The Washington herald., 1914-04-21
Statesmen, Real and Near.
By FRED c. KELLY.


Every night. along toward midnight.
Uncle Jeremiah Donovan. Connecticut
Yankee and picturesque Congressman.
dashes into a little oyster studio here In
Washington and guIps down about
dozen and half of "raws." He eats
fallen into the habit OF appearing to be
in a great hurry no matter what he is
doing, or how much time he has TO
spare.
After finishing his oysters he walks
home and goes to bed. As he could still
walk home and go to bed, a few min
utes later, there Is no reason why he
shouldn't tarry and contemplate his
oysters with the quiet thoughtful air OF
a connoisseur. for that is what he is.
jeremiah Donovan knows more about
oysters than any other Congressman.
They raise and educate a great many
oysters up in the part Of Connecticut
that he comes from. and to him an
oyster Is a thing almost human He can
look into the cold. moist features Of an
oyster and estimate its age within few
months. To eat oysters in company
with Donovan Is a revelation
Here's one" says he. that was
taken up too young. 1t doesn't look TO
be more than four years old. and II
should have been left in the beds at least
a year longer"
Most people, OF course, do not know
whether an oyster Is at its best when
four or FIVE years OF age, like a dog, or
whether II does not attain full possession
Of its faculties until its Is twenty-five
or thirty, as in the case of a man.
There Is a small oyster raised on Long
Island that Is popular, says Donovan,
and sometimes oysters that would be
much larger when full-grown are pulled
when young to be faxed as regular grad
yates of that Long Island conservatory.
After about two oyster lunches with
Donovan one begins to feel almost like
cannibaL The little oysters perhaps
were torn from their folks when they
were too young to shift for themselves.
They never had a chance in life. And
one take advantage OF them and eat
them? Donovan does, with great aIacrity,
so that after all there may be no harm.
The chances are that Donovan dotes
on oysters and studies their habits,
psychology and home life, because OF an
retiring disposition. He has a great relish
for the society of all creatures who live
a life apart from the general public
If there is a hermit or a recluse in the
neighborhood, Donovan is certain to get
acquainted with him, and they will be-
come friends Up in Connecticut there
is an old chap who makes his living
mending violins and performing other
esoteric services. He dweIls all alone
nd he npI bn i'm
is Donovan. They sit together in the
old mans shop and visit by the hour.
When he came to Congress, Donovan
managed, some way or other. to get ac-
Quainted with the monks who live in a
monastery near Washington. Inasmuch
as Donovan used to be a saleonkeeper,
one might think that he and men who
have retired to a monastery to be apart
from worldly things, would find little in
common. But the monks like Donovan
and he likes them. Nearly every Sunday
he goes to the monastery and plays at
being a recluse for part of the day. He
and the monastics sit about together for
hours at time exchanging conversation
and trying one anothers point Of view.
When Samuel C. Blythe was Washing
ton correspondent for one OF the big New
York newspapers, it leaked out one day
that he had written a two-column scTeed
about a big appropriation steal that was
to be enacted in the House of RepreSen-
tatives. The House, however, changed
its mind about the steal. and it was not
carried out. Henry D. Clayton, now
chairman of the House Judiciary Com
mittee, met Blythe at a little dinner and
began 10 twlt him about his two column
article being prepared for nought.
We fooled you" chuckled Clayton
You called the members of the House
thieves for putting over this steal, but
We didn't put it over. What are you
going to do with that long article yuU
had all written"
I'm going TO print it," promptly re-
piled Sam. The only change that will
be necessary will be to substitute TIE
word towards in place of thieves
lCoIgight. 1914. by Fred c. Kelly. All rights IT,