the presidency lends
additional interest to the personality of
the man. Few men get as much fun out
Of existence a. he does.
when He Lived In Washington.
When he was located IN washington AZ
civil service commissioner he had an
absurd experience with an applicant for
ONCE, who mistook for a personal invita-
tion the notice which he received Of the
place and time It which an examination
was to be held. A domestic event OF some
Importance presented him from attend
ing, and he wrote to Mr.. Roosevelt an
apologize note on the subject. 1t was az
follows:
MY Dear Brother: am very sorry that
I could not Meet you on the Day you said
but am glad OF the Cause that Kept me
way. Let me tell you Mr. Comischer, I
hav bin mard years an tel the Other
Day Me an my Wife hav bin the onley
mbers en- ow fannie. Well Sir on the Da
before you're Exammenashun my Wife
had a kupple Of tuins. gest Think of 1t
Mr.. Comtscher, an Of corse cuddent 60
on and leave Her an them. I just stade
home an we had Sellabration an In
vited all my friends to diner wish you
had bin thare. Hope can be there next
time Mr.. Comischer. Very Triy yores.
etc."
At that period nothing else annoyed
Roosevelt a. much as the yarns published
In the newspapers about questions alleged
to be asked at civil service examinations.
Ingenious Newspaper men would concoct
wholly imaginary fragments of official
declaring that such items of
as the distance of the nearest
fixed star, the length Of the Yangtse river
and the number OF wives In the harem of
the king of Uganda were demanded from
candidates for clerkships In the executive
These stories, after being
published, would be taken up as facts and
gravely discussed editorially or even in
the senate. 1t was silly. but the dam
nable iteration" Of It made 1t exasperat-
ing.
Names OF Queer Callings.
At the present time, however, the en-
Payments included under the civil serv-
ice are 30 varied in character as often to
require tests in quite out-of-the-way
Only the other day the COM
advertised special examination
for q carpenter with knowledge OF
music" 1t sounded queer, but the fact
was that somebody was badly wanted to
play the organ on Sundays at one Of the
Indian schools, which also needed car
penter. and there was obvious policy in
trying to unite the two accomplishments.
Some Of the places farmed out by the
civil service people have odd titles at
tached to them. For example, busy
are employed In the Indian
schools to keep the children usefuiiy en-
ployed; "blackmaker'' and a "bIuer''
inks at the bureau of en-
craving; catcher" and "holder-on'
help In the gun shops at the Washington
navy yard; number Of women ''darners''
mend mail sacks for Uncle Sam; dis
solver" gold boiler and a "cupeller''
Aroaf nracin,In r,nafala In thu Phiia dalnhia