The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-02
TROUBLES OF A CONSUL
QUEER YARNS BY HENRY CLAY EVANS, RETIRING FROM L0N-
 DON POST.
Sad . "Hard-Luck" Storfes-Tennessee Colonel One of Most Popular Men in British Capitol--How People
 Try to Impose on Uncle Sam.

London Special Correspond of Philadel-
 phia Record
 Deep regret is expressed over the coming departure of Henry Clay Evans the American Consul General. who has been recalled and who will be replaced in the Consulate here by ex-Postmas- ter General Wynne. Few Americans are more popular today in the British metropolis than MT. Evans. Wherever an American is in trouble about the first person he hunts up is 'Colonef' Evans. as he is popularly known.
 Tucked away in little side street, about five minutes walk from the Bank of England. Is St. Helen's Place. Looking down St. Helen's Place on a bright morning-and there are a few bright mornings in London now and then-the American visitor is glad to zee the flag of his country waving jauntly over a dark and dingy door way. Outside the door is a species of crest. representing the American Eagle fin the usual screaming attitude, while within the office the American accent is strong enough for the Bird of Free dom to roost on.
 The reason Colonel Evans is so popu- lar not only among Americans fin Eng land, but among the English them selves, Is because he has lost none Of his Americanism. He is tall. broad shouldered Southern Colonel of the old school, and might well stand for an impersonation of Uncle Sam.
 Friend to Everybody.
 He is friend to all the big literary and artistic men on the "other side" and seems to be on the very best terms with everybody. He is daily inundated with invitations to all sorts of balls and parties, and if he attended them all 1t is doubtful if much business would be done for the Americans in London whom Colonel Evans so well repre- sents.
 The Consulate is the one place in London where Americans always feel welcome. It is really amusing to think how many persons go there for the most trival objects. Some call merely to shake hands with the Consul, be- cause they feel lonesome, while oth- CTS want Colonel Evans to get them out of hot water.
 The writer recently called on Colonel Evans at his office in St. Helen's Place and asked few questions as to how the Consulate was run.
 Well 1t Is really very amusing" said the Cononel; people come here on all sorts of pretexts. If an Ameri- can womon loses 0 bundle or an um- brella on the train the first place she comes next morning is here"
 Stranded Americans fin London.
 Colonel Evans chuckled facetiously over some of his experiences, and light ing a cigar. put his feet upon a chair and commenced to make himself com fortabIe.
 No; I haven't very much to do Just now" he said. You see, it's late in the afternoon and we are not supposed to work here after o'clock. I do not mind telling you a few things about the Consulate. For instance look at this cablegram that came this morn ing"
 Colonel Evans handed out a yellow sheet of paper. which contained instruc- tions as to the burial of the body of an American who had been found drowned in the river.
 T get these kind of things every day. Sometimes we have to cremate people at other times bury them, and we are always trying to get somebody out of jail. Americans seem to think that if they get into trouble over here or break the laws of the country-and there are a lot of laws over here, I want to tell you--that all they have to do is to send letter down here and we will ball them out, and take them in at the same time.
 q have had people come here from the DIE nOtelS, WnO nave gone DrOke, and they did not have money enough to pay their bills. I have other peo- pie come here, probably six days out of the week. who want me to get them a pass on the Atlantic liners. Of course, they want first cabin passage every time, and they wonder greatly when we are not able to assist them. If we gave everybody free trip home who came here and asked for it the steam CT would be loaded down to the gum wales every time with busted Ameri- cans
 Hard Luck Stories by the Yard.
 "Of course. it is all very funny, but it isn't very amusing to have to sit down here hour after hour to listen to hard luck stories. There ought to be a special department here-as I un- derstand they have one at the Embassy to listen to all these fairy tales and to mollify the persons who come to tell them.
 Occasionally I have some amusing experiences. too, which are more or less interesting. For instance, a few years ago the well-known correspondent, Jack London. showed up here one morning and asked me for assistance. He said he was stoney broke to the world and wanted to know if I could do anything for him.
 'T did not know who or what he was but I looked at him once and then sized him up. said Took here. you