The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-13
The WORLD IS VERY SMALL.
STORIES or ODD MEETINGS TOLD
AT 4 YACHT RACE.
Two Encounters with Black Bears-A
Lost Purse In Chicago and 0ne In
RIissia--TwO Citizens Of Harlem In
Japan-A PtckpOcket's Travels.

days when the Reliance and Shamrock
Ill, sailed an unfinished race, Two guests
Of the New York Yacht Club, each of whom
had heard that the other WIS dead came
together for the first time in twenty-five
years The incident started a group of
the passengers to telling of personal e1-
periences ilustrat ng the smallness OF
the world while the two cOntending yachts
drifted in the doldrums
Last summer, said an officer Of artillery
now stationed ut one of the pests in New
York harbor, Il visited Glen Island with
my wife. There were some small black
bears in a cage there that interested US
good deal, for We hadn't got real close to
any black bears for seven or eight years,
or since I was stationed with my battery
out at Fort Candy. AT the mouth of the
Columbia River, in the State Of Washington
Then my wife said:
DO you remember the half Chnaman
in your battery who trained the two cubs
to waltz with each other?'
II remembered. Of course. The half
Chinaman-the other half Of him was
Danish-was an intelligent fellow and
made such good soldier that had given
him the non-com's stripes soon after he
had joined the battery from Seattle, where
he enlisted. He had been an English and
German interpreter in Shanghai before
coming to this country.
Surely replied to my wife's question.
That fellow was a genius in training
animals, anyhow. l wonder what ever
became of him.?
Here, sir. said a voice Immediately
behind me-
Il wheeled about and there was the half
Chinaman who had soldiered in my battery
and who had taught the two Fort Candy
black bear cubs to waltz, with nice-look-
ing little woman on his arm. l hadn't
seen him for nearly eight years. or since
being ordered to the Preside from Fort
Candy
"The little woman on his arm was his wife.
He had settled down to civilian life in New
York. ard was employed as correspondence
clerk and translator by New York firm in
the China trade.
There was nothing phenomenal, Of
course, In my running across him after
the lapse OF eight years; officers Of the
army are forever meeting up with fellows
that have soldiered under them. But it
was extraordinary that should have seen
him again for the first time, while examining
lot Of black bears in cage, and nj the
very moment when talking about his stunt
in training couple of black bears at the
remote army post where | had last seen
him"
while visiting the Worlds Fair in
Chicago" said mddle-aged woman, who.
with her married daughter, was of the
story telling group. Il lost. in an oyster
house one afternoon. chatelaine bag
containing all of my own jewelry, and
diamond ornament, highlv-prizcd because
it was her husbands wedding gift, belong
ing 10 my daughter, was in great st..te.
of panic, of course.
II had barely reached my room on re-
turning TO our hotel before bellman
brought me the card of a woman of whom
| had never heard, but, with my loss upper
most in my mind. | hurried down to the
reception room to meet her She was a
very charming woman, but She was a
times more charming ia my view,
of course, because she held my missing bag
in her hands
Had YOU missed this she asked me
and then she saw how terribly worried |
had been over the loss, and how relieved
L
handed it 10 me, everything intact, jewels,
money and all
"She had taken luncheon at the same
table in the oyster house AZ whichmy daugh- !
ter and had sat, and she had accidentally
kicked the fallen bag with her foot She
had opened the bag TO seek something TO |
identify the owner of il, had found some
letters addressed to me, and had hurried |
around to the hotel immediately TO restore |
he bag TO me
She was plainly woman of refinement !,
and wealth She was leaving Chicago with |,
her husband that night, but before she |
went | sent to her hotel the incest bunch |
of roses that | could find in Chicago
Two years ago my daughter and visited |
he great fair in Mini Novgorod. in Russia. !
We We're il an immense rug bazaar one
afternoon, examining some tapestries, when
| Glanced 10 see, prois sting from beneath |
a pile OF rugs, gold chain bag
picked it up and showed it to my |
daughter We were undecided what 10 :
do with it, but we We're OF one mind az TO |
one point, and that was that we should ,
Of the rug bnzaar. A number OF experiences
that we had had Throughout Russia, and |
particularly while visiting that Mini |
Novgprod fair, had not served 10 give us
a good impression Of the honesty of Russian
tradespeope
we hurried Oh' Oh me baHailr, summoned
a public drosky and drove about while .
we meditated upon what we should do with
the gold bag, | searched the bag to see /
if il contained a card or other means of |
placing its owner but there was nothing of |
that sort The bag contained n number |
Of beautiful diamond ornaments, brace |
let of the most magnificent emeralds | had |
ever seen, and large sum in Russian bank |
notes.
AS We drove about, leaving our route |
to the will of the driver of the drosty, we
passed the office of the Police Department. |
and that decided us az TO what we should !
do with the gold bag, One cannot remain |
in Russia long without conceiving a great |
admiration for the Russian police for
their integrity AZ well as their efficiency.
we found the police chief very civil !
and courteous man. He took the bag from
us, and commended our judgment IN not
leaving il with the proprietor of the rug
bazaar, in whose establishment we had |
found IT,
1--WE were about to leave Russia and the
Chief of Police took the name of our Paris
bankers and told US that he would return
the gold bag, with all its contents, to us
should he be unable To find the owner within |
n stat ed time. He also took our address |
in Nijni-Novgorod. go that he would be |
al Ia To notify us in case he found the owner |
IF the bag Immediately, before our leaving
"We returned TO the fair and remained T,
here for couple Of hours. When We !
reached the hotel the charming woman |
who had found my iewelry at tho Worlds !,
Fair in Chicago was in the reception room,
waiting our return. | waE delighted to |
zee her but ] could not connect her with |
he ownership Of the gold bag until she