The Washington bee., 1911-12-30
Public Men And ThinDs
CBy the Sage of the Potomac


his resignation as trustee of the Pull
itzer estate, under the terms of which
he would have received one hundred
thousand dollars, it occurred to me
that. II thew got busy, some colored
lawyer. or a man familiar with estates.
might land It, so, as usual, I got busy
putting them next. The first man
suggested 1t to was Will Pollard He
just waved me aside with evidences
of outraged feelings when | mention
ed 1t to him, and said: why, Sage.
don't you know I am attorney for one
side III this Vermont Avenue Baptist
Church fight: Do you suppose, for a
single fraction of a minute, that |
for measely little 100000 as trus-
tee for the Pulitzer estate? Not on
your tin type. Why, Tom Jones, who
IS on the other side, and my own in
dividual self, have made the gold
placer mines out in California look
like junk piles for money, since we
have had this church fight They just
go out and bring in the money TO US,
real money, no stage currency. You
might drop around to Ben Gaskins,
and talk with him about taking it.
| went right straight to Ben's office
which IS any place on Louisiana
Avenue, and put 1t up to him. Let's
walk down the avenue a bit and dis
cuss it., said Ben. We walked until
we got to that square room in which
Tom Jones told me he had the great
est practice of any lawyer in the
world. After I had paid for about
four rounds of asparagus water, Ben
said: To tell the truth Sage, feeling
as | do right this little old minute, l
would not have the job of trustee for
the Pulitzer estate, if 1t only pays
100000. Feeling just as I do now, I
am too rich to take measely pittance
like a tenth of a million" But" said
/, you may not be so rich tOmOr-
row" What do | care about tomor-
row today, said Ben. Brief writers
like ClinksCale may worry over to-
long enough to live" Well, | tim
erously started to inject a question,
bu. Bennie waved me off with: Go
peddle your 100000 jobs around to
men like Horner, Royal Hughes,
Stewart, Almond Scott and such fel-
lows, but remember, |, Ben Gaskins,
amt looking for a blooming thing to-
day, and l never anticipate any to-
morrows.' 'Immejitly" or sooner I
landed in Mr. Horner's office. He
greeted me as cordially as could any
man who has hopes for a tremendous
practice, and said: "What can I get
out of your Have a little job to
offer YOU Mr. HOrner, can I sit down
while | unfold d roseate future coated
Ger with 100000 of mumiied Pulit-
zer's long green?' BE seated, stand
ing where you are" came back Mr.
Horner, pulling that fierce Bronco Bill
of his, while he lifted his
quid Of tobacco to the other side of
his jaw, now what is this jOb?" Well
to make a short story long, / appris-
ed him of Justice Putnam's resigna-
ton as trustee He listened intentiy,
and when | finished he quickly re
Piled: Il could not accept anything
Just now, not even a retainer in new
case, for | am too gOldarn busy with
the one big case / have on the docket
You see | am terribly engrossed." and
as he said 'engrossed," he pulled at
his AlkalI Pete's mutaChiO, lifted that
luid Of tobacco back on the right
side, with Roscoe BruCe'S case. [
can't accept z thing until I get him
)ut." But" | sidestepped, Mr.. HCr-
ler, you don't get anything for put
ing little Lord FauntlerOy Bruce out,
while you would get one hundred
thousand bones for administering the
Pulitzer estate. and but at this
le arose from the chair he was seated
on. assumed a boy stood on the
burning deck" attitude, paced back
md forth across the bare office floor, |
at down again, struck his fist awfully |
lard on his desk. and screamed loud
,nough to be heard up around the |
franklin Building: Get nothing for |
putting him OUT Why, you molly
.Oddle, / will get the satisfaction of |
,utting the first roller under all that |
Booker T, bang But / seismi- |
,raphed to him, can you depend on |
he assistance of Tunnelly now as |
much as you could, seeing that he |
lasn't made any noise for d few |
weeks" 1t don't make any differ !
nee to me, whether | have assistance |
IT not, | will never be satisfied until |
get Bruce's goat. and I will not |
ccept any case or job until I do" |
But if you don't get his goat, will
ou resign as member of the School |
'Oard;' softly suggested "Oh, for
-et it, he yelled, 81 amt resigning |
nything, and" But seeing that
e was about to have another spell. I |
anished from the scene of busy ac-
witty. Getting around to + Street, /
net Royal Hughes. Royal had just
hanged his clothes for the fourth
Ime that day, and just shaved for
he second time, and was then going
D the drug store to get a stick of
Omade TO paste his locks down an
ther tenth of a second Say, Royal" |
exuberantly sissled to him, how
yould you like to be the trustee of
he Pulitzer estate at $IoO,ooo?"
Why, man" said Royal. you know
have all I can do to keep dressed
p like a fashion plate Now how
you1d I find time to keep changing
~ clothes, and manage an estate;
md you know my hair has to be
ratched very closely, and my beauty !
ulture must not be neglected. Go
and the job to Lawyer Stewart, or {
ONE of those fellows who doesn't
are whether they are attired for a
table sweepstakes or a market stall.