Evening journal., 1914-07-21
New News Of Yesterday
A Practical Joke on a Man
of Affairs
By Holland.

his service of two terms as a mem-
Der of Congress. representing one OF
the Boston districts, stood second to
no other member of the House in the
kindly regard of his fellow members.
He was a delightful companion aud,
although a very stiff party man. new
ertheless never permitted his party
association to interfere with his per
sonal relations with Republican mem
I bers Of the House. He often went
out of his way to do favors for them
I and he was always generous in his es-
/ innate of committee service or OF
: speeches on the floor of the House
which were made by Republicans.
He gained the warm friendship OF
/ Grover Cleveland, who greatly ad-
mired him, partly on account OF the
especially notable quality OF his conf
mon sense and also for his thorough
understanding of some Of the great
questions of that day. Cleveland
would have been glad TO have had
! Gen. Collins in his Cabinet during his
second administration. but, having
learned that Gen. Collins preferred
/ inc tOuhul StHtIdlNhlD VI laphubus HN
appointed him to that Office. There
( Gen. Collins was able 10 accumulate
what to him was a considerable for
tune.
I used occasionally to call upon
Gen. Collins. When he was ia
Washington he lived at the old Riggs
House. occupying a single and rather
small bedroom on the top floor. Upon
! nppuefnn rrtaf1q / uvffh f.nn
Collins something brought TO his
mind Frank Jones, of New Hamp-
shire who. at that time vas president
ct the Boston and Maine Railroad
Company. and was connected with
other large interests. in some Of
which Collins was associated with
him. The two men had been brought
into close relations partly because
Mr. Jones had been a conspicuous
New Hampshire Democrat. and was
the representative of that State at
Cne time upon the National Demo-
cratic Committee
with all his great business gifts
and Notwithstanding his wide expert
ence with public men. Frank Jones
had as keen a sense of humor as any
man 7 ever knew. at least any man
of as strong intellectual force" said
Gen. Collins.
! Let me give you a little incident
to illustrate this: | became director
2 OF the very large brewing corpora
p ton which Mr.. Jones mad created and
: built up. and of which he was presi-
! dent. He asked me to serve as direc-
tor. and ! was very glad to do It, 1t
was our custom to meet as a board
, once a month. We had no regular
meeting place. Sometimes we met in
3 Mr.. Jones hotel. sometimes in the
{ directors room of the bank in which
! he was interested. We received fee
5 of $50 for each session.
: zone day a Boston banker who was
{ also a member of the board. said ito
= me that he was going to have a little
D fun with Frank Jones. He was going
r to suggest that instead Of holding
S monthly meetings we would hold
S meetings at least twice week. re-
70 tceiving the usual fee at each meet
s ing. I entered heartily into the little
+ practical joke, and at the next meet
y ing of the board of directors I sec
n ended the proposition made by this
e banker that instead of meeting once
e a month we should meet at least
i twice week. l spoke very earnestly
4 and very seriously. but occasionally
caught the twinkle that was In nv
d banker friends eye and returned H.
It Frank Jones took the proposition
J. very seriously. He said that as far
J. as he was concerned he was perfectly
y willing that the board should meet
Y semi-weekly instead of once a month
d but he was afraid the stockholders
n might object TO it, He asked for a
n little delay ON the proposition. SAVING
4. that he would sound some of the
r stockholders and II he found that
} they were satisfied the change from
n monthly to bi-weekly meetings would
2 be made.
Is Not once did he perceive that W,
e, we're playing little joke on him. and
he actually sounded the stockholders
or some of them. and then told rs
with every manifestation Of regret
that he did not believe the stocl,
TX holders would be willing to incur 8,
IN great an expense as somi.weekly
,e meetings would involve Thoroupor
to With great formality The matter wa,
= dropped and Nh. Jones mover knew
a that II was all IN fun"
st Copyright. 1914. T.. !. Edwards AL
ID rights reseryedl
=, Tomorrow Mr.. Edgnrda viii 70,
"How Don Cameron Myntincd the
Politicians"