Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-08
National Top1iners
By James Hay. Jr.

president TAFT is never SO happy as
when he can tell good Joke about
member of his Cabinet or one of his close
personal friends. Here is one he gets off
about Secretary Of State Knox:
Knox, who, as everybody knows, is ia
nous for his legal ability and his lack of
loquacity, had Just resigned the position of
Attorney General of the United States to
become Senator from Pennsylvania While
Attorney General he had made a great rep
utation in his handling of the Government
cases.
When he entered the Senate, he was as
signed TO committee of which Levi Ankeny
of Washington was member. At the first
meeting Of the committee, Mr.. Knox took a
seat at the lower end of the room and listened
attentively to all that was said.
Mr.. Ankenv, who ranked high on the com
nlittee and sat at the upper end OF the table,
was struck by the appearance of Knox.
Who is that quiet young fellow?' he asked
OF Senator Hale.
That" said Mr.. Hale, is Knox OF Penn
svlvania.
Well" commented Ankeny, Il don't
know ANYTHING about him; but my pre-
diction is that he will make his mark if he
stays here long enough"
nR ANDREW JACKSON BARCH-
= FIELD, Representative from Pitts
burgh. got letter one day from the teacher
Of young mems Sunday school class ask
ing him to deliver an address to the class
setting forth how young men could best
succeed in the battle Of life.
Barchfeld did not think he could take the
time to prepare and deliver the speech; but
he sent the teacher a letter in which he said,
1t is well to remember that young man
shaved can get job more easily than a
young man who is not shaved. Another
good suggestion is that any person who gets
a lob would do we'll to do twice as much
work as is expected by the employer. Fl
nally, your whole class might read with
profit my celebrated lecture on Root, Hog,
or Die! 1t contains good advice
To this the teacher replied by asking the
doctor to send the class twenty-five copies
OF the lecture. Never having made such an
address, the doctor is still wondering how he
can put together on short notice learned
treatise entitled Root, Hog, or Diei'
MISS BLANCHE THOMPSON is the
IA only voice detective" in the national
Capital. She is telephone operator in the
big building occupied by the Postofice De-
partment, and enjoys the reputation of being
able to recognize on the wire the voices Of
eighty per cent OF all Congressman, officials,
ana DuSllleSS lIltIl WHO 10 DuSl1cSS Will IeIl
in the department.
On one occasion newspaper correspond
ent named Smith. who works most of the
time in Washington, called up the depart
ment by long distance telephone from New
York, and without giving his name, said he
wanted to speak to the Postmaster General.
Without hesitating a moment, Miss
Thompson called Mr.. Hitchcock's secretary
and said, Mr. Smith, the correspondent,
wants to speak to the Postmaster General
He's talking from New York"
HARRY L. MAYNARD Of Virginia, who
was just defeated for denomination TO
Congress, met in Washington friend who
had not heard the news.
Whats new" asked the friend.
Not much" replied Maynard. only
after this session | shall remain at home
with the consent of my constituents"
7 MILLER KENYON, a Washington
banker and attorney, is fine performer
with the gloves In fact, he is SO good at it
that, when Jim Jeffries was in the national
Capital prior to his battle with Jack John
son, Kenyon wanted to 60 several fast
rounds with him.
THIS is the sad story Of "Icicle Ike, the