Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-15
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W.

V~~
whenever I hear discussion about po-
Iitical platforms and the attitude OF par
ties regarding Them" said an old news
paper man. Il recall an episode that oc-
Cured at Old Point Comfort during the ma
val rendezvous previous to the world S falr
at Chicago. You know. there is a national
soldiers home at Hampton, near Old Point,
and it was only natural. in view OF the
great event in Hampton Roads that the
national board which governs the home
should take advantage of the occasion to
make an official visit to the Hampton fnsti-
tuition. Gen. Franklin, Gen. Steve Avery
and several other members Of the board
were there. and had determined to make
an inspection of the home and it's inmates
on Sunday morning.
John O'Neill. then a representative in
Congress from st. Louis district, and
were invited by Gen. Avery to accompany
the party to Hampton. Everybody who
knew O'Neill remembers what a delightful
brogue he possessed. When Avery asked
him to enter the carriage then at hand and
make the trip he quickly replied:
I'd go in a minute, gin'l but I've got
t go [ mass.
Avery endeavored to impress upon hin,
the fact that he could attend mass any
Sunday, but turnout of old veterans was
not to be seen so easily.
'.O'Neill still refused and Avery still In
sisted, until at last 1 looked at my watch.
and observing the time, remarked to O'Neill
that he too late to attend mass and be
there at its most solemn portion, because
communion time had passed. Satisfying
himself on this point, and expressing his
regret that he had been cajoled into delay
Ing his pious purpose, O'Nefll got in the
carriage with Avery and myself. AS we
started OFF Avery said to him:
John. you seem to stick as Loyalty to
your religious platform as you do to your
political platform
" Bedad, that's thrue, gen'l.' he replied,
like flash. 'Ye know. they're both built
t git in onr "
Coming back from the house." continued
the narrator. 20 Neili told number of hi:
inimitable stories and one, 1 remember
was particularly good and timely.
The lasht bill Prisidint Harrison signed
he said. was one grantin' a pdnshun to ar
old lady In st. Louis, whose son had beer
drowned durfn' tn war in that very moa
around Fort Monroe there. He was on SEN
try duty an had fell in tn wather l haG
worked on that bill harder thin ] had OF
amy measure, l reckin, in me congress
sional career, an it was passed at tn very
lash minute Whin l reached tn Prisi
dint In tn Prisidint's room at tn Sinate
Mr.. Harrison had t'rown down his pin an
declared he would sign no more. i told hin
this bill was for a soljers mother. an h.
pckt up his pin an signed il. Whin l win
back { ST. Louis met tn ole lady an tolC
her what tonne I'd had gettin' her pin
shun fer her. "Ye did nobly, Jawn," sh,
said AN now, Jawn, how about tn bach
pinshun?"
x * +
IF summer resort stories are in order "
volunteered an official of the Post Office
Department to a Star reporter this one
may be worth telling. One of the empoye.
of the Post Office Department recently en-
gagged board at one of the cottages at Re
hoboth Beach. Del, for himself and wife al
the rate of s24 per week. but at the end o.
two days he was convinced he could moi
be satisfied there, and decided to go else
where He called his landlady to settle the
bill and paid her for the two days at tn,
date of ST per day as she demanded. Sh,
then inquired the reasons for leaving ant
our post office friend, who was taught t.
cally. said he was dissatisfied with the ac
commodatiOns. The trouble then began
She would permit of no COMPLAINTS and il
was the work of only few minutes fol
her to procure warrant for his arrest
although the justice was unable afterwarC
to find the statute violated. The first re-
quest of the defendant was that he be al
lowed to plead his own case. but the JUS
tlce assumed wise look and replied that In
his court no one except a citizen of Della
ware was allowed that privilege, and thai
a citizen of Washington d. c., was sup
posed to be quiet and should accent ths
justice which might be dispensed to him
The attorney general of Delaware, who was
at the beach, was called, and when he ar
rived our post office friend was permits ted
to talk and the case was dismissed.
THE persistent landlady was not to be
outdone however, and Immediately civil
suit was begun for board for a week in
advance and the attorney general re
tanned by her, he could not again inter
fere. The evidence was soon offered, and
after the questions of fact were disposed
or by the Justice the grave question pre-
sented itself whether he should render
Judgment for weeks board in advance
because the first intention of the defendant
seemed to be to stay a week. Our friend
pleading his own case, argued loud and long
that judgment of that character would
be unjust as the plaintiff had not yet per
formed her part of the contract and citeG
United States Supreme Court case tC
support his contention. He was advised By
the justice, however, that United States
law did not apply in Delaware; that judg
ment would be rendered for the week
board. and that If he desired, he might re-
turn to the boarding house where he would
see that the defendant was properly fed
The defendant was further advised that nc
appeal could be taken. and. seeing that hi:
last hope was gone, he quietly paid the
judgment as required, and agreed to stay
at the plaintiffs cottage for the remainder
OF the week.
x u y X
Though the late Coils P. Huntington
never talked through his hat as the mod
ern slang mas IL, he used his hat more IL
his talk than any man l have ever me
with: indeed. he seldom was prepared Il
talk business without having his hat in hi:
hand observed a prominent official TO
Star reporter. His custom was to max,
memoranda of everything he wanted TO re
member, particularly Of engagements. con
tracts. etc, and to place these mems il
the Innings of silk hat which IT, alway
wore. Though he had a number of peopl,
In his employ who transacted business fo
him. when it came to important matters
he always attended to them himself 1 ha,
occasion to be with him when he came her,
to settle the Indebtedness OF the Contra
Pacific railroad with the government which
was the only one OF the Pacific railroad.
that did not go 10 bankruptcy or fail I,
: keep the interest on It's indebtedness to tn,