The Washington times., 1918-08-25

street, made a farewell speech. The
white men about him, representa- tive
of a club membership today of more
than one thousand, applauded him as
they might have acclaimed a finished
orator. He spoke with imperfect Eng
lish-he was just an uneducated coun-
try boy, as he expIained-but prob
ably no man saying goodbye to old
associations has ever spoken with
more feeling and native eloquence.
Then "Old Mack" another colored
waiter, who was errand boy to Stone
wall jackson. and has done n bit CT
preaching on the side, wlrcd his long
arms toward the SiIO service flag.
with its eighty-odd stars and three
of them gold upon IT,. and stirred his
white and colored auditors with pre-
dictions OF the heroism of the nations s
colored troops in democracy's war.
Labert St Clair. OF Indiana: Jay
G. Hayden. OF Michigan. and Thu o.
dore Tiller, of Georgia. representing
the club board of governors. spoke of
the passing of sectionalism and The
merging OF Americans into victor
ious army on the battlefro1-s Of a
world called to arms
Inductcd Into Khaki.
Thus was Robert, humble waiter,
sent from civil life and a uniform of
white into the American army and a
uniform of khaki Possibly no cere-
mony like this has been staged since
the war came to interrupt the even
flow of domestic pursuits and to
break up associations whatever be the
tic that binds.
Robert iG sIG fUnira1
faithful Southern negro. His lips
would encompass any pre-war slice of
watermelon. His grin spreads back
ward toward the ears. exceeding
naturally the manufactured smile of
the colored chef whose cOuntenance is
used to advertise a breakfast food.
Robert has big eyes. that stretched
wider still when he received the sum-
mons from the draft board. Also he
has a good heart, a devotion to duty
and a way OF saying coming, sub,
coming: it's on de fire. such" which
makes an impatient diner forget his
grievances.
Robert Wood drifted into Washington
from Prince Georges county. Md.
about ten years ago At that time he
had neve- heard OF the Kaiser. The
Eastern Sho' WAS a faraway land. and
geography. lie broke in with the press
club as a 6uaboy .:hen he became =
porter. and finally landed squarely in
the dining room with a walters Uni
form
During the last seven year the once
struggling press club has become ma
tionally famous institution Robert had
become a fixture like the stems about
the wall and the grotesque munmy-fiG-
ures over the big fireplace. He kinder
grew up with the place. as the old
timer would say. He waited upon the
cub reporter. the distinguished author.
the great artist, and the statesmen OF
his time.
He has stood respectfully while
good fellows gathered about the
flowing bowls OF yesterday and lifted
their glasses in honor Of the latest
scoop" he has heard the midnight
crew" talk shop and the newcomer
into WashinGton's newspaper world
he has seen politicians rice their hob
bies, and the wall Of the loser in
game OF bridge or seven up" has
fallen upon his sympathetic ears. II
was all in a day or nights work to
Robert.
Waited I'm Presidents.
President. ambassadors. princes,
explorers. grand opera stars. come
dams. movie men. mind readers. Con
ETeSsmen, and CartOonists have en-
tertaiued and been entertained by the
National Press club. Robert, the
waiter. has hoverel attentively near
Roosevelt. Taft. and Wilson: the
Duke OF COnnau=ht and the Prince OF
Monaco; BalfnUr. Niviani and Joffre:
Peary and Shackelton: Sarah Bern
hardt and Nine. Homer; Victor Her
bert and John Philip Sousa: Sothern
and Faversham: Buffalo Bill and
Frank Gotch; Irwin Cobb. George NJ
Cohan. and Irving Berlin.
Yes. sub, I'm a-EUfnE into this
war To- do jos what am told. yesSuh."
said Robert in farewell. I'm a-goin'
to try to fiEEt jos like ! waits on
table. | don't want to Kill nobody
unless | has To-: no. sub. but II | mus
Kill man and go down below and
say done killed a man I'd ruther that
man would be the Kaiser. yessuh."
The crowd at the Press Club ap-
plauded this peroratiOn As Robert
wiped his perspirinE forehead. He
shifted in embarrassment from one
foot to another. Then holding wrist
watch in one hand and $50 in one
dollar bills in the other. Robert Wood
stepped from the platform. went back
to the kitchen. and thence out OF the
and onto the street.
And so the Black Napoleon" OF the
National Press club went forth to
meet the draft board and the great
adventure.
W W hcK NcM TIDAL