The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-06
WHITE HOUSE JOKE
Giles Smith Cracked One That
Made Roosevelt Laugh.
MET HIM IN WICHITA
And Insisted That the Presi-
dent Knew Him.

Wichita's humorous alderman profaned
the sacred precincts Of no less a place
than the White House at Washington the
other day by cracking one Of his jokes in
its solemn atmosphere. Heretofore the
White House has been exempt from
Jokes. It is said that even Chauncey De
pew has never had the hardihood TO
spring a bon mot within its walls. But
Giles Smith was never timid. not even in
his youth.
Alderman Smith was at Washington at
tending the supreme council OF the Scot
fish Rite Masons as a delegate from the
Wichita consistory. One day during the
session Mr.. Roosevelt invited the dele
gates to the White house and they went
there in a body headed by James D.
Richardson OF Tennessee Gir. Richardson
proceeded down the line to Introduce and
present each delegate TO the president
when he came to the rotund form Of Al
derman Smith he stsrted TO introduce
him.
Never mind Nj. Richardson" said Mr..
Smith, the president knows me very
Well"
The president looked 4 little embsrTass-
ed.
'Mr. President" said Giles. don't you
remember the day me and fifteen thous-
and of my personal friends met you out
IN Wichita?'
The president saw the joke and went
into commissions of laughture. He shock
both hands Of the alderman and said,
good. good"
I'm a Democrat" said Giles. put I
want to tell you that all US boys cut
west are for you"
The president shook his hands again
and Giles passed on the hero OF the visit.
III tell you" said Mr.. Smith TO a re-
porter for the Eagle yesterday. after tell
ing the story, that man Roosevelt IS
crackerjack."
Mr. Smith saw many people and things
in Washington.
He went down TO the navy yard to see
Dewey and Schley and shook hands with
both Of them.
Dewey" he said. as a little bit Of
fellow, but there IS great stun IN him.
He looks exactly like that picture John
Noble has made of him. He's a round,
chunkey little fellow and I couldn't help
thinking of the old saying that the finest
goods are done up in small packages"
Admiral Schley," he said. SIS tan and
majestic. He has a fine face and fine
eyes and looks like hero. He has a
fine grasp when he shakes ones hand;
you can tell that he is glad to sec you.
I don't care what Bob Evans or anybody
else says, that man Schley is a warm
number on land or sea-
You know" continued the jolly al
derman. that all boys when they are
young build fairy catles in their imagi-
nation. I know something about fairy
castles" he said, "for I have builced
many OF them, but never was able 10
build one as fine as the library building
in Washington. 1t is magnificent be
yond sane description; it is a dream.
saw a man put the title OF a book into
a little hopper and before / had time 10
bat my eyes back came the book through
a little hole in the table. The man ia
charge told me that # came a distance
OF two blocks 1t was great. Every
where I went I told thcm 7 was from
Kansas and no one seemed TO doubt me-
Those guys back there seem to know
Kansas man when they see him.
" on, yes they would say. that's
Carrie Nations state. Now wouldn't
that jar you? I dropped into the WI
lard house bar to borrow a match and
one guy with white apron on told me
he wished Carrie would come there; he'd
fix her
Il know Carrie very well" said Mt
Smith and III ask her to come. She
would be delighted I am sure 10 visit
your bar.
He looked at me strangely and asked
me whether I meant g.
Il told him 7 did and that I would
telegraph her right away to come. You
ought to see how that fellow begged Of
me not TO do It, saying that he was only
joking
our Wichita delegation made 4 good
appearance IN Washington. especially
Colonel Lewis. The colonel IS a fine
looking man with lots OF good. solid front
elevation. Wherever he went he was a
dienifed Kansan and held Up the repu- I
tation OF the state"
Mr. Smith had a very hne visit 20 the .
national capital and tells many interest T
Ing stories Of his soiourn there and other .
-ra0ne