The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-05
NEW STORIES ON SOME PUBLIC MEN How John Barrett Got Gov
 ernment Job ONE ON CHAMP CLARK Touching Story of Friendship Be- tween President Garfield and
 the Uncle of Senator
 Pomerine
ONE ON CHAMP CLARK
By WALTER HARPER

By WALTER HARPEH
 Washington. July -(Special1-It Is said that John Barrett, the director general Of the American union was feasting on a glass of milk and niclIe cut of pie In a 'chair cafe" back in his early days in Washington when he received word of his appointment as minister to Siam.
 He had come to Washington with wonderful confidence of his ability to losing that confidence in the same pro portion as his funds gave out.
 He had been a newspaper man and was not an entire stranger to the atmosphere of the "chair cafe.'
 What is the "chair cafe?"
 Washington is full of them. I tried one of them because I have an inquis- itive turn of mind. Ii is not so bad You at least avoid the necessity of tipping somebody and you learn to be dependent upon yourself. You walk UT to counter ia the rear of the cafe ofiej sour co Ice, SC anll7ied eSss v toasl ham and beans, ham and ege sandwich, cut of pie. or any other disl of the quick order variety, pay for i on the spot, take 1t back to a broad chair with a broad board arm on the right and eat For sugar, salt or pep per you help yourself at a stand neal the center of the room.
 As I said these joints are scattered all over town and, are liberally pat ronized by the Sweet Williams and "Johnie Boys who have about one dime to spend at a time and stop in at these places as often as they can spare the dime and make believe that they are living.
 It was in one of these places that a friend found John Barrett and con- graduated him on his appointment to Siam John had not heard of 1t. When his friend confirmed the news John de- serted his half eaten pie and milk, got up and wiped his lips.
 "Why, are you not going to finish your lunch?' the friend inquired.
 Not here" loftily replied the new minister to Siam. "This is no place for an official of the United States gov ernment to eat"
  one-eighth of our time eating, the manner of our eating and the things we eat are always interesting topics
 I have tried everything In Washing ton from the ''chair cafe up to the club cafe, including the congressional cafe in the basement of the capitol Yes, there is one exception. I have not had the courage to tackle the Chinese joint, but will with the heartiest abandon. aye, eagerly If I have to fore go the luxury of Alabama corn pone and turnip greens much longer.
 I ordered corn mullins a few morn ings ago. I will not attempt to de- scribe what I got, paid for and left after few desperate attempts to make it taste like the real angel food that 1t ought to have been. It was a cross between stale ginger snaps and sand paper.
 Speaking of eating reminds me of the work that Congressman William Richardson Is doing in Congress for the sake of suffering humanity that must eat and sometimes take medicine.
 The pure food laws have been hob bv with Judge Richardson for ten years He has made a careful study of the matter and is doing all he can in Congress to secure laws that will eff fectively regulate the manufacture and distribution of pure foods and drugs.
 The supreme court recently found a defect in the existing law and Judge Richardson at once went to work on bill to correct this defect. It hap pened that just two days before Mir. Richardsons bill was introduced Pres ident Taft sent a special message to Congress asking for just such legisla- ton calling attention to the defect in the old law and also calling special attention to the violations of the drugs feature of the bill.
 Judge Richardson was nightly pleased with the message from the President as it will undoubtedly have it's effect on securing early and earn est consideration of the proposed new law. Another pure food bill covering practically the same ground as that of Judge Richardson has been introduced in the house but I am told by those congressmen who are interested thai Judge Richardson's bill is looked upon with the most favor and that 1t will probably be reported favorably by the committee.
 On the thirtieth anniversary of the assassination of President Garfield which occurred on July 2, 1SS1 very pretty story of the life of the martyred
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