Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-20
VETERAN QUITS
JUNGLE .HoD" TAYLOR AN OLD
HAND AROUND WASH
lNGToN
Man Who is Soon to Retire
AS Assistant Secretary of the Treas
ury Has Had Many Interesting Elk
periences.

Washington, D. c., March 16-(Spe-
ciaD-When Hon H. A Taylor Of Wis
consin, Uncle Hold as he is ,faniliarly
called, retires as assistant secretary Of
the treasury, about the first of June,
the government service will lose an
able as we'll as unique character.
Uncle Hold" has had a life filled
with unusual experiences. He was
taken to- Wisconsin when small boy
and grew up there when the MISSISSIPPI
pi river and it's tributaries furnished
the only highway of communication
for the pioneer settlements of the then
far west. He has known all of the
famous men Of national politics from
the Fremont campaign to the present
day A. B. Stickney, president of the
Chicago, Great Western railway, was
q country school superintendent when
Taylor first knew him. While a con-
sui in southern France his experiences
were further enlarged; he tells inter-
esting stories of the Americans who
came to see him on their way back
from Monte Carlo. Through his efforts
the body Of John Howard Payne was
brought back to this country with APP
propriate recognition of the poets
work If 'sUncle Hold" could be induced
to write a book and he would write
as well as he talks, it would be inter-
esting reading.
Among the strange exploits of Mr..
Taylor was his experience with
the delegates who came to
this country to attend the In
terparliamentary Peace Congress sew
eral years ago. They came in the sum-
mer when everybody Of real official
consequence was away from Washing
ton, barring Mr.. Taylor, whose health
has always been good in warm wealth
er. He was accordingly instructed by
the absent Mr.. Roosevelt to receive
the foreign visitors in behalf of this
government standing in the person of
the President. The foreigners looked
upon the venerable assistant secre-
tary of the treasury as sort of depu-
ty president, and on arriving in Wash
| ington several weeks later they werc
considerably surprised to see him hold
ing down the desk IN the treasury de-
! partment.
But after delivering the address Of
welcome to the foreigners. Acting
President Taylor took them up the
Hudson to- see West Point. 1t had
been planned that a buffet luncheon
should be served on board the boat at
l o'clock and that the interval would
oe broken about II o'clock by passing
round some beer and light wines. The
scheme seemed perfectly feasible and
all the supplies were assembled under
linen covers on a long table. The
printed program announced in sever
al languages that this would be the
order Of exercises gastronolnically
speaking.
A Cafetaria Lunch.
When II o'clock came and the
steamer was in the midst of the most
beautiful scenery Of the Hudson. an
attempt was made to start the beer
mugs into motion. But the foreign del
egates having already absorbed some
thing of the strenuousness Of the great
republic, proceeded to rip up the COW
ers from the tables and help them
selves to the supplies assembled in
readiness for the o'clock function.
AS these began to vanish like snow
i under late February sun, -. Tay.
lor,s pleus heart was filled .th) con.
sternation. If these things we're eat
en- now, there would be nothing to
serve at 1. And they were being eat.
en- at that moment He was confront
ed with condition and not theory
What should he do?
Mr.. Taylor had not been around. the
world all his life for nothingl He
is a man of resources. He
mounted the rostrum and calling for
) attention spoke in English to the as
sembled multitude already busy
munching sandwiches, to listen, some
what as follows: ut has been decid
ed to have the regular luncheon OF the
day which had been intended for a lit
Il tie later hnlIr ct this tin,o 4. TIKI, bro Z,