Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-17
A CASE OF GENERAL"
All of a Party Had That Desig-
nation

The reported assertion OF First Assistant
Postmaster General Wynne that as he en-
tered the Post Office Department as plain
Mr. wynne,' he would so retire. calls TO
my mind an incident in Kentucky a few
years ago. remarked a well-known corre-
spondent this morning
If Mr.. Wynne adheres 10 his determina-
ton, and declines to accept a title that
should go only with gold lace and army
service, save in the one or two executions
which 1 Will call up. he VIII do more TO
hand his name down TO posterity as first
assistant postmaster general by that one
act than by any hundred other acts of his
OF an official nature He will become fam
Gus as the man who declined the title OF
general and if Americans are declining
anything in that line. from Mr.. Aston, as
i.ord CliVeden, to an up-country Justice OF
the peace who wishes to be called Judge
rather than squire and a corporal I'm the
army who Is now colonel. such declina-
lions nave not come under my immediate
observation.
1T was this way: / was then travelling
Tor New York house, as i hail from the
metropolis. and ! knew that / some
where In Kentucky. / had slept late that
morning in the Pullman and. after break
fast, observed that several gentlemen had
got on the train at some station at which
we had stopped before l got up, They
served that each and all addressed one an
other by the title general In fact. the
generals few around the heads of the
gentlemen so rapidly that it made me dizzy.
When the conductor came through, /
said to him:
MY friend. are we in the state Of Ken
tucky?'
YES. sir replied the conductor.
thought that every man who fought
for the lost cause in the blue grass state
was a colonel. and the survivors are all
colonies still"
,ayl,t ITO 10
ductor, pleasantly. L have lived In Ken
lucky all my life. and l have never yet
met private who would admit that he was
a private in the late unpleasantness. We
only sent colonies to the front, and colo
nelS they still remain. you stated
But all of these gentlemen around me
are generals. L think an explanation is in
order
SO it would certainly seem: to whom
Who are the two gentlemen on The seat
in front of me-?
Colonel Blood and Colonel Bluegrass
And the two on the opposite side Of
the aisle?'
colonel Thoroughbred and Colonel
Mint
what is Colonel Blood's occupation?'
He is general passenger agent Of this
road
land what does Colonel Bluegrass do?'
He Is our general ticket agent
"'And Colonel Thoroughbred?
"'Our general freight agent
How about Colonel Mint, whose name
I like best Of alp
General traffic agent.
Have you a general station agent at
tached to this line?
No. sir We have not
Well / answered. that Is a very grave
oversight the part of the directors. The
quota of commanding officers OF the rank
of general on any railroad line is certainly
not filled without general station agent.
/ will write TO the board of directors and
call attention to this serious omission, and
/ Will take pleasure in recommending you
for field officers rank. What do You say?
That 1t will be very good OF you re-
piled the conductor. with a smile, as he
pointed out to me strip of meadow where.
he said the finest mint in the world was
grown.
1T has always seemed TO me that about
the only two persons in civil life in the
United States who are entitled to be called
general are the Postmaster General and
the Attorney General Of the United States.
Attorneys general of states. directors gen.
eral of expostions and others who atiiN the
military title of general to their civil oc-
cupation have always reminded me of the
four Kentucky generals | met on the train
that day as we SKINNED along the fertile
surface Of the fair blue grass state.