Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-19

Washington newspaper man recently
had another opportunity to test the saying
that country telegraph operators are OF no
use whatever when II comes 10 sending
rews to wide-awake daily, and let 1t be
said he found the saying to be true once
more There is apparently no Improvement
going on among this class of working
men,
1t was I'm a little hamlet some thirty miles
outside of Washington which had pretty
poor telephone service. An important tflai
was IN progress which the reporters paper
was anxious to get In full. The reporter
dropped off the morning train from WASH
ington and Immediately interviewed his
friend the operator at the station.
II don't go to my lunch until noon, said
the operator.
AN right. I'll have my first batch ready
by then replied the scribe, who then start
ed off down a dusty country road to the
county court house, no short distance away
Before noon there was a recess in the pro-
ceedings. and he rushed back along that
read at high rate of speed, reaching the
station in good time, as he thought to
catch the telegraph operator before he went
to his lunch.
even was locked up. Mad and f0otsore. the
scribe hustled back to the heart of the
town to look for that which was lost. w nat
was his surprise and chagrin to discover
after considerable inquiry that the object
of his search .had been quietly sitting IN
the court room for an hour before the re-
cess was taken. at which time he had leis-
urely gone across the street to lunch Tor
the next hour and u quarter.
Suffice il to say that the reporter nab
bed" his man and in one way or another
sent him flying down the hiehway to his
post of duty. barely in time, however. to
catch the last form of his paper that after
noon.
& 4
IL Sit RI oil
John B. O'Neir a former Washington at
torney who is now engaged as military in
structor in China related an interesting
and out-of- the-ordinary happening in which
he was a principal 1t occurred about fifty
miles from Picking.
1--WE were trying to get big gun across
little stream" said Mr.. O'Neill. 81 had
about thirty Cinnamon engaged at the
task. while fully one hundred more stood
about the banks of the stream and looked
on When the cannon had reached the mid
ole OF the creek. or river it became stalled
In the soft mud at the bottom. | yell
ing At the 'Chinks' In pigeon English try
Ing 30 get them to extricate the gum when
above the babe of Chinese voices there
came in a high falsetto and decidedly Irish
brogue this remark:
Why the divil don't yeZ spalpeens pull
tn cannon TO yez right? Begorrah, yer
lot ov low-tide clamst
Il looked in the direction from whence
the voice came and saw a short Chinaman,
as / supposed. with long queue a little
led pug nose and a genuine Celtic cast of
countenance. He was holding a little Chi
nese boy by the hand.
Who you?" / shouted at him
An. Amiricin like yerself." was the reply.
81 am a Chinese-Irish-A American, an me
name is o Flaherty.'
Mr.. O'Neill said he had a long talk with
fellow informed
he left Tyrone. Pa. for China about twenty
years ago. and upon his arrival in the celes-
tial empire he married a Chinese woman.
adopted their manners and garb including
false queue. He added that he was the
father of several little Chinese-Irish o. Flah-
ortvs
Inst your name?" asked Mr.. o Neill. You
seldom see an O'Flaherty these days. They
all F. Ier:ys.i'
II didn't drap me % fer tn same r'ason
We did not drap yers. Ye know in tn ovid
country the O'FlahertyS and the O Neills
% Everybody
The fear of the malign influence of mum
Der 49, has long dwelt in the officials of the
government printing Office. II is 50 strong
that even an order of President Roosevelt
is disregarded, that the hoodoo attached to
the number may be kept away from the
government printing office. President,
Roosevelt delivered speech Friday at the
ceremonies attending the unwilling of the
monument to Frederick the Great Ac-
cording to the usual custom. the utteran.es
Of the President are printed in advance for
the USE of the press 1t so happened In
THIS instance that just thirteen hundred
copies Were needed When the order went
to the printing office protest went up. but
no decided objection was made. When the
speeches were delivered to the executive Of
fees a few days later there were just four
teen packages, each containing a hundred
copies oil the speech. The office refused alb
soiutely TO turn out job which figured
UP thirteen"
If one of those illustrated song photo
grsphers had been down at the Pennsyl-
vania railroad station the other evening he
could have gotten some good pictures for
the popular Glue Bell song" remarked a
Maryland commuter to a reporter for The
Star the other day.
Il was at the station waiting for the lit
tie old train that opera ties between Wash
iugton and Baltimore, and noticed COM
pany of soldier boys preparing To leave for
some western post. One of the soldiers
was a rather handsome young fellow. and
by his side stood young woman. apparent
~ his wife sweetheart. She wore a thin
VEIL, had taffeta' hair. and was chewing
gum with an energy and devotion that per-
haps denoted intense sorrow
THE couple walked back and forth along
the platform waiting for the gates to open.
Finally train was called and the soldier
boy hurTiedly put his arms about the young
woman, and. without waiting for her to
raise her VEIL kissed her good-by. At the
gate. however. he was informed that his
train not ready TO leave, he return
ed to the young woman She as still as
siduously chewing her gum
After little while the soldiers train
was called. This time. however. he took
more time to the farewell salute. The
young woman raised her veil hastily re-
moved a wad of chewing gum from her
mouth and lifted up her lips for the parting
kiss. Then the soldier started for the