The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-25
ROBSON ESCAPED BEING KISSED

hlIuHCOS to ho. +aSv "OA> to us.
 ROBSON ESCAPED BEING KISSED Mercenary Correspondents Put up a
 Job on Him, but Scheme Failed Chicago Tribune.
 Captain Richmond Pearson Hobson of Merrimac fame came near being kissed as of old when he delivered an address at the Monona Lake Assem- bly, near Madison, Wis, on the closing day, Aug. 2.
 Madison, it must be understood, is a town of 10000 souls, with the final goal of it's ambition typtfed in an organiza- tion called the Forty Thousand club. But 1t chances that the little city Is the capital of the big State of Wiecon- sin. Thus the Legislature meets there once in every two years. and for a time Madison assumes the hurry and trample of a real metropolis.
 Senators and Assemblymen legislate. it is supposed. for the good of the whole population of the State, and 1t natural ly follows that all these people must be kept in close touch with the law making machine. This is done, of course, through the newspapers of the various towns and cities, which neces- sftates the presence of a number o1 correspondents in the little city. These correspondents reap a rich harvest dur ing the sessions of the Legislature. but at other times trade in news Is dis heartingly small and many are the schemes by which the nimble pen pushers eke out an existence.
 The Monona Lake Assembly. which is held annually on the south shore of the body of water of that name. generally furnishes some material both for the State papers and those of Chicago. But unless something par ticularlv sensational occurs the State press shows a reluctance in printing long accounts and the Chicago papers do not use the matter wiEd in at s'l.
 This year Captain Hobson was c UT ed for a lecture. As a result the Mill waukee papers ordered several hun dred words and some few of the Chica- go papers asked for 150. This was far and out ahead of the usual run Of af- fairs, but still the correspondents grumbled. 1Tobson used to be good for long stories not SO many months ago, they reasoned: why was that not the case now? And each one of them knew 1t was because the naval hero had in the past acquired a habit of being kissed by pretty girls.
 Captain Hobson was to speak on Fri day afternoon. Early that morning several ambitious correspondents got together and matched a little plan. which was nothing more nor less than than to have the warrior who had suc- cumbsd to osculatory attacks go many time kissed again. If this scheme could be arranged and giEillfusiy carried out it meant a oozy little check for each of the several promoters.
 At the lone summer thoaeer in the city was 8 girl that week with q pretty face and undauntable nerve. To her the plan was unfolded. and the con- spiraters were informed that Miss Bonnie Maie was billed to kiss Captain Richmond P. Hobson at the Monona Lake Assembly that afternoon. Each correspondent saw an imaginary R. S. V. P. on the directions from his paper, and smiled in glib anticipation.
 Permission to sit on the pls tform was secured from Secretary James E. Maie and friend were escorted across Moseley. and in the afternoon Bonnie the lake by one of the newspaper men. On the boat the young lady occupied her time rehearsinR little piece. which ran something like this:
 "Is this Captain Hobsor? have never seen you before. Captain Hob son. but I have heard lots about you Is 1t too late for me to kiss a war hero?"
 The last question was superfluous. It was to be answered while the charm ing young lady was performing the deed for which she begged.
 Everything worked like a charm. Bonnie Male and her friend were seat ed on the platform just before the great Hobson began to speak. For a full hour and half the Captain thun- dered out his plea for a larger navy. Through it all the little vaudeville star waited with growing impatience.
 Finally, with a last mighty burst of patriotism about the American flag floating as a symbol of free institutions wherever our navy chanced to be, he bowed his thanks and stepped back. Hardly had he done so before a little bunch of white femininty rushed across the platform, and a moment later the astonish Captain Hobson looked down at pair of pleading blue eyes and two red lips of tempting sweetness.
 Just at this point opinions as to what took place differ. The audience, com posed largely of preachers and their families. saw a charming young lady whom they did not know rush across to the speaker look up at him and apparently ask him some question. He smiled. said something, and twaited The little miss asked another question. and the big six-foot hero drowned just a trife. hesitated. and finally shook hands cordially Those who watched from the front idly wondered what the conversation was about, but beyond that they hazarded no guess as to the incident
 The newspaper men were on the qui- vive when Bonnie Maie greeted the speaker. They saw what the rest of the audience did. but interpreted 1t far differently. When Captain Hobson merely shook hands they groaned in wardly and waited for Miss Bonnie to -sxQlains D