Evening Star Newspaper, February 1, 1896, Page 14

14 “The way in which Senator Quay does the Httle—iw fact, almost trivial—things indi- cates the shrewdness and uniqueness of his " remarked a Senate employe the other day. “For instance, any man that comes to Washington to see Mr. Quay, and whom Mr. Quay wants to see—and there are hun- fireis of them—will go directly to his rocm, that of the committee on public buildings and grounds, and never ask a question of any kind. Not so with the friends of other Senators, for while they may have been told ow to reach their ferent rooms, they have, as a rule, to make inquiry for their Iccation. I was amused the other day, when the callers on Mr. Quay were unusually large, to see how they went directly to his Toom, notwithstanding the circuitous route Tecessary to get to It. When I asked one of them how he knew where to find the room, he stowed me a card. It told the story. It contained very minute directions as to how to reach the Senator and just what to do.” te 2% Night Manager Young of the Western Unien Company, whose fine physique and hairlesg head have made him a conspicuous figure for the last quarter of a century in the House pr gallery, where he has charge cf the telegraph office, is conceded to be an able man in his particular line of business, but no one would ever believe that “Ham,” as the newspaper men call him, could distinguish a man on a telegraph wire by a mere touch—so to speak—and that, too, when less than a half dozen words were sent. Mr. Young has charge of a large force of men, and when they desire to get off they send him a message to the Capitol or call him up on a wire and talk to him personally and make their desire known. One of his men called for him on the the other day from up town and aske I get off tonight?” “Yes, you're excused,” Young. The man walked down the avenue as far as lith street, when suddenly the fact dawn- ed on him that he had neglected to state who he was, and he went back to set the matter straight. ii jing up the Capitol, he agked Mr. ‘Say, how did you know who asked “s B—,, isn't responded Mr. you were excused.” said the man as he left the of- hat beats all I ever heard of. I gave me and speke but five words and here is a man who tells me who I am.” Old-time operators considered this re- markable in view of the fact that only five words were said. Things of this sort have been done when a longer conversation en- sted or the character of the man’s sending was better gauged by a long talk. eee € * A certain western Senator, whose services began with this Congress, gave positive or- ders to one of the clerks on taking his seat in the Senate to have his desk supplied with @ new pen and fresh ink each morning. Every = had been going smoothly until recently, when the Senator had occasion to leave the city for the first time since Con- gress convened. The young man whose duty it was to chaage the pen and ink on the Senator's desk thovght it unnecessary to look after this matter during the Senator's absence, and neglected it. The Senator walked into the Senate rather unexpectedly the other morning, and as he fell into the big cushioned chair at his desk he looked the picture of happiness and contentment. He has a habit of wetting a new pen with his lips thoroughiy before dipping it in the ink to insure a free flow, and as he proceeded to get to. work he picked up the pen on his desk and from force of habit thrust it into his month. It kad not been changed during his ab- sense and was badly corroded. In a mo- ™ment a penholder went flying through the air to the rear of the Senate chamber and zceompanied by a great spluitering. Ex- planations were in order by the clerk, but the Senator was none the less angry. x Oe ee O&K I was talking to a friend of John Mor- gan, the Mormon, a few days ago, and he told me a singular story concerning that aposile of Joseph Smith. During the civil war Morgan was a gallant Union soldier, and at the battle of Missionary Ridge he was in some unaccountable way listed as one of the killed. In fact, remains sup- posed to be his were found and they are now buricd in the national cemetery at Chattanooga with his name on the head- stone. Some years later Mr. Morgan took charge of the southern work of the Mor- mon Church, and while in Chattanooga learned that his grave was at the national cemetery. ke EE & There was something famillar looking about a man I met on the street the other night, and when he spoke to ask me for alms I recognized his voices. I had not seen him for five years, and I could searce- ly believe that the ragged mendicant was the same man whom 1 had known. Five years ago he was a cierk in a store, and notel for fastidiousness of dress. No one supposed him have an extraordinary in- teliect, but his habits were good and he was exceedingly popular. He took a great erest in local politics, and it seems it s this that caused his present trouble. came to Washington and secured a from which he was dis- about a year later. Since he de- d his time to petty agencies untt! ne could no longer pay his board bill and nis clothes were worn and. shabby. Too proud to go back where he had been