Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-23

reminder of how 1t feels to leave home ir
Washington without an umbrella, pair
of overshoes and macintosh The tenn
perature loafs between 40 and 60 degrees
most of the time with an occasional squirt
to 20 and it rains only enough to lay the
dust. Flowers jump out of the ground and
the servant question is Chinese dream.
A Solemn Time.
We absorbed all this information and
more during our drive about town and on
returning to the hotel were released for a
few moments in order that we might don
our glad clothing and diamond studs. My
tail coat fortunately being some 400 miles
back down the line, I reversed my cuffs
and called it a day. Then we trooped back
to the hotel parlor, where some forty SOL
emn-looking Victorians were sitting on
Queen Anne furniture and looking. unhap-
py. This part of the program is the only
thing I've got against the good folks of
this bang-up town. Instead Of letting us
loose to wander around and absorb some
more Of that home-sweet-hom atmosphere
they made US sit In a stuffy drawing room,
with the hotel hallmark on 1t, while they
told us how glad they were to see us and
news in that!
But this function will linger with me for
a long, long time owing to the prominent
part taken by the United States consul at
Victoria. I don't remember his initials,
but he was a member of the great Smith
tribe. He was an old fellow with Depew
WhlSkeretteS, a OdlQ spot ABOUT as Dig as
butter plate in the middle of his crown
piece and a confidential manner. He bab-
bled along for half an hour or so with q
formal speech of welcome or something
without anybody paying much attention to
him. But in minute he woke up every
member of our party, for he remarked,
while the whiskerettes wiggled amiably
and the butter-plate badness glittered un-
to be located in Victoria Sin the service Of
President Roosevelt and the republican
party"
To hear United States consul hand out
chunks Of thought like that was a novel
experience for every one Of us. Up to that
time we had had a faint impression that q
consul was supposed to serve Uncle Sam
and that political parties didn't loom SO
this particular consul apparently didn't see
It that way. I'd have thought I was dream
ing but for the fact that the old fellow
was SO hckled at the idea of spread-eagling
in front of a crowd that was bound to the
spot by the golden chains Of hospitality
that he repeated the aforementioned men,
Of foolish to mention that he didn't get
much Of a hand when he quit. But prob
ably he meant well. Let that be his cpl
taph.
Those Fearful Crabs.
The local committee let loose of us
after this and we were left to our
own resources. Some Of us went to bed
ana sOne OF us wrote letters nome,
but had heard for years Of the hard-shell
crabs of the Pacific coast and went out on
still hunt for one. I can say zone" adj
visedly now. as any one who has ever seen
a Pacific coast crab will readily under
stand. I thought the waiter looked at me
in curious, contemplative sort of way
when gave ny order for a dozen hard
shells, but attributed it to another cause.
There was some whispering outside the
door. o walt Of a few minutes and then
crabs began coming in. There was only
one waiter assigned to my table and he
was very. busy man about that time.
thought, when he staggered in with the
first of the dozen crabs, that he had mis-
understood my order and was bringing me
one dozen. green turtles by mistake. For
est of the lot served to me was about a
foot and half across the chest and had
whiskers on 1t like Doukhobor. pried
It open with a chisel and started In. There
was enough of that animal to keep fam
ily Of Roosevelt doctrinaires In fsh food
for three weeks. and the meat was just as
appetizing as-as boiled dog. Understand