Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-15

An incident relating to the birth of the
harbor police force of the District of Co
lumbia is to be found in 1.-THE History of
the Washington Navy Yard by Chaplain
Henry B. Hibben. 1t is stated that one
fine spring morning in 1888 an official of
the local government, representing the Com
miSsionerS, went to the Navy Department
and secured from the Secretary permission
to borrow from the navy yard a steam
launch to be used for patroling the river
front, apprehending river thieves, dragging
for the bodies of drowned persons and the
like.
Armed with this order from the Secretary
of the Navy he proceeded to the navy yard
and presented 1t to the commandant- He
appeared to be averse to the proposed loan,
especially as he claimed the order for the
launch had been secured "over his head"
The commandant promptly informed the
District official that there was no launch
available for the purpose and at once re-
ported to the Navy Department that the
principal yard launch had been loaned to
the Norfolk navy yard, and that although
he had made repeated efforts to have 1t
returned, the launch still remained there.
Furthermore while there was another
launch at the yard, he reported to the Sec
rotary that 'it is out of the water under
going REPAIRS He added:
Moreover this boat is fitted with Ad-
miral Porter's invention for steering, and
he does not want her meddled with"
And so the District government baff1ed
in this direction, had to secure its first po-
lice boat from another source than the
Washington navy yard.
1.-The saying that the early bird catches
the worm. is certainty a true one." said
the umbrella man when he called at police
headquarters one day this week.
The umbrella man." as he is called, sell
dom misses a day at headquarters. and
those who were in the office were not in
clined to pay any attention to him.
"As 1 was saying" he repeated. "the
early bird catches the worm and there's no
use denying it.
"You know" he said conffdentially, "I
take my nip every morning. and this morn
ing l was going after my good morning
when I picked up a sack of flour in the
alley, and do You think gave it to char
fly? Not on your life. I got my little nip
first and then went back to the mission.
where 1 spend my nights.
"And gave it to the mission workers."
he was asked. ...s.. -
II gave 1t to them all right was his
answer, but I'll get two nights lodging
for 1t, and you want to tell me 1t don't pay
to get out early?"
X ** X
A now successful author the other day
was telling Of his first experience as the
writer of "best seller" The house that
published his novel issued on the side lit
erary magazine. In this the book was &C.
statically reviewed. The firm happened to
have, just then, several trades" due 1t
from other literary magazines published by
other houses. BY this is meant that 1t had
praised the books issued by other people
and was entitled in return to. some boost
Ing" This particular book was the bene-
f1ciary The author read the many clip
pings sent him by a bureau and he was
sure he was a great man. Then writer
whom the firm hires under six different
names to further it's interests praised the
book in each of his six capacities. The
author at once appeared to be one of the
greatest. Then various newspapers with a
genial eye for advertising commented at
length upon the splendor and vitality of the
novel, The author was beginning to choose
the most substantial bank in his town for
the deposit of the forthcoming royalties
But when settlement day arrived he drew
from the firms envelope check for six
months royalties on the book. 1t amounted
to a little over SIG
..
Your request for my photograph" said
. general at the War Department, "re-
minds me Of a story. Many years ago-it
doesn't matter how many, but it was before
the practice of putting peoples pictures in
the papers was as common as 1t Is now
Joe Harper, the head of the big publishing
house. occasionally put the portraits OF men
prominent in the events of the day In his
magazine. Prof. Prime Of the New York
Observer. which was the organ of the Pres
byterians in those days, was discussing the
innovation with Harper one day and asked
him jokingly II he didn't want his picture.
Harper took him seriously and replied
eagerly in the affirmative. So old Prime,
who hadn't had his picture taken for many
years, went through the ordeal of being
photographed. He gave Harper one of the
photographs, and Harper said he would use
II at the first opportunity. Prime kept on
buying the magazine in the hope Of seeing