successful, and unwilling to let his old friends know his predicament, he heid on until a tew nights ago his landlady refused to let him remain, and for the first time in hts life he was a beggar. He miner clerkship, eee t € : A new scheme has been worked in Wa ington that has caused me a large amount of thinking to determine who the swindler is. A young, modest-looking and pretty girl has a book for sale. She does not talk the lady of the house or the man of the of- fice to distraction. She produces the book and tells the prospective customer that she wants to leave it, and will call for {t in a day or two. The next day a young man, rather trampish-looking, but with an air of having tried to clean himself up de- cently, calls and asks if the book has been examined, saying that the young lady leaves the books and he does the soliciting. The book is given to him. and a day of two later the young lady who left it calls. When she learns that it was given to the man, she resorts to tears, says that he has done it all along the street; that he must have seen her leaving the books, and fol- lowed before she had time to get back; that she is very poor and cunnot afford to lose the book; that they had no right to give it to any one but her, and other things equally convincing, until the victim pays for the book. Whether the two are operat- ing together or it was simply a scheme on the part of the trampish-looking man, I do not know, Dut the plan seems to be so good a one, if it isa plan, that people might do well to decline having books left for ex- amination. eee € & Congressman Crowley of Texas’ always has a good story to tell. One of the best of his cellection is that of an ingenious ; farmer in his district. The farmer is poor, and when he went to Texas, invested every dollar he possessed in a tear of horses, a wagon and a plow. He bought the horses of a horse trader at Houston, and the man who sold them de- livered them at the farm, riding one and leading the other. The farmer rode them around the place and had no trouble with them until he hitched the animals to his wagon Then they began to back, and the more he whipped the more rapidly they Would move backward. It was a very ser- fous matter to him. All of his money was | he could not sell those, and he could not | run his farm without-horses, so it was a | difficulty, which he soon did. Invested, and he could not buy more horses, ase of having to think a way out of the He arranged the harness so that it would pull, then hitched the horses with their noses turned toward the wagon. They started to back, and the owner would not let them stop backing. He backed them nine miles to town, and then home again. ‘The next day he hitched one to the plow and worked him backward all day. After that the horses pulled all right, and be- czme one of the best working teams in that part of the state. * = % * A group of men were telling stories at the Riggs House, when one of them men- tioned Tim Ready of St. Louis, a well- known local politician of that city. “I knew Tim before he ever went to St. Louis,” said one. “He was trying to farm im southwestern Missouri, but didn’t make a success of it. His hogs all died with the cholera one season, and it happened that I had business calling me to his house when he had run out of meat. Every morning we had squirrels for breakfast, and the second day 1 proposed that we go squirrel hunting.” “I have no gun,’ said Tim. ‘But you have squirrels for breakfast,” I said. “Yes, but I don’t hunt them,’ he replied. “ “How do you get them” I asked. ‘Come and see.” And with that he took me out to where several strings were fast- ened to a stake near his stable. “ ‘You sce,’ he explained, ‘last fall there were no nuts to speak of, and the squirrels are short of food. So I got a few nuts and split them with a knife, then I put small fish hooks in them, after removing the kernels, and glued them up, leaving a line attached to the fish hook running out of a hole in the end of the nut which I have plugged over the strings. The squirrels come and get the nuts, run to the nearest tree, crack them, and [ pull in the strings. I see I have three now.’ He pulled in the strings, and sure enough, a squirrel came with each one.” The doorke2pers at ‘the House say that Amos Cummings is the most popular man in that body, and that Statesman Sulzer of the same state is the next man on the list. When one of them was asked how, he came to this conclusion, he said: “Betause so many people call for them every day. Their callers, as a rule, are people who are in dis- tress, and who want assistance. They know that Cummings and Sulzer have big hearts, and are always ready to aid those in need. Cummings and Sulzer invariably respond to cards sent into them, and I have seen them go down in their pockets many a time and bring out money for fellows who were hard u P. “Who is called for the most often?” was asked. ‘: “Meredith of the elghth -Virginia district, which Is so close to Washington, is called for more than any other man. He gets little time for any other business than answering the cards sent into him. Congressman Can- non is another man who receives numerous visitors, and Bingham of Philadelphia is still another.” * e eK “What time is the House likely to ad- journ?” asked a visitor who walked up to a doorkeeper at one of the entrances to the House. “You will have to ask me something easy,” is what the man at the door repficd. “Is there any chance to get in the cham- ber?” queried a lady who walked up. “None in the world, madam.” A man and two women rushed toward the door with the intention of walking right in- to the deliberations of the House. They were headed off before they got far. “That fellow is a regular short stop,” said @ man standing rear. “See how quick he stopped that trio? I want to hire him to play ball with my team this year.” “This way to the gallery, ladies,” said the.