East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-08-12

The other Afternoon four well known
business men of Washington met in
a downtown cafe for luncheon, and 1t
wasn't very long before the talk,
which had been drifting aimlessly
from one topic to another, settled on
the sensational scandal in the bureau
of statistics of the agricultural de-
partmcnt, says the Washington Star.
Did you ever meet Edwin S.
Holmes, the former statistician of the
Department." the real estate man in
Quired of the cotton merchant.
Knew him WELL" replied the cot
ton man with a reminiscent smile,
knew him pretty we'll"
do you think 1t probable asked
the real estate man, that Holmes
made a half million dollars out of his
cotton leak speculation?"
Couldn't say as to that" replied
the cotton man with another grin,
"but I'll bet hat he hasn't got all
of it at the present time. Under
stand me, don't know anything as
to the guilt or innocence of Holmes,
and what's more. don't care.
when 1 say 1 knew him well, 1
mean that I had met him frequently
in n business way, and that had been
out on a little jambouree with him
couple or three times. I always won
dered where he got the bale of long
green that he carried with him at
all times, but 1t wasn't any of my
business TO inquire. I'm frank to say
that at times did believe he might
have done a little specializing on his
own private hook with private infor-
nation, but l never gave the thing
much thought. My main reason for
remembering Mr.. Holmes is the fact
that l heard him deliver a lecture on
temperance out in Chicago one time.
"I was stopping at the biggest hotel
In the Windy CITY, continued the cot
ton broker, "and so was Holmes. In
cidentally he came pretty near own
ing the hotel. He was cutting into the
grape every few minutes to the tune
of 81 per cut and every now and then
he would decide that he wasn't spend
ing money fast enough, and would
smash something Just for the pleas
use of prancing up to the desk and
paying for it. I've always noticed that
when a man is permitted to turn him
sci; into a village cut-up in one of
those big city caravanseries that the
hotel is always getting its moneys
worth.
well, gentlemen. that Holmes per-
son had 81 worth of blue blotters and
a basket of Florida sponges tied in
a parcel and dropped off the dock,
and about midnight the good ship Ca
pacity began to settle by the bow and
Mr.. Holmes tackled upstairs to his
room.
'It wasn't but a few minutes later
that the telephone rang and the clerk
who answered it hung up the receiver
with grin on his face. Mr.. Holmes
wants every bellboy in the hotel to
come up to his ROOM he said to me
as I walked up to the desk. They
can't all be spared, but I'll send him
up a bunch"
And did he make good?" the real
estate man inquired.
He surely did," replied the cotton
broker, ''for he skipped about IS bell
boys up to Holmes room. That gen.
tlehian was waiting for them, and
when they arrived on the scene he
arranged them in ranks, like a mill
tary company. along one side Of his
room.
"'P--- 80
--Jys,' he said, look at me. Amt
a sight? Amt 1 a beautiful piece
of work? Do you want to know what
did It? Nothing but booze. That's
the answer, and there isn't anything
else to be said. Never touch a drop,
boys, for as the booze comes in sense
goes out. Sign the pledge tonight
"And then,," continued the cotton
man, "the temperance orator quench-
ed his thirst from a bottle of wine,
without the formality OF using
glass, gave ecch of the 35 boys half
a dollar and continued:
"'Boys, I want you to do me one
favor, and I'll think I was born for
a good purpose after all Resign your
JOBS tonight. Leave and never come
back. Don't work around a place
where you see people like me. Go
home to your mothers tonight. Con-
slider yourselves discharged. Will you
do it?'
well, sir" continued the cotton
man, they all grinned and promised
to leave at once. never to come back.
And then they filed out and Holmes
went to bed. In the morning and
this last I know from the gentleman