Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-04
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popular airs on one OF the pianos. which at
the time l enjoyed very much. The tracks
were cleared shortly after. and / again
boarded a car for home, but upon reaching
LIST and G streets northwest, the car
jumped the track and / was delayed an
other half hour Upon reaching home my
wife inquired where 1 had been during the
last hour. Well, / went on to explain about
the first te-up. but at this point she broke
In and stated that she knew that was all
right. as two young ladies had stopped at
the house and told her they had waited at
North Capitol and III streets for a car for
half an hour. but where was l during the
last half hour? OF course started to ex-
plain about the second accident but oh no.
from. and who was the woman playing the
piano! have not yet been able to convince
her."
X X
Epicures experience much difficulty in
finding new dishes but 1t took Virginia
negro waiter In downtown cafe the other
day to introduce a distinct novelty in the
gastronomic line. A belated and tired trav-
eler got off a train at the Pennsylvania
depot and headed for an eating place which
some chance acquaintance in the smoker
suggested. Seating himself at the table he
was handed a menu card by an obsequious
server of viands. On account of the dearth
of walters. due to the exit of many for
ment was put to the necessity of employ
ing the negro referred to. who was not over
burdened with either experience or intelli-
gence. LAS a matter of fact. said the
traveller. in relating his experience. the
man only knew dish on the card.
After finishing up "a hasty meal of steak,
friend potatoes and coffee, l asked him
what else he had that was good meaning
dessert We've got some fine ourang- outang
pie. was the response. Just as a flyer I
IL
siderable misgivings as TO what he would
bring. A great uproar went up when he
set before me piece of mertngue pie. The
fun was worth the enlarged tip | handed
him, but when | got home it's orang-ou-
tang pie for me"
A bill-of-fare in a well-known local les
taurant, frequented largely by loves of
bohemian life, caused good deal of
merriment among several westerners who
dropped in for lunch last Saturday after
noon. A lot of appetizing dishes We're emu
merated on the card, among them shat.
and that was what for a time disc lncarted
the man who did the writing. The an
nouncement read: Shad. y. 10 cents:
whale. one dollar" Now the western men,
Who by the way, reside in one of the prin-
cipal cities of the great lakes. were ac-
customed to the famous white fish, out
and the like. but desiring to partake of
something new, ordered whale at the
same time nudging each other to observe
the effect on the man with the apron AMI
towel He picked up the card and after
studying 1t for awhile broke out into lou l
laughter The hasty penman had written
in future he would be more careful, he
passed the card back to be carried away as
a souvenir Of the occasion
4 y
There are thirteen pages of Smiths in
the city directory. and Mr.. William r.
Smith. the genial superintendent of the
government Botanic Gardens, In looking
over that volume discovered that there are
just eight men who wear the cognomen of
William r. Smith, This sometimes re-
suits in mixup of the mails and other
things, but Mr. Smith of botanical fame
maintains that the name Smith is an
em1nently respectable one. He SAYS il fire.
quently happens that men when placed
under arrest by the police and. taken to the
station house give the fictitious name of
smith instead Of giving their real handle"
They do this added Supt. Smith of the
Botanic Gardens. Ito gain responsibility
they did not possess before. for mind you
the name Of Smith Is an honorable one
x X
Down on the Patuxent river. a short dis
lance below Upper Marlboro, George Mac
kenzie occupies a cabin overlooking the
stream. George does some farming on a
small scale and he also has charge of the
home of the Gebe Club. He boasts that
he is enough of politician to throw the
county to either political party, but his
long suit is training ducks.
I'm the greatest duck trainer YOU ever
heard Of" he told gathering Of club mem
bers and friends who assembled at the home
of the club last Saturday night Il have
six trained ducks, and they are Just the
same as members of my family No money
could buy them. and ! want to say if any
OF you accidentally kill one of them You
will have to pay me SO for him.
What is that your ducks can do?" inter-
rupted one of the listeners.
Anything l tell them" was the earnest
response to their owner. Two of them
won't associate with the others while they
are on the water. and these two go cunning
with me. When We go to the river I tell
them to go away and bring me back some
wild ducks. and they do 1t. They will
go down the river and swim about until
they get some wild ducks about them and
then they will start back to the blind where
L walt for them. Before they get within
shooting distance they will fiutter about in
the water to let me see them, and when
they near the blind they will swim away In
order to get where no shot will reach them -
do you really mean that they will do
what you say?' asked a member of the
party.
DO / really mean it?" echoed the Prince
George county man. You watch the ducks
IN tne morning ana then you VIII see for
yourself, and that amt all they can do
can send one of them to the post office at
Pig Point, more than a mile away" he re-
sponded. land he will bring my mail to
me-"
Nothing more was said about the ducks
until the next morning. Then George and
the quests of the club stood on the bank
overlooking the creek when the six ducks
were sent out. They did as their owner
had said. two of them left the four and
went down the river. the four going In the
opposite direction. George related the story
of how the four ducks would go to Pig
Point and how one of them would go to the
post office and get his mail
And said Of the interested ones.
how does he bring back the maii?"
I'm his mouth" was the response of the
trainer.
Let me see you send him to the post
Office now" suggested the former.
There's no use sending him today" said
Mackenzie. because the office is not open
on Sunday