The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-12-21

" taotai of Shanghai was already ac-
Quainted with the doctors brother VINO
has been merchant there for genera
ton. After discharging NoleX OF ms
usual questions about DR., seaman
wealth, number of wives. etc. Ii settled
down to a sort of civil service eNamlna-
ton of his victim. which ran about as
follows:
who is the greatest philosopher III
England.
well. your excellency. there are
great many philosophers in England. It's
a great country for philosophers PROB
ably Herbert Spencer is the greatest
philosopher in England or out OF 1t.
Yes said Ii. Il am acquainted with
his writings. | have his works Who is
the greatest philosopher in America
well, said the doctor, that Is d
hard question. Philosophers are so plenty
in America that you run against them
at every turn; but / guess Mr. Emerson
was about as good as any of them
"A great man. said LII L am ac-
Quainted with his writings. nave ms
works. Who is the greatest poet IN
America ?"
Nearly everybody is a poet in Amer
lea. We have only one good poet IN InG
medical profession. DR.. OllVer NeHIeIl
Holmes. Then there was Bryant ana
poet of the sect of Friends by the name
of Whittier and a fellow by the name %
Bret Harte. But probably the greatest
American poet was LonSteHoW-
81 never heard of him" replied Ii. 81
must possess his works and he seemed
to be giving an order to his secretary
to make the purchase.
IF your excellency will permit me
began the doctor falling into tSe OrlehtaI
hyperbole with which he was quite "a
mliar, 1T will be the delight OF my ne
it will add peace to my declining years
fill SOIlI of ancestors WIFI
joy if you will permit me to present you
with a copy of our greatest poet
works"
Nothing will give me greater pleasure
than to accept the gift" said Ii. You
are the light of my day.
g g g
The morning after his arrival a fine
edition of the works of Longfellow in a
rare binding was sent to the Waldorf. In
two hours after the books had gone
Thirty-first street. near DR.. Seaman $ CT
flee, was blocked with carriages contain
ing a section of Lis suite and with peo-
Pile who had followed to see the emma
man. Two servants of the suite with
drawn swords came up the steps of Dr.
Seamans house with card and an m
vitation to DR.. Seaman to dine that night
with Ii.
The viceroy was a great admirer of tail
men and extremely fond of making punS.
As soon as the doctor entered his pres
ence that evening he said, through his
Interpreter. that he was delighted 70
have the works of one LongteiloW ana
the company of another.
Although DR.. Seaman never heard ii
\utter word of English or of any other
language except Chinese, he Is saush9q
that Ii understood English and could
probably speak it as fuently as his IN
terpreter if he cared to. 1t is his belief
that the willy old diplomat feigned lgnor-
ance of English to have the double adj
vantage of celebrating during the trans
lation of his opponents statement ana
of having opportunity to correct his own
first utterance if he so desired.
On board the st. Louis were two
actresses of the vaudeville stage, and 1t
girls dance and sing for him. In graft
tude for his entertainment he presented
to each of the girls d gold watch. Dur
ing his stay at the Waldorf he called in
state on them and blocked another city
street for the brief period of his visit
The first question he asked of DR.. Sea-
man on his arrival in Pekin was after
the health of these two American dane
erS.
why didn't you bring them with you?
Are they married. he added.
The doctor thought that one of them
was married.
'Then why didn't you bring along the
other one?" went on Lii II always eX-
peCted my secretary, nodding at the
particular secretary, meant to marry
her Then 1 could have her dance for
me- Ola you go often 10 see lel
He was very fond of talking with any
one who would answer him in salts
factory way, and would soon dismiss a
man who was only a listener.
@ 8 9
what do you Americans want of the
Philippines" he asked once. ''They be-
long to China or they always did up to
about 800 years ago. You have no bust
ness there. When my friend Grant was
alive he was satisfied with America; it
was big enough for him.
1--WE don't want them at all Dr. Sea-
man replied. ''They were just left on
our hands by the fortunes of war, but
we didn't care to leave them for the
Germans to pick up. We will sell them
to you cheaper perhaps you will come
and take them
ooh, no. said Ii, sadly, China is in
trouble. She is old and broken down, as
1 am. but if you want to get rid of the
islands you can sell them to the Japan
| csc. They are natural soldiers. They
could whip them into subsection and
keep them there"
Now" said the doctor, here is your
eXcellency's opportunity-you are the