The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-29
BAGLEY,s CONSULATE.

Bagley was not politician. Nothing
 was further from his thoughts than to
 apply for a position as consul. In fact
 he did not apply His friends did that
 for him. He was only responsible for l the complication which followed.
 Bagley had been in business in a
 western city for many years, He was ] extremely popular with wide circle Of
 people Finally his health broke down and he was sent down into Mexico to re- i cuperate. A warm climate was what 1 he needed, the doctors said.
 During his absence a couple of his l friends met one evening at the club and
 incidentally fell to discussing his con
 dition It happened that they were both men of considerable political in l fuence,
 1 "It would be the best thing in the world for poor old Bagley" one of them
 said, Ito spend a couple of years or more in some tropical climate. Whats the matter with you and I and a few more of the boys getting him the ap- pointment as United States consul at Jamaica, for instance?"
 The suggestion was enthusiastically received with the earnest friends of Bagley set to work at once to get the prize for him. When Bagley got home from Mexico a little committee called him over to the club one evening and laid the case before him.
 Its like this, old man." said the spokesman. You've sold out your oy5 fbara ic ing to keep you tied down. Then the doctors say that few years residence in tropical climate would make your health as good as ever, and we all want to see you get strong again, Now dur ing your absence a few of us got to- gether and made application in your name for the consulate at Jamaica. We've got letters of indorsement from both the United States senators and from every congressman in the state. In addition we have inducements from the governor and from the memSers of the presidents cabinet from this state. The consulate we have app jed for Is not a presidential office, It comes under the jurisdiction of the first assistant secre- tary of state. In view of the pressure we have brought to bear l have no doubt that the appointment will be promptly made. Here are the papers in the case We all hope you will accept"
 Of course Bagley was deeply touched at this pretty exhibition of good feeling on the part of his friends. He took the papers in his hands and made little speech in response, during which. as the newspapers say, he was almost over come by emotion,
 "Of course" said Bagley to whom the idea appealed with growing force, after you men have gone to all this trouble on my behalf 1t would be worse than ungrateful on my part to refuse to accept the result of your hard work. So far as I can now see, there is no reason why I should not spend two or three years as United States consul at Jamaica. and 1 can assure you all that during my term of office I shall take good care of the commercial interests in which you men are engaged"
 Bagley went home and told his wife and she was greatly pleased, The re- covery of her husbands health was her first concern, and the project of spend ing few years on a delightful tropi- cal island was pleasant to her in other ways.
 Why, of course, John," she said l you must accept it. Itll do us all good
 Next day Bagley went over the papers in the case more carefully. He was struck as he read them with the strength of the case which had been made out for him. It appeared to him that eyary man. of r,roIuinpnoe i,, fba | state had written strong letter in-