Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-19


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One Of the most widely known characters
IN Washington is a Frenchman who for
many years has conducted a hotel and
restaurant here, and concerning whom
numbcrless anecdotes of amusing char
acter are related. The latest incident 10
attract notice occurred a few days ago
Mine host appeared in one of the circuit
branches of the Supreme Court of the Dis
trfct of Columbia in the gulse of plaintiff.
The action was suit at law TO recover
sum of money claimed to be due him under
Il contract for the housing and entertaining,
at his hostclry. of n party of distinguished
Frenchmcn who came to this country as
delegates to important convention.
Evidence was submitted. arguments were
made and the jury retired TO consider
verdict, the consensus of opinion among the
spectators being that the plaintiff had the
best of the Issue. After the jury had been
in consultation for an unusually ionS period
the plaintiff grew anxious, and his DIS
turbed state of mind expanded as hour
after hour rolled by. Finally the Twelve
men filed into the court room The fact
that they reported in favor of the PLAINTIFF
did not apparently. alay the wrath result
ing from the length of time required by the
jury TO reach an agreement.
Soon after the jury had been excused II
was learned that eleven of the twelve men
had been with the plaintiff from the hrst.
The twelfth and obstinate juror, VINO
favored the defendant. it appears, was
naturaIized American citizen, OF french
extraction.
Look here" said one of the eleven re-
ferred to. advancing toward the plaintiff,
how was it that the Frenchman was The
only member of the jury against your
''Frcnchman.'' replied the plaintiff, III
,,r,vrt
lie heard throughout the room. ne no
Frenchman; he's BANKED, BANKED fool
X x y
Horses are pretty much like human be-
iugs after all remarked a foreman OF
one of the companies of the District fire
department the other day. Some Of them
will learn. while others wouldn't if they
lived a thousand years, When visitors see
our horses run out from their stalls on an
alarm of fire or at noon and o'clock in
the evening and rush to their places in
front of the apparatus they admire first of
all the Intelligence Of the animals That's
ali right but they should not forget that
in many cases such clock-lke work OF the
horses has only been had after weeks and
sometimes months of training. When the
horses come to us they are green. in some
cases greener than the grass they We're
raised on, you can get an idea OF the
work We have to do with them. Now.
when We get a green horse he Is put in
stall back Of the apparatus and made TO
feel at home as much as possible, being led
out to his place in front of the apparatus
for several days before he IS given the
opportunity to run out with the other
horses when an alarm comes in or when
Il Or O'Clock is struck. OF course. when
these hours are struck, as in tn" case OF
an alarm coming in, the doors OF the stalls
and the animals rush down TO
their places in front of the apparatus.
The green horse. If he Is an Intelligent
fellow and level-headed, soon observes
what is expected of him, and in very
short time does all that is wanted. But
on the other hand If he lacks what we
call sense IL is a long time before he Will
do all this. and in some cases We find he
never will, when we so report to the chief,
and the animal is put to some other use
I see that somebody writing in the papers
the other day says horses do not suffer
from nervousness. but I don't agree with
that man. and If he would hang around
the different houses of the fire department
for while | think he'd soon find out
that he Is mistaken. Horses are nervous,
especially II they are high-strung fellows,
and while you can do lots in getting them
rid of II. some never do get over IL. But
the nervous horse IS far from being as
rule bad one. for If you study him care
fully you soon find out the cause of his
nervousness. and If you get rid OF that
cause, which often is very trifiing mat
Ter, YOU nDO lnat ne is ABOUT the very pest
You could want In fact. 1 think l would
rather have high-strung, nervous horse
10 work than any other, for a rule
they are more intelligent. will go faster
and work until they drop If necessary. But
the worst ones have to contend with
are those call cunning. They are ter
rors, and will throw you down every
chance they get. In fact they seem to
take particular delight in being as devil
ish they can. and they require constant
watching But as rule. the horses we get
ill the bill, and to them is due as much
credit for quick hitch-ups is due the
men. for unless they responded promptly
the men would find 1t utterly impossible
to make a quick response to a call. How
quick can we hitch up? Well. that de-
ponds. a two-horse hitch-that is, two
horses TO the engine and two to the hose
carriage-can get out quicker. of course,
than a three-horSe hitch. where there are
three horses to be hitched up to the en-
CINE. But if the horses In both pieces of
apparatus are well broken both ought to
be ready to leave quarters in ten seconds
after receiving the call. But, as / have
explained. il all depends upon the horses"
x r 4
a lady on Dupont circle Is wondering
where the world Will "be at on the sery-
ant question If things go on as they have
opened the century. She advertised for a
cook with references. The cook lady aD-
peared and she presented unexceptional ref
ereDces. She had graced the homes of sew
eral high and mighty personages and her
treatment of meats and pastries. of soups
and gravies. as well as of vegetables salads
and other comestIbles. seemed to have been
all that could be desired. Mrs. Dupont Cir
Gle concluded that she had found a Jewel
albeit overdressed. 50 she FASTENED to clnch
the bargain.