24 Pester House Clerk About Ancestors " U S^~PMY^ WASHINGTON— Sir John Courts, Bart, K. C. M. G...K. O. C., C. 8., who, as plain Jnmea C.' Courts serVes the United States government in thfe responsible position of clerk of thq House committee on appropriations, has his troubles just lijte other folks. People are all the time pestering him' to death to know if it Was his grand: father or his great-grandfather or his great-great-grandfather who used to own about 20,000 acres in Maryand and who presided over the feudal glo ries of Clean Drinking Manor. Ahd every time he gets through with one of these historic bugs and settles down to work a delegation of home folks from Tennessee drops in on him and demands to know why he accept ed from the Emperor of Korea —be- fore that eminent personage was sat upon by the Japanese—the military order of the Setting Moon, third class and wears the undress button that goes with it all the time. But even these annoying things pale into insignificance beside an incident that happened just the other day. Mr. Courts has his nose in a chaotic appro priation bill and was dictating to four Old General Got No Aid from His Aide GEN. Luke E. Wright, told at a din ner in Washington a war story from Manila. "There was once upon a time," he began, "a gallant old general. This general, leading a splendid charge in his'youth, got a bullet in his chest and two sabre cuts across the head. In after life, relating over the nuts and svine his many battles, it was this particular charge that he always de cribed most flamboyantly. "The older the general grew the ■more splendid the charge became; the more awful was the slaughter that he visited upon the enemy; the more horrible were the wounds that he re ceived. For corroboration he would : always turn to a grizzled veteran on ' his. left, his aide-de-camp. The aide de-camp would nod his gray head in acquiescence silently. "Taller and taller grew the gen eral's stories of the charge. Higher Plans Homegoing of Irishmen in 1910 i Cf FIFTEEN years ago Francis J. Kil kenny arrived in this country from reland. He was so green that he uistook a Fourth of July celebratioh is a reception to himself. Young Kil kenny had relatives and friends in Vlilwaukee and Chicago and he made 'or the middle west soon after his •anding. He had a fund of native wit tnd an abundance of energy and jluck. He got a job cutting grass and oon came under the notice of Charles . Dawes. When Mr. Dawes came to ./ashington as controller of the cur •ency he brought Kilkenny along as lis private secretary. When Dawes 'etired from the controllership his successor found he couldn't get along without Kilkenny. Mr. ltidgely was succeeded as controller by Lawrence 3. Murray and that official has re tained Kilkenny who has now be come one of the institutions of the treasury department. Vo'ung Kilkenny is making remark able headway with a movement for the "home-going" of Irishmen in 1910. Chautauqua Salute, Menace to Health '"■//A Diiy'l WILLIAM C. WOODWARD, •hlfipHh officer of the District of ytflih;i>)ia, is in favor of abolishing the only rorm of athletics ,W nrul Kraduat.es •(rfiaii* 1 tjaftfjpra literature and reading circle. that the Chautauqua salute is 4 tirenftce to health. The salute, as all ltmw;>is a waving of ho handkerchief vphealtfriends make a the tec? ture platform or sail aw,iy for; distant lands. Lverybody waves and every body Is happy provided that one does adding machines all at once when a straight-backed, straight-nosed, white mustached, white-haired and extreme ly dignified old gentleman marched in to the committee room. He was look ing for his member and as the mem ber wasn't on hand, had turned around togo out again, when he caught sight of Mr. Courts. " . There was a moment of tenseness and of pauso-™a -hiatus in"oth,er words. And theq thy old gentleman, advanced and cast ttf'mself— cast —on My. Counts' bosooi, clutched Mr v Cdurt.6' hand, patted tyx. Courts' shoulder _arf& gazed into* Mr. Cfiurts' ey£s;""(And' as a dozen or so members " of if tHe^Appropriations committee gath erW'aro'ujid • the old gentleman ex- > plodod/'hiS,. bomb. • ' "Captaih,' 8 hie said to Mr. Cburts. "I am moah than happy to meet you again. ,thls' the happiest day of my life, my' dear c^njrade,in arms. XtelLl i. xi&Ußfnber the days when, side by side, knee to knee, we followed the fortunes of that flower of chivalry, that most dashing of cav alry leaders, our idolized chieftain, Gen. J. E. B. Stuart." Of course it was a case of mistaken identity. Sir John says so himself. But nevertheless it was embarrassing. And he's going to ask for a couple of more assistants, for, with this Clean Drinking Manor story and the Setting Moon button and the Confederate cav alry yarn, he's just fairly pestered to death and hasn't time to do his reg- . ular work. and higher grew the mound of ene mies slain