South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-05-11
STATESMEN
REAL AND NEAR
BY FIRED c. KELLY.

WASHINGTON, May 11.-President
Wilson was obliged to turn from the
affairs Of state the other day and
write his personal check in payment
for three months board of a foolish
looking cat that was not worth 10
oents-all because of Edward b.
Clark.
Clark. who is the Washington rep
resentative of a big Chicago newspa-
per. gullelessly ''shooed'' a scrawny
little black cat into the main doorway
of the white house one day. thinking
that the cat looked hungry and might
find hospitality within-and also that
it might bring good luck.
IN a few moments the president
came along, and the black cat rubbed
against his leg. One of the negro
employees at the white house noted
the act Of the cat in rubbing against
the president, and when some one
made a move TO chase the cat away
that negro was Mortified.
What" says he. chase away a
stray black cat after it done rubbed
against the presidents leg and
brought him good luck ?"
Other colored servants about the
executive mansion took the same
view, and were in great alarm lest the
cat should be sent away. The situa-
| ton was brought 10 the attention of
the president and 10 humor the su-
| perstitions of the servants he agreed
that the cat should be permanently
annexed TO the household However.
| the cat was far from a we'll cat, and
| grave fears were entertained that it
might die in the white house. Every
| body conceded that no good could
| come OF a black cat giving up it's lives
! there.
So the cat was sent to a hospital for
! treatment. You see, it was not regard
! ed as bad luck to send it away, once
| IL had been officially recognized as
| belonging 10 the white house.
For three months it stayed in the
! hospital, and at the end of that time
the president sent his personal check
| for its treatment. Now il is back at
the white house. and will remain
there.
But those versed in auguries might
point out that something about the
handling of the cat was wrong, else
| the presidents troubles over canal
tolls and Mexico would not have set
in. Perhaps a black cat shedding its
| coat against ones trouser leg is not
such ALFRED good luck after all.
Rear Admiral Charles ]. Badger
was one Of the stars ir his class in his
Annapolis days. he finished eighth
| in a class of % and stood second in
| seamanship. There was Just one
| branch Of the Annapolis course that
! Badger could not master, and that
| was fencing. AT the time of his gra-
duation there were only two member,
| of the class who could not fence bet
ter than Badger He used TO slip of
by himself and practice in front OF 9
mirror by the hour. but twas no use
AT fencing he was a hopeless cripple
If the Mexican affair were 10 be set.
tied by personal conflict, with tht
sword or cutlaSs as IN the old pirat,
tales, and Badger were put UP to rep
resent our side, We would find our
selves in a pretty mess indeed.
Badgers low standing in fencin'
and high standing in all othe
branches recalls the fact that at tn,
naval academy, as at most other in
situations of learning. the boys tina
swipe all the honor prizes are no
necessarily those that have the high
est batting average in after life Bad
ger is one OF the exceptions. AS
rule, the boys AT the academy VIII
have the best chance 10 become rea
admirals and such, are those tina
stand neither too high nor too low
For example, Rear Admiral Fletcher
one OF the most efficient officers 4
the navy. stood Il in a class OF 8
Rear Admiral Mayo. who handled IN
Tampico incident. was 14th in a elias