Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-15

Stored away I'm the archives of an old
Georgetown residents home are many relics
Of historical interest Among these Is an
old print. "A copy of a sermon preached to
a negro about to be hung for a henous
crime in Georgetown some time during the
aute-colorial days. The sermon in ques-
ton was delivered about 1850 The docu-
ment is Indicative of one of the extremely
peculiar customs OF the period. Doomed
criminals had to be brought TO the church
before the hour of execution and the preach
er would minister to their spiritual needs
History dces not give the full name OF
the colored brother who was preached to
with a rope around his neck looking over
into a grave. but the sermon refers 10 MN
as BENJAMIN. the Colored divine was re-
nowned for miles around a word painter
and to the unfortunate Benjamin he pic
tured the neither world In glowing coiors.
To read his high-flown epistle in this age
of literary learning a fairly fertile imagina-
ton can sniff the odor OF the birthstone.
The poor negro was told that q cot bed
made Of birthstone with mattress lined
with live Goals was awaiting him IN the
event of his dying mpenitent.
Prize fights horse races and even the
habit of smoking regarded as sinful.
and those who INDUCED in the aforemeh-
toned evils were subject TO ridicule ana
SCurn and perhaps punishment. so that
the hanging of a criminal and seeing him
off on his last Journey was one or the
sporting events OF the time, and people
fiocked out in large numbers 10 see the
trap sprung and the victim drop
=
In spite of the fact that Secretary Bona
parte does not go in for collection Of
NapoeOnc relics and has made 1t rule
for years not 10 acquire such articles by
purchase he is in almost daily receipt of
of, rs from different parts of the United
States and Europe of Napoleonic relics for
sale. \ recent offer of a miniature came
from Holland. while a man in New York
state has Il cOlored plaster cast and hair
british on sale The latter article was used
by Inc present owners grandfather while
barber with the army In Napoleons cam
paigns though it is not absolutely certain
that it ever arranged the famous frontal
lock of the little corporal.
Ex-Sec~etary of the Navy Paul Morton,
besides being clever narrator of the jests
OF others. has a fund of epigram that Is
a frequent source of innocent merriment
to those about him. On one occasion a
prominent and respected gentleman was
very insstent tina. the Navy Department
should take his view Of a certain matter.
Secretary Morton put the ''suaviter in
nICGO, fOrtiter in re- maxim in new dress
b. saying. III tell you what We'll do; we'll
ueat him with the most distinguished con-
S-Ct-ldtlOl anu pay AO eliNNaItApA4 " " nat iAS
wants.
* = X
IN the closing days of the social season
in Washington young lady a river ex-
CUrson in a private launch was chatting
about her white duck skirt and lamentlng
that ii was getting past its usefulness. 1t
had been TO the laundry time and again. it
seemed. And now" said the young lady
with sigh II am afraid my poor skirt is
or its last legs"
x x
Cape May and the other Atlantic coast
resorts live almost entirely for the four
summer months that constitute their sea-
SON" said a man who has couple of kids
away for the summer. I found when l
was down at Cape May last week that you
could rent anything for the season from a
hair mattress to steam yacht And I
found incidentally that it was about ex-
pensive TO rent as to buy. l have just
shipped down my boys bicycle TO him on
that basis. The youngster wanted q wheel
as soon IS he saw what good riding there
was on the beach. I did not blame him
and went in to get him a rented wheel The
dealer had an old wreck that he said would
need about two days work on it before it
was ready TO 30 out of the shop. I thought
so too. and thought the man would have 10
work pretty hard to do all that wheel
needed done to It in two days. Now. you
can get a boys wheel new for SlI or $50,
and when that man told me he wanted 81
a week TO rent it decided it was cheaper
To ship my kid his wheel from home And
that is what I have just done
"A stranger gets so tired of the eternal
question of Want to buy IT, or rent it?'
that the phrase gets on his nerves l knew
a girl down there who had reached such a
stage OF nerves that when she went out the
other day 10 a butchers shop for a steak
la fret inc tho G4iH n Ia. yn-as
want a steak for dinner and then she