by his sword. More and more numerous became the bullets, thrusts and slashes sustained by him self. At the end he always appealed to the grizzled aid; and in silence the aid nodded confirmation. "The general one night gave a large dinner party. The wine was no less abundant than superb, and at dessert the old warrior let himself out upon the charge as he had never heretofore done. Four horses were killed under him. Three lances passed through his right arm, five through his left, Nine sabres crashed down upon his head simultaneously. The bodies of his slain formed a wall wellnigh im passable about him. And it seemed that there was hardly a muscle in his person wherein a bullet failed to im bed itself. " 'You remember all this, don't you, De Courcey?' he said, in conclusion. "The silent and long suffering aid at last spoke up. " 'No, general,' he shouted, in a loud, indignant voice. 'No, of course I don't remember it. How can you expect me to? You know as well as I do that the cannon ball that killed your fourth horse struck the breastplate of a cuirassier behind us and then bounded back and took my head off!'" The plan is to induce the Irish people from all over the United States to re turn to their native land during the months of July, August and Septem ber. It is proposed that the various Irish organizations, notably the A. O. H., and the Gaelic league shall take up the moveilient and carry it through. Kilkenny does not claim personal originality for the idea but he gave it initial impetus and has ta ken upon himself the burden of inter esting Irish societies in the plan. More than a sentimental purpose animates those who have undertaken this ambitious task. While the pros pect of a visit to the old country, at reduced transportation rates, and in the glory of midsummer, will form a leading incentive, the real purpose of the movement is to stimulate Irish industry. Kilkenny has made several visits to his old home in Ireland and each time has been impressed with the industrial possibilities of the coun try and the apparent hopelessness of improving conditions without organ ized effort. He takes the position that the industrial and agricultural re sources of Ireland have not been de veloped to of their capac ity. Capital is needed to develop them and Kilkenny believes thai, it will bo forthcoming if the Irish people in this country are given an opportun ity to see with their own eyes that profitable investments can be made. .not overtax his or her energy. "The custom of waving a handker chief vigorously in the air," says Dr. Woodward, "is dangerous. Nearly ev ery contagious disease can be com municated in this manner, if the hand-- kerchief is slightly soiled. If the lin en square has just been purchased, or has come straight from the laundry, there is not the slightest danger, but • the waving of a handkerchief that has been used even once is harmful. "When a handkerchief is wavf,.! the jvijid blows the germs from it. Ty phoid fever, scarlet feVer, tuberculos is, smallpox and c.hiekenpox. measles, and diphtheria may bo thus spread." The Chautauqua saluters criticised the health officer's remarks. Woodward does not know whit he hi -talking about," said a young wo than, "We never carry Boiled hr.cc! i | Kerchiefs." CAMERON COUNTY 1 PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER Itf, 11 The Littlest Boy. J; and Santa Claus ij > • * Edwin L. Sabin ji | j (Copyright.) I • J HE GREAT hall clock, sta tioned opposite the foot of the stairs, two. From his bod the Littlest ' Boy listened • with a sense of awe. Never before had he heard it strike so late an hour. Once, indeed, he had heard it strike ten, but usually it had stjruck eijrht and when next- he was -awake striking-sijc and morning had cd#kte^; The LittleM. Boy lay > find listflnfid. The house' was"ihipressiyely still;- only audible were the stjitety ticking. ; 6f the monitor elock bfeJeW, and tife regular .breathing of the Big gest Boy and -the Biggefcjt Girl ttip froom adjoining. The Littlest-Boy's eyes were \y|d<p open anil gazing into thd .velvet black ness' effee above his 'face. NVheji he had ,gope to bed it been C firisf : mas eVe\,.