New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-11
GOSSIP OF THE BOROUGH
Congressman Calder a Busy Core
SDOndent Drops Irish Name.

William NJ. Calder, the Congressman from the
9th District. has to-day absolutely no reason to
think that his followers DO not wish to take him
at his word. He was elected his present office
last fail. on January IL, possibly fearing that
his stay in Washington might be so strange and
unhonelike to worry him into insomnia, he
sent out $4,000 copies Of this letter to the voters
in his bsiliwick:
Dear Sir: The Fifty-ninth Congress, to which
I have been elected as your representative, is
now IN session. / shall always be glad 10 hear
from you with any suggestions in regard to any
measures in which you may be interested II
can be of any service TO you in my capacity as
your representative. please consider me at your
command at any time Yours very truly
WILLIAM NJ CALDER.
Nh. Calder did not have to wait long for re-
plies If he had imagined that ne would lack
reminders Of the backward and sleepy old town
OF Brooklyn to cheer him in his hours of in
activity, he did well TO call upon the dear ones
at home to aid him while away these tedious
periods. To pass over several columns of dry
expanatiOns-as the story writers say-Mr
Callers mail now aggregates four hundred let
tiers daily, and every letter with the exception
OF few gold brick advertisements from bust
ness houses in Dearborn-st Chicago. is post
marked brooklyn
The Congressnan's correspondents lack neither
imagination nor gall Their wants range from
ambassadorships 10 invitations TO Alice Roose-
velts wedding. Mr.. Calder has TWO typewriters
working from morning 10 night sending an
swers to his constituents, telling them that he
can't live UP 10 his promises with any degree of
success.
curious result of the custom Of Hebrew
immigrants OF changing their names upon COM
ing TO this country from other Undergraduates
OF the appropriateness of the new nomenclature
came 10 light I'm the Kings County Court
few days ago. A Hebrew appeared before the
court with the request that his name be changed
from Jacob Ryan TO Jacob Rhine His argu-
rnent was that Ryan was an Irish name, and he
was thoroughly Hebrew. His father and his
brother are rabbis They have already taken
the name Of Rhine.
There are few men Of this country who have
attended funerals on Mount Sinai that place Of
awe, where the laws were proclaimed to the
tribes Of Israel among the thunders of the AL
mighty more than three thousand years ago An
American would probably view such an attend
ence with about the same feelings as he would
the intrusion OF man upon that mysterious oc-
casion when, at the burial Of Moses on "Nebo's
lonely mountain" the angels Of God upturned
the sod and laid the DEAD man there"
Benjamin Reid Southworth. who is the chief
clerk Of the Yards and Docks Department Of the
Navy Yard. is of the few men who have
attended such a funeral. In 1870 he was with
a company Of Englishmen-ofHcers soldiers and
ciyilians-near the foot OF Mount Sinai. The
Bedouins We're on the warpath. One night when
all in the camp were asleep with the exception of
the sentry, the Arabs made an assault The
sentry, whose name Conrad II. Mitchell.
gave the alarm. but fell at the first shot All
that DAY the company fought the religious
Fanatics who sWarned about them bound on
winning advancement in the eyes Of Allah and
ms prophet, Mahomet by the shedding OF Chris
tan blood Many officers and men fell but they
were allowed 10 lie IN their blood, for the hard
pressed square could not rescue their bodies. BY
evening the company had beaten its way TO the
high ground at the foot of Mount Sinai Through
grateful handful OF men bore the body OF The
sentry whose faithfulness had saved them in
The dark watches Of the night When night
again cUrtalued them from their foes they I'm led
Mitchell in holy ground
IL one IS disguised with American politics let
him so 10 England. and maybe he viii realize his
ambitions. That is the lesson which is taueh,
by the career Of Robert G. Glendinning who has
just been returned TO the House % Commons
lie was politician of Brooklyn twenty-five wears
ago He was born in ireland in 1876 and was
carried 20 this country in the arms of his mar.
ents. He took up his home IN Brooklyn when q
young and Joined the Washington Aven-1f
Baptist Church and the regular Republican or
gsnization in the old 23d Ward. Five years late,
his business took him 10 ireland again. and be
took UP his home IN Belfast. He ROW represents
North Antrim Independent Unionist n,
won his recent fight with the Conservative force,