Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-03-27
Washington Letter.

(HIO" our lid IlO0POhoShGJ
President Roosevelt has received a
special invitation from Count Cassini
the Prussian Ambassador, who is
president of the Washington Fencing
club, to attend the match between
three picked members of the club
and three cadets from Annapolis,
which will be fought in the club
house Saturday afternoon, and, as he
is a sturdy rooter for the naval boys,
he will go If it is possible. The
match is exciting much interest IN
society, among the ladies as we'll as
the men, as fencing has again been
made a popular fad among both IKE
by this club, which frequently has
exciting contests between it's mem
bers. It has some very skillful lady
fencers, but they have so far de-
clined to give exhibitions of their
skill in public. Countess Cassini,
adopted daughter of the Russian AM
bassador, is the acknowledged cham
pion of the lady fencers and i. is said
that few masculine members of the
club can hold their own with her
with the foils.
Brigadier Gen. Fred Funston was
all smiles as he left the office of Sec
rotary Root a day or two ago. He
had got what be had been quoted by
the papers as saying he would Ike to
have, but of course would not ask for
Fred knows that the president and
Secretary Root are newspaper readers.
Secretary Root had informed him that
at the expiration of his leave of alb
sence, May Is, he would be assigned
to the command of the Colorado dis
trict, with headquarters at Denver,
an assignment that he regards as
heavenly compared with duty in the
Philippines. His best friend would
never claim that Fred was a typical
soldier in looks, bat, notwithstand-
ing the good nature with which he
frequently refers to his shortness, it
is doubtful whether he would have
beer amused had he overheard a con-
versation concerning himself that oc-
Cured as he was leaving the wal de-
partment. The speakers were an
old grizzled sergeant, who has done
much duty around recruiting sta
tions, and who has firm convictions
as to the "set up' necessary to make
q soldier, and a minor official of the
department. Sergeant, what do
you think of that for a soldier?" asked
the latter, pointing to Gen. Funston
as he passed. "Soldier" snorted
the sergeant; "you don't call that
wed-off-and-hammered-down chap
a soldier, do youp Why he couldn't
enlist IS buck private at a station
that was behind in it's quota OF re-
cruits." s'But, sergeant, that is
Brigadier Gen. Fred Funston, who
swan rivers, captured Aguinaldo,
and performed other soldierly feats
shat you must have heard about, in
the Philippines. "Humph! so that is
Funston, is it? Well, I always knew
that any sort of a figure would do for
a commission, Tut my dear fellow, it
takes a man to make a soldier, as you
would know if you had been around
recruiting stations as long as |
have"
To be a belle at two years OF age is
mot the usual thing, even among the
p~recocious kids of the present day.
But little Elizabeth, daughter of Sem
ator and Mrs. Fred Dubois, was GER
tainly a belle at the lunch party given
80 celebrate her second birthday,
which was followed by a kindergarten
romp, participated in by forty kids OF
about the same age, and looked after
bv their fond mammas. Among the
presents sent to the little belle was a
big box of flowers from the White
House, with the best wishes Of Mrs.
Roosevelt.
Mr.. John r. Mclean, the million
ARE newspaper man and corporation
magnate, like most men OF Irish
blood ia q GREAT believer in the prop