-l ie was not fullj^ certain las ti) tl\efltS&sSf' demarkatiod, but it' 09- that now it was (!ferfst-. mas day! Then he began ito blink? and think. ! > - i He wondered if Santa Claus > had come yet. Hefore the grate-fire, dowh in the library, were ranged three chairs; a rocking-chair for the Biggest Giri, a straight-backed, ordinary chair for the Biggest Boy, and a huge, roomy arm-chair for himself. In addition, he had hung up his stockings to the mantel. He tried to picture to himself how, if Santa Claus had been and gone, that chair and those stockings must "Hello!" Said Santa Claus. look. At intervals, as some particu larly alluring fancy stood out before him, he gave an ecstatic wriggle ajnd a few blinks extra. Oh, the red wagon! And the silver napkin-ring! Supposing he got them both! It did not seem to him pos sible that he could exist without eith er, and yet—and yet—he mustn't ex act too much. If he might take one peep into the library—just one tiny peep—to find out whether or not Santa Claus had been. He felt that He ought not to yield to this temptation; and he sighed hard and twisted. But even in the lfiidst of his struggle he did yield, for first his disobedient right foot stole from beneath the blue coverlet, and next his disobedient left foot; and in a moment all of him, enveloped in his long, pink-flannel night-gown, was moving resolutely towards the door way. £ • At the landing the stairs turned sharply. The Littlest Boy also turned with them to continue his journey. Now there ahead of him was the mon itor clock, staring him in the face, and ticking loud reproval. From, the library, off the hall, came the reminis cent glow of the grate-fire with Which the Christmas eve had been cele brated. Down sped the Littlest Hoy, boldly ignoring the astonished clock, down the remaining flight, and across the square hall, whose rugs were soft and comforting. On the threshold of the library he stopped short, frightened at what he had done. He had caught Santa Claus! •••*• Aye, there was Santa Claus, bend ing over the big chair, which;,) the Littlest Boy glimpsed, was overflow ing with packages and things. j! • I do not know but that the ij'uifo't Boy would have beat courteous ' te treat (although, of course, his farther curiosity was simply tremendous)' had not Santa Claus suddenly glanced Up arid descried 'him —a small, pinjc 'lim ine, made sti'.l pinker by the giving coals, framed, wide-eyed, in the littery, doorcase. "Hello!" said Santa Claus, not'ftiftiip li»g. ' • "Hello!" responded the Littlest«Jlby.t "1 didn't know you -vere here." • Didn't, you?" remarked Janta <sa,us,' straightening up and slowly Kteiijiing s backward. . ... ;1„V, "No," assured the Littlest Hriy.' you In throuKh the chimle.vjJTj 1 During his whole life —that is-.'e.pct since could u'llk—the Littlest boy nad been trying say "chimney, ' but., somehow, that "1," being so slim and b'atchet-faeed, always nimbly slipped iii and elbowed out the "n;" .'•'Did I get in tbrougn the chim biey!" repeated Santa Clans; and then be. opened his mouth ia a< silent laugh. "Yes, I dumb down the cbim bley," he said. "You shy 'chimbley' and I say 'chim ley;' but my father says—says ch — ch—chinmeley is right," informed the Littlest lioy. "You don't mean It!"returned Santa Claus, who, having backed to the win dow looking upon the side porch, now, with his hand behind him, was deftly sliding it up. "Please don't go, Santa Claus," be sought the Littlest Hoy. "We'll talk real low, so nobody'll hear. That is. if you're not in too big a hurry to stay," he added, politely. "Sure," responded Santa Claus. "It's almost empty, isn't it!" assert ed the Littlest Iloy. "Hut I s'pose ycArye lots more up in the balloon Had':you got all through with me? My chair is the middle one there, and these are my stockings in front of tfv m 112. "Well, I wasJiinder foolin' around when you come' in'" confessed Santa Claus; "but -I reckon I'm through. Them othefr vchairs are your ma's an' pa's, I tak6 -.it?" ■ "Yea; mamma's is' the rocker and papa's is t£e* other," informed the Lit tlest Upy, hurriedly., "Did you bring me£a red w£gon. and a napkin rin£?" ■ , ; y "Aren't they there?" queried Santa Claus. "May I look?" asked the Littlest Hoy, eagerly. "Sure," grunted Santa Claus, with his favorite word. The Littlest Hoy was not slow In taking advantage of that permission. In a twinkling he was at the chair, and, oblivious to the rustling that he was producing, was burrowing amidst its contests. He did not have to burrow to find the red wagon. Its two front wheels were sticking straight up against the chair's back! "0000-ee!" jubilated the Littlest Hoy, turning with sparkling eyes. "Will its sides fold over?" "You bet!" assured Santa Claus. "Just bushels and bushels of thanks, Santa Claus," purled the Littlest Hoy, rapturously. "I hope it's bigger than my Cousin James' is! Is it?" "Sure!" said Santa Claus. "Now, about the ring? Ain't It there?" "1 don't see it?" replied the Littlest Hoy, rummaging. "Mebbe it's in the stockin's," sug gested Santa Claus. And it was! —a beautiful, shiny, sil ver napkin ring. "000000-eee!" gurgled the Littlest Hoy, unwrapping it."l bet it's the very solides' kind!" "Lemine see," demanded Santa Claus. "That's what I intended it to be, anyhow, an' I hope I ain't made no mistake." "Yes, it's solid, all right enough," he said, weighing it in his hand, while the Littlest Hoy watched him, anx iously. "Hut don't you think that that there wagon an' this here ring, both together, are too much for a kid like you?" "I don't know," responded the Lit tlest Hoy, abashed. "I've