Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-28
HAVE YOU TRIED AMMONIA?
Story Born in Washington Travels
Round the World.

Victor Kaufman in Harper's Weekly.
This is the true story Of a story that
will not down. 1t had it's beginning
more than seventeen years ago. and to
all intents and purposes it is as fresh
today as It ever was.
In 1891 l was d reporter on a WASH
ington evening paper. On day in Oc-
tober of that year. during an unusually
heavy wind and rain storm that swept
over the ty.really a hurricane. a large
building on F street that was being
erected for music hall was blown down
and several persons were either killed or
injured. In very few minutes I was
on the spot watching the police and fire.
men in the work of removing the debris
and rescuing the victims. | must have
sat down upon a green wall for on my
way home from the office that afternoon
a friend called my attention to the fact
that the rear of my trousers was badly
marked with plaster.
Now / was particularly pleased with
that pair of trousers. for they had but
recently been made for me by New
York tailor. and were the most costly
raiment" that / had ever INDUCED in.
SO that evening l left word that when
John Quander. "a colored handy-man.
came in the morning to black the boots
and incidentally to rouse me for my days
toll. he was to give that garment very
thorough cleaning.
The next morning, when John had rap
ped on my door the customary length of
time. the following conversation ensued:
Deed, sir, l can't get them pants
cleaned nohow. l done bresh EN- n use
wet rag, n soap n water, but l can't
get EN- clean nOhow.'
John. have you tried ammonia -
mo, sir. l haven't; but 1 know they'd
fit me first rate"
Now 1 thought then and still think
that that was the best pun in the Eng
lish language especially as the per-
petratOr was so thoroughly innocent |
sent the story with suggestion for an
illustrate to a leading New York week
~. l received no reply; but few weeks
later the story, with an illustration such
as l had outlined. did appear in another
well known periodical ! presume that
some friend who had heard me tell it
had forestaled me- and had reaped the
reward had thought was mine.
However that may be, that story is
cropping up as a brand-new story with
remarkable regularity. A few years ago
when l was in lorida. | sawthe story
in Philadelphia paper ascribed to Repre-
sentative John Sharp Williams. Again l
saw il in Chicago daily credited to the
son of a famous Milwaukee brewer who
had a valet. That was the only differ
ence. 1t has appeared at intervals IN
New York: usually laid at the doors of
some well known visitor at a prominent
uptown hotel" 1t has come to be a part
of the stock in trade of many professional
interviewers. who, when short of fresh
material. ring it in in their Hotel Corr-
doris column as told by some illustrious
guest at a leading hotel.
And so Ii goes.
Some fifteen years ago Washing ton
lady told the story at a luncheon. only
she finished it up something like this:
IAt, l,atr frtA IL TO
No. sir. L haven't: but | know they'd
fit me- first rate.
And she wondered why it. fell nat.
for she had heard II told by Elinor Nc
CARNEY Lane, the novelist and play
wright. and always with great success.
Mrs. Lane first heard the story a day or
| two after. IT. occurred, and for more
| than seventeen years now it has occupied