The Washington times., 1909-07-27
Capital Tales

JAMES H. JONES. the aged colored
messenger, whose figure has been
~ familiar one about the Senate sta
tionerv room for years, IS sick IN pea
at his home in this city. Not many
persons Who have seen the old man
about the Senate end Of the Capitoi are
aware that he carries more history CHI
cealed about him than almost any oi7
else in Washington. He formerly was
the body servant Of Jefferson DAVIS
President of the Confederacy.
He is now eighty-three years old ana
his friends fear for his recovery. When
he goes some intimate personal knoWl-
edge of the life and times of JEFFERSON
Davis will pass with him. Long Chdp-
ters have been written on the fate o.
the great seal of the COnfederacy- NJ
old servant processes to know what De
came of it. but he has always refused
to disclose 1t. 1t is said thas Mr.. paws
himself and two servants alone me, k 81 CIV
where it went and Jones' or JIM sls
he is called about the Capitol, is the
only person surviving who Is alleged 10
have first-hand knowledge of the truth
The old colOred man is greatly wrap
ped up in his memories Of the days
when the COufedeTacy was great ana
when Jefferson Davis was the mead OF
what promised to become one of the
great republics of the world. lie drove
the hearse at the time of Mr.. DAVIS
funeral and he has attended the tuner
ais of the various members of the Davis
/ family.
, Jim's old home is in North Carolina.
! When he goes back there and walks
along the streets of the old town he
always carries a cane which was given
+ 10 him by his Oue-time master This
cane is like magician's wand when
i Jim goes about in his old haunts NO
other COlOred man would be allowed TO
swing a cane down there. but Jim is,
and when he swings il 81 the white
| folks sep TO one side and let MIN pass
/ by. such is the reverence in which the
memory Of Jefferson Davis is held.
s
Senator La Toilette is the first of
the Chautauqua stumpers in Congress
! TO manage 10 keep few dates. He
! went out West during the tariff con
ference TO do some talking. there being
nothing for him to do in Washington.
| AS soon as the session ends he will
! start on the platform and keep at it
/ the rest of the season.
! Senator Burkett of Nebraska, who is
| another of the faVOrite ChautauquanS,
/ has only permitted his managers to
/ bill him for twenty speeches this sea-
/ son. though they are after him for a
/ larger order. His earliest dates have
/
/ of the misfortune Of a head-on collision
/ with the Congress session, but ne hopes
/ to put in most of August speaking.
| There is a curious misconception about
! Senator Beverage in connection with
| the Chautauqua speaking business. The
| Indiana man never makes Chautauqua
/ speeches for money. He has always
/ made il a rule not 10 talk for an adj
I mission fee. He has another scheme
/ which pays quite as well, albeit in some
/ ways II enfOrCes more work He
| writes, and writes for money; and he
gets it. zoo. He would be one Of the
/ strongest Chautauqua cards, and the
| bureaus are after him every season,
but he rigidly enfOTces his rule not to
/ speak for money. From his books and
[ magazine writings the Senator has
| made a good income; in fact ne is re-
/ puted to get fancy prices. and to have
a literary income among the largest
enjoyed by the magazine writer's.
There is a popular notion that any
body who gets to be Senator car
sell al the stuff he wants TO" at good
prices It isn't entertained, however
by a number OF statesmen who have
tried. They have found the publishers
Just awfully hnicky. their manuscripts
come back with the same curt notes
as those Of other people who don
manage TO put it up in the fashion the
printers like.