The Washington times., 1906-05-06


cabinet. led to the es-
tablishment of the navy and the
appointment OF Felipe Carrera as
its admiral. The wine had been
sent by the Mog1I Banana Company
OF New Orleans as a token of
amicable relations-and certain con-
summated deals-between that com
pany and the republic.
Next to the champagne the credit
OF the appointment belonged TO Don
Sabas Placidc the newly appointed
minister Of war
The session had been signally te-
dious: the business and the wine
prodigiously dry. A sudden, prank
ish humor Of Don Sabas impeIling
him to the deed. spiced the grave
matters Of state with a whiff Of
agreeable playfulness.
In the order of business had come
a bulletin from the department OF
Orilla del Mar. reporting the seiz-
ure by the custom-house officers at
the coast town Of Solitas Of the
sloop Estrella de Noche and her
cargo of dry goods, patent medi-
cines, granulated sugar, and three
star brandy. Also six Martini rides
and 10000 Havana cigars. Caught
In the act of smuggling, the sloop
and cargo were now, according to
law, the property of the republic.
Tho 0n1141f,- -
ing his statement, departed from
conventional forms so far as TO
suggest that the confscated vessel
be converted to the use of the gov
ernment. The prize was the first
capture TO the credit OF the de-
partment for ten years. It often
happened that government officials
required transportation from point
to point along the coast, and means
were usually lacking. Furthermore.
the sloop could act as a coast guard
70 discourage the Pernicious art of
smuggling The collector would
also venture to name one to whom
the charge of the boat could be
safely intrusted-a young man,
Felipe Carrera, not. be it under
stood, one of extreme wisdom, but
loyal, and the best sailor along the
coast.
1t was upon this hint that the
minister Of war executed his little
piece of drollery that so enliv-
ened the tedium OF executive ses-
sion
IN the constitution Of this small.
maritime banana republic was a
forgotten section providing for the
maintenance of a navy. The cham
payne was bubbling trickily in the
veins OF the mercurial statesmen.
A formidable document was pre-
pared, incrusted with chromatic
seals and jaunty with futtering
ribbons, bearing the florid sigma
lures Of state, and conferring upon
el Senor Don Felipe Carrera the
title OF admiral of the marine feet
and force Of the republic. Thus,
within the space of a few minutes
and the dominion OF a dozen extra
dry, the country rose to a place
among naval powers, and Felipe
Carrera became entitled to a salute
of twenty-One guns whenever he
should enter port.
The Southern races are lacking in
that particular hUmOr that finds en-
tertainment in natural misfortunes.
Owing to this delect, they are not
moved to laughter at the deformed.
the feeble-minded. or the insane. Fe-
lipe Carrera was but half-witted.
Therefore. the people of Solitas call
ed him eel pobrecito loco" saying
that God had sent but half of him to
earth, retaining the other A SOM
Der youth, glowering and speaking
only at the rarest times, Felipe was
but negatively loco He generally
refused to answer all questions when
on shore. He seemed 10 know that
he was badly handicapped on land
where so many kinds of understand
ing are needed, but on the water few
sailors whom God had entirely and
carefully completed could handle
sailbOat as well. He could sail a
boat five points nearer to the winds
eye than the best of them. He own
ed no boat, but worked among the
crews of the sehooners and sloops
that skinned the coast, trading, and
freighting fruit out to the steamers
where there was no haTbor. 1t was
through his famous boldness and
skill as a sailor, as well as the pity
felt for his mental imperfectiOns that
he was recommended by the collector
as a suitable custodian of the cap
tured sloop.
When the outcome of Senor Pla-
cido's little pleasantly arrived in the
form of the imposing commission,
the collector wondered and then
smiled 10 Feline nIaoad