tried to be awful good. I've picked up kindlin' and went on errands and brushed my • teeth —and —and gone down cellar • after dark, and —and —and I've hardly i ever cried when I got hurt!" "Still, seems to me," persisted ' Santa Claus, gazing at the shiny ring 1 in his fingers, "that a wagon alone is • good enough for ono kid, besides all • thein other things you've got in yon • chair and socks. I dunno but what I'll take this an' give it som'ers else." 1 "Well," agreed the Littlest Hoy, I gravely, "if —if you can find some lit -1 tie boy who ought to have it more'n me, then you can—can. take 1 it; and p'raps next Christmas—" I "God!" roared the Biggest Hoy, like ; an angry lion, leaping through the 11- ; brary doorway. 1 With a slam up sped the window; ; with an oath, out whirled Santa Claus. L "You've scared Santa Claus! You've 1 scared Santa Claus!" wailed the Lit. 1 t.lest Boy, in despair. "I have, have I!" exclaimed the Big gest Boy, gathering the wailer into his ' arms. I "And he took my ring," farther la ■ mented the Littlest Boy. "He did, did he!" repeated the lion • —that is, the Biggest Boy—in a com ! miserating growl. "Never mind; we'll get another " 1 "But 1 told him he might, if there's ' some other little boy who'd ought to have it more," explained the Littlest Boy, truthfully. "Maybe he'll bring 1 me one next Christmas." ' Here the Biggest Hoy shut the treacherous window; and with the Big i gest Girl, who by this time had ar rived and was hugging and kissing the Littlest Boy's two rosy feet, as they hung down inside the Biggest Boy's arms, close accompanying, car- J ried him upstairs to bed. What do you think! Evidently Santa Claus. repented, or else he had only L .been joking, or else he.could find no other little boy who was more worthy; '' for, after all, at daylight there was discovered, lying on the mat before ' the side-door, that very same ring— I wrapped, it is true, not in tine tissue j paper, but in coarse brown paper., • j I lowever, upon the paper was ;)j>crawled, in ragged but unmistakable : :1 lines,: j j£| "for the kid "J; '1; "SANTY CLAWS." , \ <H w| .'. , Effect of Self-Satisfaction. ! $W) —That was a frightfuly lo#g i .Sertoli the minister preached this <: rnqwing. r itelle —Why, I didn't notice it was Y unusually' long. Nell —Of course not; you had on a new hat. r IN wir Pmli oEYE IS OLDEST ARMY OFFICER He is quite as spry and youthful In his ways as many a man of 65. In Washington, where he lives, he walks downtown nearly every morning and. is-often seen on the streetcars. Only the other day ho was noticed standing on the running'board of an open car, having got up and stepped out to ,allow some ladies to pass. , General Rucker was 97 years of age on April 28 last. But it does not seem to him that this fact gave any excuse for the remarkable. zealousness of a certain life insurance company which, a few weeks ago, sent a man to his house on Jefferson place to make a money settlement for his death. Greatly irritated by this summary notice of his own demise, he walked down town the next morning and dropped in at the office of the company. The company was very apologetic. Yes, it was obliged to admit the gen eral had the appearance of being alive. His presence in the office was evi dence in favor of such a supposition. But in a technical sense he was dead. From a life insurance viewpoint he had passed over to the beyond. There had been nothing to do, therefore, but to pay up the policy—though the com pany was sorry if the general had been inconvenienced in the matter. The general felt very greatly inconvenienced —in fact, he went away in a rage. The money which the company declared to be due he refused to accept. He is still so angry about the matter that his friends do not dare to mention it to him even in joke. GOES TO THE SUPREME COURT Tennesseean is progressive in thought and will interpret the lawa in accord ance with the modern spirit. The Judge was born in Campbell county, Ky., February 26, 1844, his father, at that time a physician, later becoming an Episcopalian minister. His education at the University of Chicago cut short by the civil war, young Lurton hurried south and enlisted as sergeant-major in the Thirty-fifth Tennessee. In February, 1802, he was discharged for sickness. Me returned to the front, however, in time to take part in the battle of Fort Donelson, where he was taken prisoner and confined in Camp Chase. He managed to escape and enlisted in the Third Kentucky cavalry and was taken prisoner again in Ohio while on"i Morgan's raid." This time he was so carefully guarded that he did not escape until the war was over. After the war he formed a partnership with Gustavus A. Henry and came rapidly to the front as a lawyer. In 1886 he was made justice of the Tennessee supreme court, in 1893 chief justice, and two months later WP.3 appointed to the