Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-05
Incident at Restaurant. :


about a month before we actually
entered the war a young friend OF
mine who was student in Jersey
college, ran away and enlisted as a
private in the Navy, hoping to see
some actual fighting. which. by the
way. hit afterward did. In New York,
with a number of classmates. he DRIFT
ed into one of the most expensive
restaurants on Broadway.
'"They were all in their new sailor uni
forms. Most of them. however, got COM
missions of some sort or another In one
Of the branches of the service
They were at once escorted to
table reserved for some one else by
an obsequious head waiter, who show
cd them a darned sight more attention
than if he had been sure of man
sized tip. No sooner had they taken
their seats than a perfect stranger.
who seemed to be amply able to buy
enough food and wine for his party,
sent them over three bottles of the
most expensive champagne, for, you
see, there were such things in those
halcyon days. Another sent them
over a box of the finest cigars the
house could supply. Another man fol-
lowed one of the boys into wash
room, insisting on forcing roll of
bills on him, saying that he was sure
they were broke and it was up to him
to see that they had good time
while they were on shore.
Hard to Reject Gift.
Nov it so happened that this boys
father was one of the richest bankers
to buy a yacht and present it to the
mosquito feet. which l think he after
ward did. The boy was a famous foot
ball player, and only wanted to show
that he could learn to drill and submit
to discipline under the flag as well as
he could on the gridiron. 1t was all
he could do to get out of accepting the
money without giving too much Of
Tense.
lots of New Workers expected the
Huns to go goosestepping up 5th
avenue at any time and the subtreas-
ury to be blown up by submarine.
They sure were scared, though they
don't admit it now. But that is an
cient history.
aOn their way from New York to
Newport the boys went into the din
ing car and ordered fairly elaborate
meal. You see, college boys have
pretty good appetites, even II they
are in uniform. When they called for
their checks they were told that a
lady on the train had paid their bill
in advance. They were unable to find
out who she was to thank her. She
simply sent word by the conductor
that she thought nothing was too
good for boys who were willing to
risk their lives or leg for her and
her two daughters.
Things Are Changed.
But things are different in Novem-
Der. 1919.
"a captain in the Army who is sta
toned at Walter Reed Hospital told
me recently that the day before he
was on a street car when two one
legged boys in uniform got aboard.
Not a single man offered them a seat.
were accustomed to that sort of treat
ment- An elderly lady got aboard and
she got the same treatment
Zone of the soldiers could stand 1t
no longer, and leaned forward toward
a husky colored man and told him
that II he did not give that lady a
seat he would biff him one with his
crutch. and I verify believe he would
have done 1t. The man gave up his
seat In shame-faced sort of way.
A few blocks later. when the lady
left the car, the man tried to resume
his place. but / am glad to say that
one of the boys beat him to 1t.
II was on 4 sleeping car one night
last week when one of the passengers
was a one-legged soldier whose ticket
called for an upper berth. Not man
| in the car offered to make an ex-
change or seemed particularly willing
when approached on the subject.
though they must have realized that
| it is no easy job to climb TO the
upper shelf when you are on crutcnes.
i The porter showed not the slightes9
interest in the matter until l crossed
| his palm with something larger than
a quarter. for you know that quarter
| DOESN'T go far on q Pullman car In
/ these DAYS of the H c. L..
Last Thursday 1 was talking win
tho sentry at the gate of Walter
peed hospital. He told me that he
had been there since Monday. and in
that time the average of automobiles
th.t stopped to pick up crippled
snid;er was rather less than one In
ten AS rule the drivers would
took the other way and speed up
when passing the gate: NOW tnese
hovs do not want to be bao1eo or
taken on long JOY rides every Gay,
hut YOU must admit that 1t wouio
he a mighty big help II they couid
get into town where the street car
service is better. as rule, tnan II
! is out Brightwood way.
81 may be wrong. as l usually am.
hut il is my opinion that we ought
Ia show a little more consideration
; for a boy If he has lost leg In the
/ Arronne or left an arm at Chateau
| rbierry than for boys who are foot
| sore from practicing the latest dance
steps"
PLAN AGGRESSIVE ACTION