The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-23
GOOD STORIES FROM
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

Washington March 22.-When Mr.. Allies,
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. was
returning from Cuba a few days ago. a
young man whom he had seen on the Key
West steamer came up to him on the train
and began a conversation with easy famil-
iarity.
Get any cigars through" asked the af-
fable young man.
"Oh. yes" replied Mr.. Allies. "a couple
of boxes"
Didn't pay duty on 'em, hope?"
Yes / paid duty" said Mr.. Allies, sadly.
'Oh. pshaw" said the young man. You're
dead slow. I got go through and they
/ didn't pay duty
You see." said Mr.. Allies. the difference
between us 10 that 1 am an Assistant Sec
rotary Of the Treasury"
The young man vanished and Mr.. Allies
did not see him again during the trip to
Washington.
This administration has been the harvest
time of portrait painters in Washington.
President and Mrs. Roosevelt have been
painted several times. Russian, French and
American artists have reproduced the white
House. and now Walter Russell of New
York Is engaged in painting the four young
Roosevelt children.
The latest foreign artist to arrive in
Washington is Senior Bolivar. a Colombian
of talent who has painted a portrait of
General Wood which is much admired and
also portraits of Nine. Garcia Merou. the
wife Of the Argentine Minister. and Mrs.
War1ng.
A man who Is on duty most Of the time
at the White House offices and has a weak
ness for statistics has made a record for
q month of the number of visits which GER
tain public men pay to the President. Hero
are a few items taken from his record for
the month Of February:
James r, Garfield. IS; John R. Proctor,
"a; General Leonard A. Wood e.: W. D.
Foulke. S. Senator T. C. Platt 35; Frank
p Sargent, 10: Senator H. C. Lodge. 81:
Secretary of State Hay 10: Secretary OF
War Root, s: Senator Knute Nelson. 81.
.'It win be noticed says the statistician.
that SO far Mr.. Garfield holds the palm.
He is much liked by the President. no
doubt. The record for March Will show that
ne has distanced his competitors far and
away. This is due to the fact that he has
taken most of the burden of the new De-
partment Of Commerce on the shoulders OIL
Secretary Cortelyou.
General Wood can be pardoned for max
ing so many visits when the President Is SO
busy because he is about to leave the coun-
try for several years. Senator knute Nelson
has beaten Senator Lodge one call, and this
has attracted notice because 1t shows that
the Minnesota statesman IS rapidly coming
to the front as the representative of the
administration on the Senate floor.
A few days after William ]. Bryan made
his last trip to Washington. Democratic
Senator was approached by another Demo-
cratic Senator. who said:
IT wish I could tell you what Mr.. Bryan
came for. but am bound to secrecy by the
most positive promises. am the only one
who knows II.
III 1t is such a great secret. 1 am sorry
YOU cannot tell me-" was the reply.
$50 am sorry"
IT thought Mr.. Bryan's chief mission was
to induce Senator ]. K. Jones to favor him
as his successor as chairman Of the Demo-
cratic National Committee"
why: who told Your the hrst
speaker asked in amazement.
Senator Blank told me. for one: Senator
Blank told me for another, but the first I
heard Of it was from Mr. Bryan himself"
Senator Hanna callsd- at, the White House
offices last Friday to have a last talk with
the President before going home to Cleve-
land. Soon Secretary of War Root called
and Captain Loefler escorted him to the
Cabnet-room. where the President and
Senator Hanna were. The three were in the |
room a long time and at length there was |
a loud crash as something fell to the floor. |
what was that?" asked Judge W. F. |
Hollis Of New York. who was in the ante |
room.
That" remarked General Dick of Ohio, |
els the first failure Of President Roosevelt |
and Root In their attempt to put the old |
man CHanna) on the vice presidential shelf. |
which you and the President know 50 much |
about. They had Just hoisted him up on |
the shelf. but he has wriggled off,
News of the happenings on the Dolphin, |
on which Secretary Moody is conveying |
some OF the most important members If |
Congress around the Caribbean Sea- has |
reached here. Secretary Moody has not |
missed an opportunity to impress on SEN
ator Hale. the chairman of the Senate Naval /
Committee. and Representative ]. G. Can
non. who is to be the next Speaker of the /
House. the necessity for an appropriation
calling for at least six battleships at the
next session.
The Gulf stream between Key West and
Havana was very rough, and among those
who suffered from mal-de-mer were Messrs.
Cannon and Hale. When his sufferings had |
become too intense to be borne longer in
silence, Uncle Joe'' called out to Secretary
Moody:
Say, Moody. e you will get us to shore
quickly, III give you your six battleships
next winter
Il will make better bid than that" ex-
claimed Senator Hale. I'll favor twenty
II the Senator will only keep
shf of far~ ho1P