United States court by the late ex-President Cleveland. CANADA FOR INDEPENDENCE the dreadnaught. The Laurier bill calls for three cruisers and four destroy ers, which will cost $8,000,000 to build and $1,500,000 a year to maintain. Sir Wilfrid stated on the floor of the house that the Canadian fleet would not be under orders from London and would not even participate in naval warfare as a British ally, unless specifically ordered to do so by the Cana dian parliament. "If we have no voice in making peace or war," says the Montreal Herald, "how can we with safety abandon the right to follow what course we please? Unquestionably, being who we are, our fleet will almost under any conceiv able circumstances co-operate with the British navy when war ensues. Hut tha power of volition in a matter of such moment must be retained." The Ottawa Citizen states its case thus: "Should the day come when the country that was the cradle of liberty proves recreant to its traditions, then Canada will disown that country and change its flag instanter." HE'LL BE THE CAFE KING "I realize keenly," said Mr. Pruger, "that my work in Ne-w York will be enough to keep any man thoroughly alive. American hotels aad restaurants are in many respects the finest In the world. There are hotel's and restau rants in this city which have no superiors anywhere. In tli* now Cafe do l'Opera it is our desire to add still another brilliant establishment to the list of those of which New York is so proud. Two of the best chefs in Europe have been brought to New York to see that the culinary part of the restau rant begins operations as it should. "In furnishings and decorations we have a restaurant unique. I feel that my life's work lies in New York, and although I was sorry to leave my old friends in London 1 welcome the opportunity of working in America in a restaurant so beautiful as the Cafe del' Opera." Brigadier-General Daniel H. Rucker, retired, is not only the oldest officer of the United States army now living, but also the oldest man thai has ever been in the military service of this country. The lapse of time since his birth is most viv idly realized when it is considered that General Uucker has lived in every presidential adminis tration since the government began, save only three —those of Washington, Adams and Jeffer son. He was born only 13 years after the death of the first president and among his friends and acquaintances have been a good many people who kpew George Washington. But anybody who saw the general to-day would never imagine that these things could be true. President Taft lias selectetd Judge Horace Harmon Lurton to fill the vacancy in the United States supreme court caused by the death of Asso ciate Justice Rufus W. Peckham. Judge Lurton has been a judge of the sixth judicial circuit of the United States circuit court of appeals, the district including Tennessee, Ken tucky, Ohio and Michigan. Judge Lurton, a prominent Tennessee Demo crat, even though he has never held elective of fice, is an ex-confederate soldier and in Michigan is known as the man who once decided a street car case against the late Governor Pingree. Mr. Taft's service on the circuit bench with Judge Lurton convinced him of the integrity and rectitude of that jurist. His later contact with him has demonstrated to his satisfaction that the Some optimistic persons in Canada believe the day is not far distant when the Dominion will become a republic independent of. England. In such an event, they believe, Sir Wilfrid Laurier would become the head of the new nation. When the imperial council of defense sent out from London recommendations that included the construction, manning and operation of a Canadian war navy protests arose from all parts of the Dominion. The actual government meas ure presented by Sir Wilfrid to the house of com mons has caused another outburst, which indi cates clearly that many Canadians look forward to ultimate independence. The defense council suggested that Canada build one Dreadnaught, three cruisers, . six de stroyers and three submarines, beginning with Henri Pruger, l'or the last seven years general manager of the Hotel Savoy, London, has been engaged as general manager of the new Cafe de l'Opera in New York City at a salary of $50,000. This, it is believed, is the largest salary paid to any restaurant mapager in the world. Mr. Pru ger is president of the company that will operate the restaurant, which has just been opened. It occupies an.entire building west side of Broadway, between Forty-second and Forty-first streets. ■jtyv London Mr. Pruger has become known to thousands of Americans. Before going to the Savoy, he conducted the Grand Hotel Nationale, Leizone,'and a chain of hotels in southern Eu rope. including the Grand Hotel at Monte Carlo and the Grand Hotel at Rome.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers