Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-08
SENAT0RH0AR'S WAYS

On the strength of distorted account OF
a run-in whicheth late Senator Hoar had
! with Washington street car conductor q
| great many. entirely baseless stories gained
| currency which sought to show that the
| noted Massachusetts statesman possessed q
| peevfsh disposition and an acrid tongue.
| Nothing could have been further from the
| truth. Senator F6ar was CIVIL courteous,
| patient and considerate old gentleman to
the very last day of his residence in Wash
| fngton. There are innumerable well-authen-
ticated stories to prove this.
| One forenoon. a year ago last spring,
Senator Hoar@ sent in his card to bureau
chief-since resigned-who during his short
career in Washington was noted for a sort
Of insouicance that bordered on bad man
ners.
The messenger conducted the Massachu-
| Setts senator into the bureau chiefs sump-
sat at his desk. facing the door; but he
| never raised his head when the senator en-
| tered nor responded to the latter's Good
| morning" The bureau chief went right
| ahead with his writing. The senator halted
| about ten feet In front Of the desk. and
! stood waiting for the bureau chief to give
| some indication that he understood that he
| was not entirely alone in the room. But
the bureau chief went on writing Three
| or four minutes passed thus, the old sena-
| tor patiently shifting from one foot to the
| other.
| Then the senator advanced to the desk. a
| huge double affair, and pulled a chair up
| to the side of the desk facing the bureau
| chief. Senator Hoar picked up pen and a
| block of writing paper and began to write
| 1t was only then that the bureau chief
| looked up from his papers and over at the
| senator on the other side Of the desk. There
| was an expression of simulated surprise on
| the bureau chiefs face, as If he had only
then become aware Of the senator's pres
| ence in the room.
"Oh, h'w'are you. SENATOR said the
! bureau chief, dryly, to the senator, who,
| however, did, not look UP from his writing.
J Anything l can do for you?" -.
| mo, sir-I only dropped in to write few
| letters complaisantly replied the old
| Massachusetts, statesman, never looking up.
| Don't put yourself out. Proceed with your
| work.
The bureau chief looked crestfallen.
| by the way, SENATOR" he said, leaning
back in his revolving chair. about that
| little matter that you submitted to the de-
| partment awhile ago. We
| ''Oh, never mind,'' calmly Interrupted the
| senator. Its rather an irksome case. l
| am going to see the Secretary about that
| little matter as soon as l finish these few
| letters"
The bureau chief flushed and bent over
| his desk again. The senator went calmly
| ahead at his correspondence for about q
quarter of an hour, when he touched the
I button at the side of the desk he was
sitting at and summoned the messenger
| BE so good as to take my card to the
| Secretary" he said to the messenger, ana
| the messenger went out
| The Secretarys office was only two doors
| down the hall. In less than a minute the
bureau chiefs door was thrown open and
| the Secretary himself plunged in both
hands extended toward the senator, who
was still seated at the, desk.
| 'Why, the top of the morning to you.
senator,' cordially exclaimed the Secretary,
gripping Mr. Hoar by both hands. You're
| just the man 1 wantite have long talk
| with. Messenger" addressing the waiting
! black man, tell the rest of the folks wait
| ing to see me that I'll be busy for the next
hour or So" and he conducted Senator
| Hoar to his holy of holies.
| Something like an hour later, after the
senator's departure from the private office
| of the Secretary, the bureau CHIEF was sum-
| moned by the Secretary.
| "An' he dun look LAX fo' cents wuf o
| dog meat wen he all come out o de Sec
| tahy's office" was the comment of one of
| the black messengers stationed in the cor
| ridor.
There is another story. also having to do
with a departmental chief, which shows
how exceedingly patient Senator Hoar
could be up to certain swapping point.
| He called at the Office of this depart
| mental ofFicial-now out of service, toO-a
little after the hour OF noon one Day Inc ne
official was noted during his regime for ms
| vast capacity for food When the senator
was ushered into the officials room on this
| occasion a big food tray covered the lat
| X.
| which consisted of a remarkable assort-
ment of sandwiches and pastries and a pot
| of coffee "
| lust taking a bite" said the official, his
mouth filled with tongue sandwich. BE
| through directly. Have seat. senator.
| The senator replied that he'd call at an
| other hour on another day, and TOOK MS de-
parture. :,
| He returned on the following day, at 2
| O'Clock in the afternoon. The official was
| saving away at stack of lamb chops
garnished with lyonnnaise p1 20. does cohee
| Another bite?" said the senator, whose
business with the department was urgent
He went again. saying that he'd return
On the next day the senator was back at
| the department again. this time at
| o'clock He found the official In the en-
| joyment of a little snack comprising such
staying dainties as sandwiches. eclairs.
| pieces Of pie and cheese, slabs OF CAKE ana
| tea The old senator looked the layout
| over out of the tail Of his eye. and shooK
| his head in a puzzled sort OF way.
| "Well, I'm going to wait till you ge.
| through this time, Mr.. Blank" he said, and
he sunk into a deep leather chair ana
| watched the official devour food as II fas-
| cinated by the spectacle. The Official had
1 a newspaper propped up in front or MIN
and gourmandized and read In leisureiy
sort of way. He looked up from his little
| repast when he Heard a sort Of half gurgie,
| half snore The senator was profound in
| slumber.
| The official. having satisfied the pangs OF
| appetite, gently shook the old senator
| awake.
Must have had hearty lunch, Ell. SEN
| ator?" he said to the distinguished old
man. .
! II haven't had a mouthful Of lunch, sir"
said the senator, rubbing his eyes and ris-
ing from the deep chair 1T was the
| power Of suggestion that put me to sleep
| watching that extraordinary mixture you
| were loading into your system"
WELL" the official started to say. shall
| we take up that matter
| ter not, now I'll send my young man
around to see you and let him get that mat
ter untangled, If he can. Maybe he'll be
able, with his youth still upon him. to
stand seeing you introduce those hundred
weights of peculiar provender into your in
| ternal economy, but am not equal to IT.
| and the senator went away, with some JUS
| tification for his slight testiness.
| What William and Mary Might Drink