The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-04-06
WASHINGTON LETTER


was In the comnisSAry department or
the Union army during the civil war.
In December, 1868, he was ordered
from Washington to point on the
eastern shore of Maryland. It was
desperately cold. There was no way OF
getting there except by wagon, and
Gibson took an ambulance and two
mules and started to drive. It took
ham two days to get there. When be
arrived his muies were In such bad
condition that they died. Gibson was
court martialed by order Of General
Birney. who was in command in that
department, on the charge Of over
driving the mules, and it was with
great difiiculty that he cleared him
self.
A short time ago Representative
Gibson made speech at an entertain
nlent ut one Of the Lutheran churches
In Washington. After he had eoncsu6
ca an aged, gray bearded man Rrp.
preached him and suid:
Gibson, l still maintain you over
drove those mules.
The gray bearded man was General
Birney, whom Gibson had not seen
since the court martial episode Of 1868.
Looking For Wakes.
Rear Admtra8 jean g. Walker de-
vetes more time 10 canal matters than
to fashion plates, and could hardly be
called spick and span in the civilian
clothes he wears at his work. A stran-
ger would be far more likely to take
Admiral Walker for countryman
than retired navy officer. His long
whiskers are of the type SO popular In
rural dramas, and his rolling walk
might well be taken for the move
ment acquired by following plow.
A brusQue young man In search Of
the canal commission encountered Ad-
miral Walker in q corridor of the Cor
coran building and asked pertly:
"Can you tell me where / win find
Walkerf'
EYES," Admiral Walker replied. "Just
come with me-
The dapper young fellow followed
Admiral Walker into his Office. The
admiral took a seat behind his desk
and invited the young man to sit down.
"Well, what can do for you" Ad-
miral Walker asked of the young man,
who began to sQuir1n uneasily in his
chair.
Mixed ON the Classics.
A newspaper correspondent in Wash
ington was chatting with ex-Repre-
sentative GIN Of Ohio when the latter
said something In an indistjnct voice
which the correspondent thought was
a reference to Charlie Lands, the lndi-
ana congressman.
EYES," said the correspondent: ''Char-
lie Lands is very nice fellow. So is
his brother, Fred Lands. Speaking Of
Fred Lands reminds me-
Mr.. GIN appraised his voice in tones
Of naughty scorn. II did not say Char
he Landis," he said in icy tones. II
said Coriolanus, he who, as the cfas-
sizes tell US, was called from the pillow
to the helm of state"
The correspondent subsidized and
skunk abjectly out Of the room.
When the correspondent told this
story to his colleagues one OF them
said: "The joke was not on you, but
on this naughty man gill. 1t was On
cinnatus who was called from the
plow, not Coriolanus."
THE idea Of Gill not knowing thatr'
exclaimed the correspondent indig-
nantly. "And he comes from Ohio too"
Quoted Scripture mt him.
Milt H. Saul, a we'll known Washing
ton correspondent, had been hammer
ing In his newspaper q certain con
gresham whose conception of his pub
lie duties did not appeal to him. For
some time hardly week had gone by
that Mr.. Saul had not taken shot at
his victim. One day Mr.. Saul was
standing in the corridor of the capitol
when the congressman hove In sight
and Immediately bore down upon him.
Mr.. Saul was uncertain whether the
congressman intended merely to up
braid or to irifiiet bodily harm, and he
prepared for all emergencies. He stood
his ground and cast at the congress
man an 1nftexible ana determined
gaze. THE BATTER seized BIN hy Che Ia
pei of his eoat bend oyer ana hooked
hfm In the eye With,a searching stare.
Then he said sadly:
saul, Saul. why persecutest thou
meT'
Thought Taft an ssEasy Mark"
Secretary Taft was hurrying away
from the White House after Fridays
cabinet meeting when one Of the news.
paper correspondents pursued him
down the steps from the Office building
and asked him question relating to
the fsthmus of Panama.
Isn't that q matter under the con.
troll Of the state department." he asked
az he stopped in the middle Of the
street.
"That may be- agreed his interlocu
tor, .'but know that 1t is also mat
ter In which you are greatly interested
and know good deal about, 80 ]
thought I'd ask you instead of Secreta.
~ Hay
Nov. say exclaimed Mr.. Taft
looking sharply at the scribe sisu't Il
q fact that you ask me because you
think I'm an easier mark than Eec1e
tary Hayfn
Tilimanas Deaan1t4ona.
Mr., TiIlman instructed the senate Glse
other day about farming. and In Che
course OF his talk asserted that "a
farmer Is a man who makes his living
with his hands, while an agricultural
Is man who makes q living with his
mouth" BE added, II fear there ere
too many agriculturists In the senate 2
But this was hardly less entertafn.
Ing than his dissertation about African
broad tail sheep and Brahnin oxen
rnre breeds OF live stock IN South Caro-
Tina during the former palny days
which breeds, according to Mr. TIN
man. have now disappeared by rsAAa6
81 negroes. dogs and poverty
CARL SCHOFTELD