| doorkeeper to a bevy of females who were heading right into the door. All this time three other doorkespers were busy at the same place answering questions and directing visitors how to reach certain places. ket ke Senator-elect Money of Mississippi will not enter upon the discharge of his duties until March, 1809. He will serve out his time as a member of the House, and spend the remaining two-years in private life be- fore entering the Senate. Mr. Money says that he Is going to give some of his fricnds in his district, who have proven loyal to him in his senatorial fight. a chance for con- gressional honors. ***e eK * “On account of the feuds, eastern Ken- tucky is popularly supposed to he extremely lawless,” said C. R. Crandall of Lou!sa, Ky., a town on the Big Sandy river, in the heart of the feud-burdened district of the state, to a party of friends at the Metropolitan. “As a matter of fact, strangers are as safe there as in any section of the United States. It is a peculiar condition, unknown any- where else. more nearly. like the Corsican vendettas than any other feuds, but differ- ing from those. The men who do the killing are not desperadces in the ordinary accep- tation of that term, and human life is as safe with them as on the streets of Wash- ington, except that when trouble arises be- tween men, their families are involved, and then begins a war of extermination, which is handed down from one generation to an- other. Except as to members of the family against whom the enmity exists, these men are peaceable, law-abiding citizens.” gd i Ek No Door Service. From Lippincott's. At7 sharp the house was deserted by our handmaidens, and at 7 sharp next day they returned to us. While we were at break- fast the doorbell rang, and Madalena, after @ moment's, delay, put her head in the @in- ing room door: “Mrs. S., the door bell rang.” “Well, go to it, then,” said I, rather in- Signantly. Alas! I vas yet to learn the cus- tom of the land. Our kind friend and mentor was ushered in. She had come to see how we were get- ting on in our housekeeping. To amuse her I repeated to her Madalena’s remarks about the door bell. To my surprise, she took it calmly, merely remarking that all the servants thought it beneath them to answer the door bell. Later we got accustomed. to see our friends answering their own bells and grew quite expert in sliding our cards surrepti- tiously on the hall table as our hostess showed us into her drawing room. So universal is this custom that one lady told us: “I knew it must be a stranger when the bell rang twice. No southern Californian ever rings a second time. We always know there's some good reason if the first bell isn't answered, and we just slide our cards under the door and go away.” ————+ee_____ “You told me you and Harry loved at sight. “Yes, but we quarreled on Saale oer —Truth. IN HOTEL CORRIDORS “It won’t be many years before the United States raises a very considerable part of the tea consumed in this country,” said T. L. Thompson of Scranton, Miss., at Willard's. “Of course, there is not enough as yet to have any effect upon the general com- merce, or it would be more generally known, but the experiments in tea culture in Mis- sissippi are much more succéssful than is usually supposed. There are a number of families who raise enough tea for them- selves and their friends, and within a few years Mississippi can be counted among the tea producing sections.” “It is amusing to watch the attempts to beat the nickel-in-the-slot weighing ma- chines,” sali R. C. _ Parsons, a Chicago traveling man, at the St. James. “Men who would not try to get something for nothing in any other way will try to beat the ma- chine with pennies, two-cent pieces, but- tons, or anything else that look as though they ought to unlock it. I have been watch- ing one for about an hour, and in that time ten men have fed buttons, tobacco tags and other articles into the hopper, and not one of them has yet sucevedcd in making the machine work, and aot one of them has put in a nickel. There are some pool checks made * are exactly the right size to open the machine with, and I saw one of those used successfully, but that is the only case where I have seen a man get weighed.” F. P. Poston of Memphis is at the Ar- lington. Mr. Postoa is cne of the most promising lawyers in the southwest, and is in the city cn legal business. He is a broth- er of Judge Poston, who was shot and killed by Judge King, for which the latter is now serving a life sentence in the Ten- nessee penitentiary, the case. xt the time of its trial, attracting almost ‘world-wide at- tention, as the murdersd man was one of the ablest and most popular lawyers in the country, while the murderer was known as a juris nd legal author of the highest at- tainments. Mr. Poston does not believe that Tennesse2 will fail Jato the republican col- umn ai the election this fail, as has been confidently predicted by the republicans of the state. He doe aot express any prefer- ences as yet, but it is Uy known that the democracy of Tenness2e is very gen- eraily in favor of putting Congreseman Ben- on McMilin as a candidate, although Judge Truesdall, ex-Senator Whittherne and Judse T. M. McConnell are anxious to lead the hosts. Geo. M. Barnes of (hicayo is at the Na- tional. Mr. Barnes is an extensive dealer in birds, and was talking about canaries last night. He sa:d: “The idea is prevalent that canary birds either come from the Canary Islands or are born in captivity. Of course, some are received from the Ca- nary Islands, an] a great many of them are raised from tame wirds thac have never been at liberty, or cage birds, as they are called. Still, inany of the best canaries y. are captured wild in the United § Southern California is tull of wild canar! and th ‘ingers in the world. In som ir seems to be filled with me: Thoy are so plentiful that the boys kill m in sreit numbers with slung shcts, and they are lttle more thovght of than sparrows. I prefer the American ca- nares to the imporzed, and there does not seem to be any danger that the supply will ever run short.” “Tt is Generally supposed that all of the large and dangerous wild enimals in the United States have been killed,” said E. L Hemmingray of Los Angeles at the Shore- ham, “but in the San Gabriel valley, in southern California, lately two large moun- tain Hons were killed. ‘the people of Wash- ington will soon have an opportunity to see what they look tike, as they have been stuf- fed, and will be sent to the Smithsonian In- stitute. There were a male and female, the latter being the largest, measuring nine feet four inches tn length from the tip of her Nose to the tip of her tail. This is one of the largest lions killed in the west during the past ten years, end, when mounted in the Sm‘thsonian Institute, will attract a sood deal of attention, as it uld net be very small for an African Ion. Among the guests of the Riggs House is John T. Gienn of Atlanfa, who is about as well known as any man in the empire siate of the south. Mr. Glenn is enthusiastic about the success of the exposition, saying: “The world's fair left Chicago with a host of people strandea, and the evil effects of the rush of laboring men are still being felt, while Atlanta has rot as many men unem- ployed as when the exposition was first pro- posed, while there is every evidence that as a result of the enterprise there will be an influx of the most desirable class of populn- tion from the north, and a great deal of capital will be invested in southern indus- tries. Atlanta got its start as a rap‘dly- growing city by the cotton exposition, and now this one has established it firmly sid given it a new impetus.” Among the men seated in the lobby of the Arlington last night was a tall, well-formed, well-dressed gentleman, who looked like a lawyer or professional man of some kind, and a most excellent specimen of American manhood. He is here purely on a business trip and not for any political or legislative purpose. He is a Cherokee Indian, but is taking no interest in the work of the lopby- ists sent here by the Cherokee tribe to fight the Dawes commission report. His name is Dr. Smith and h’s home is at Quanah, N. C., where, a3 can be seen by a glance at a gov- ernment map, there is a reservation beiong- ing to the Cherokee Indians, although the fact is not generally known, as they never appear in Washington wanting anything and there are no offices to fill. “The Quanah Cherokees,” said Dr. Smith, “are in prosperous condition; they own their lands, which raise good crops, they have their own schools, and illiteracy is unknown among them, a fact that places them strong- ly in contrast with their white neighbors, as they live back in -an isolated district where they have no educational advantages. Our number is increasing slightly and our’ community is complete in itself, all of the wants of the people being supplied by In- dians. We are not very greatly interested in the agitation as to the Indian territory except so far as would be natural, consider- ing that we are of the same blood. The Fortion of our tribs in the territory seem a long ways off and we do not believe there will be any legislation seriously injuring them.”” Geo. C. Vernon of Cincinnati is at the Howard House. He has lately come from Logan and McDowell counties, West Vir- ginia, where there are prospects of setious trouble over the famous King tract, which has been the cause of a good deal of blood- shed during the past few years. “I had a similar trouble on my hands in Bell county, Kentucky, across the line from where the King tracts lie,” he said. “The courts up- held my title and the squatters refused to move. A fight was imminent, when I told them that what I wanted was the timber and hired them to cut down the trees, make the logs into rafts and float them down the river to Catlettsburg. here I took out war- rants for the arrest of every one, charging them all with being implicated in killing a surveyor. I could not have proved the charge, but I succeeded in getting quit claims from them, and by paying a small amount of money induced them to leave, never to return.” Jchn A. Holding of St. Louis is at the Met- ropolitan. In his business as a salesman for a druggists’ specialty house he goes all over the country, and when he saw a Wash- ington newspaper man he was very much amused. “There is one town you had better not go into,"" he said. “Some one sent out a Yery interesting story representing tough frontier life. It was well gotten up, but the writer not knowing where to locate it, placed the scene in Camden, Ark. How he happen- ed to hit upon that town I don’t know, but the people out there read it in some p: and they have declared war against Wash- ington newspaper men. Camden has sever- al thousand people, electric lights, electric street railroads and feels very large. At the head of navigation of the Ouchita river, it does a large cotton business, and is the wealthiest city in the state and the most fashionable, except, perhaps, Little Rock, the capital. They have now quarantined the place against all newspaper men from Washington.” —_-e—_____. The Valet’s Reflection. From La Libre Parole. Scrupulous valet (on finding a five-frane piece in the pocket of his master’s new waistcoat)—"It’s a thousand pities for the waistcoat, but there’s nothing else for it. I must make a hole large enot for the money to slip through!” — CAPITOL SEEN AT , THE a . Mr. Quigs hag ghanged the style of doing bis hair. He usedito arrange it pompadour and i. stocd yp°around his classic brow like a halo. Now"he parts it m the middle and tries to smopth it down each side of his face. It ista slow process, but it seems to be getting #abdued. my By ok There “are now’'two colored doorkeepers fer the male gallery of the House, for the first time in its history. The other day a lady who wistie@‘to get a full front view of Speaker Reed’ undertook to step inside the door of the hale gallery, but was in- stantly halted;by the gentlemanly colo man. “Ladies don’t go in this gallery,’ said, respectfully. “But I wan't to see the Speaker,” she remonstrated. 7 “The ladies go over there, or there,” pointing to the two galleries set apart for women. “But I want to g» right in here, and I am going,” she said, decisively. Hi immediately stepped aside. want t> vote they want everything, muttered. ie Kok ok OK OX The cuspidors in the Senate are of a lovely malachite green to match the Sen- ate carpets. They are handsomely orna- mented with scroll design that also match- es in color the design of the carpet.’ They cost five dollars each. In the House they are satisfled with twenty-five-cent nickel plate tin ones. Kok eK OK In the parlor in statuary hall the other day vat a man and a maid. The maid was of uncertain summers, but there was noth- ing uncertain in the art or artfulness she displayed in her get-up and manners. They were sitting on the sofa next to the statue of Ethan Allen. and seemed to be alone, but The Star writer was leaning up egainst a column next to them and screen- ed by its width. “Now, general, you will be sure to come?” she queried, “and you will be sure to bring me some carnations, ‘just the color of my cheeks,’ you know, and a box of nice candy? Remember, Tuesday evening!” “Really, I'm afraid he can’t, you know,” said a cool society voice behind them, where a handsomely gowned lady had just paused. “Tuesday is my ‘day’ and we will have some friends to dinner, so I think my husband will have to defer his engage- ment with you. If you insist upon the car- nations, I might send you some after din- ner if you will give me your address. I usually bestow y flowers on some chari- table institution. But the address was not given, and tie maid walked away un- der the fire of a pair of dark eyes gleam- ing through a gold-cncased lorgnette, while the “general” walked stiffly back to the house. Jack roses would have come near- er matching the color in three pairs of cheeks than carnations. ~ RK RK * Just now Congress is being bombarded with petitions. They relate to subjects in which women ure interested, for all these petitions come from women. ‘They bring them to us by the thousand,” said a Repre- sentative the other day. “Every box and pigeon hole in my office is full of them, and still they come. Wemen have a fashion of getting there, too, with their petitions in a fashion that men would not dream of. You simply can’t say no to a woman if she comes at you respectfully and makes a reasonable demand.” it was really’as good as a circus to watch Senatot’ Stewart Wednesday when Senator Tillmah ‘Yaserted his bowie knife under the fifth ri of the two great parties &nd twisted Ht around. He grabbed his seat and desk! With laughed like a/ véritable Santa Claus. He nodded approvhl,-and looked around when 2 point quite t his satisfaction was made, much as if to’s# that he could scarcely have made it ‘better himself. Sena eee In the gallery of the House the other day were two,young ladies, who, under- standing the sjgnification of the red button on the top of the black caps of two orien- tals who were ‘there and the red silk over- garment, knew “Gt once that they were high-up attachés' of the legation that files the yellow dtagon. The two young ladies began to make:eyes at the two Cclestials, and they made cyes-im return and jabbered Chinese to each other, evidently in great glee. Suddenly the ‘higher official, evi- dently reminded that'he might not be au fait in his appearance, abstracted from among the folds of his garments one of those small pocket companions with a glove buttoner, a toothpick: and a tiny comb on one side and a wisp of a mirror on the other. The Celestial calmly took the comb and begaj to comb out the long scattering threads ot a so-called mustache that fringed his upper lip, looking in his mirror meanwhiie. Then, from the depths of his robes, he drew a small bottle of horrible perfume, with which he daintily | and dandifiediy dampened his mustache. Then he smilingly leaned forward, after finishing his toilet, and proffered the useful articles and perfume bottle to the now horrified girls. How they did scramble to get out of the almost vacated gallery, and how surprised the Celestial looked as he returned his toilet appurtenances ‘to his pockets, with 2 shrug of his shoulders that may have meant much or little. aoe kOe € Sometimes the dignity of a Senator is upset in a very funny manner. Wednesday when Mr. Tillman was speaking a member of the House came in ard seeing a seat in th> back row on the republican side empty drcpped into it and became inter- ested in the speech. In a moment the owner of the seat put in an appearance. He walked up to the seat and stood a mo- ment, but not being noticed, retired to the rear and propped himself up against the wall, to’glower on the offerding mem- ber. Presently he tried it again, going up on the other side of the Representative. ‘The member looked up, hut, being a ‘new’ man, did not recognize the august pres- ence, and, moving his chair a iittle, again turned his attention to the speaker. By this time an alterdant caught onto the sit- uation, and rushet around to bring a com- mon cane seat chair, which he placed be- side the member, and with a motion sug- gested the propriety, evidently, of his mov- ing into it. The member glanced at the chair, then around at the gentleman stand- ing behind him, and then shoved his cush- foned chair a little more to one side, and motioned the Senator to take the cane-seat one. The Senator, decidedly amused by this time, took it. Presently the member, with an awakened mind, Icoked at the Senator, then at the desk in front of which he was sitting, glanced hastily around the Senate chamber, to see Fow many were aware of his usurpation of the Senator's seat, and catching many amused smiles, sprang to his feet, neatly upsetting the dignified Senator whose ceat he had con- fiscated, and with many apologies and much confusion, slid out of the room. ss Raised His Own Coffin From the Seed. From the Pittsbitg Dispatch. Judge Oren K.)Farthing of Bartholomew county, Ind., wheds now eighty-seven years old, was in Ms day a prominent lawyer and a judge. ‘H¢'is wealthy and eccentric. Forty years ago.he plented near his front doorstep a walnut with the avowed inten- tion of securiiig: from the tree timber for his coffin. Time tree throve steadily. The other day, feeling strongly the infirmities of age, the judge'ordered the tree cut down and sawed into boards. Then, by his direc- tion, the carpenter took his measure and began the coffin.‘ eS ee bis <: Presence of Mind. From Truth. " Trate Father—“Didn't I tell you not to go skating?” Quick-witted Son—"Stay where you be, pop. The ice is awful thin!” his two hands and | IN A NEWSPAPER OFFICE Tt was late on a dreary, ramy afternoon— that is, late in a newspaper sense, for the ‘big afternoon daily was just going to press. ‘The city editcr had sent up the last page of copy, the telegraph operators were busy arranging pegs and switchboards prepara- tery to closing down for the day, and the messenger boys, after the rush of the last few moments, were recovering breath and evergy, and at the same time endeavoring, with much wrangling, to peruse the same copy of a sporting paper that had just been received. In the city department the lull after the hurry incidental to news gathering and the transposition of the facts to paper was noticeable. Quiet reigned, save for the click of a solitary typewriter. One by one the reporters dropped in from their assign- ments, and busied themselves in various ways while awaiting the appearance of the paper. The government department man in the rear of the room was silently fixing up a report, and the court reporter, who enter- ed a few moments later, devoted himself with equal quiet to the preparation of a Prediction as to the probable decision in an important legal controversy. Directly in front of this pair sat the man who looks after one branch of Congress, with his hand resting idly on the keyboard of a typewriter and his eyes fixed on a pretty girl across the street, as though in search of inspiration. Several others were lounging about more or less occupied, when the rear door ws noiselessly opened, and the exchange editor, bespattered with mud, umbrellaless and presenting a drenched ap- pexrance, passed quietly to his corner, and almost lost himself to view behind a mass of out-of-town publications. It was the first seen of the editor at the office during the day, and his late arrival occasioned a eral murmur of comment. “Hello, there's Falsglen,” announced the pelice reporter. “‘A little late, aren't you?” “This is not a weekly paper,” chimed In the administration end of the force, and with an,effort to be sarcastic the court re- porter growled: “Oh, he comes in now 80 a8 to be on time tomorrow.” “Missed my train this morning,” explain- ed the exchange editor in his character- istic bluff manner, ‘Bad weather up in the mountains.” In addition to his newspaper work, the exchange editor was an enthusiastic agriculturist, and owned a tract of lend some distance from the city, where he frequently spent Sundays. “Pretty mean sort of day, isn’t it?” Fals- glen spoke up, after rem ge his wet gar- ments and making himself as comfor:able as possible. “Let's hear it,” suggested the reporter from the courts, “the paper won't be out for ten minutes yet. Anything to pass the time.” There was a murmur of concurrence, and several moved nearer the exchange cditor. “It's not very long,” began the latter,“‘and you may believe it or not, just as you like. I have never told the story since coming to this city for fear that its truthfuiness Woula not be credited. Then, again, I hate to think of it, but now that it is in my mind, and as I know you fellows so well, I don’t mind letting you have the benefit of what I went through. “I once tried my luck in the far west, but from there drifted to Minnesota, and got work on a paper in one of the largest cities of that state. The city editor secured a tip regarding a big society scandal, and with the idea of scooping the other jour- nals, dispatched me on ten minutes’ notice to a leading watering place on the lake about forty miles distant. Here, it was thought, the thread of the story could be taken up. Well, I alighted from the train about 7 o'clock one evening in the height of the season. I scon found that all the hotels were crowded to their extreme ca- pecity. “Things looked rather dismal for a while as regards accommodations, but after in- quiry at half a dozen pla I finally lo- cated a hosteiry where the clerk informed me I might remain over night, if I did not Object to occupying a room and bed with another gentleman. I jumped at the op- portunity and, after partaking of supper, strolled out to look around, the clerk di- recting me to proceed to room No. 9, on the second floor, when I returned, he promis- ing to acquaint my roommate with the ar- rangement. “While sitting In a pavilion overlooking the water, my attention was attracted to | @n unusually pretty young lady who passed escorted by a faultlessiy-attired guntle- man. The former appeared to be greatly worried, but it was impossible to catch a word she was saying. A man sitting near me remarked, ‘That is Miss Blank,’ and I instantly recalled the name of a high cfii cial of one of the western cities. A few moments later, almost without warnirg, a violent storm-broke and I hastened to the hotel. Passing throuzh the office I as- | cended the stairs, and on the second floor the number of the room I first reached was | 9, that figure standing out fn bold relief in black on a background of white enamel. | “Turning the knob of the door, I entered the room, in which a dim light was burni! s. | Lying in the double bed I could discern the figure cf a man appaiextly fas lecp. Not wishing to disturb my roommate, I removed a portion of my clothing, and as quietly as pessible took my place in the unoccupied side of the bed. I left the sas burning dimiy as I found it and had soon lost all idea of the appeareance of the other man, I fell into a doze, but did not know what length of time had passed when I suddenly became aware that some one was entering the room. Opening my eyes I saw that the intruder was a woman, and, what was more interesting, she was weeping in a heartrending manner. While I was endeav- oring to grasp the situation a man also passed through the doorway, and then I recognized the duo as those who had at- tracted my attention on the beach earlier in the evening. “The companion of the young woman en- deavored to console her, saying tenderly; ‘It had to happen, dear, and could not be helped. You are not to blame. Try to calm yourself.’ “I assure you I was wide awake by this time, for the situation was intensely inter- esting. It struck me as unusual that Miss Blank should be accompanied to her apart- ments at that hour of the night by a gen- tleman, and the effect was heightened be- cause of her distressed condition. Ad then I wondered how it happened that the couple should enter a room occupied by two strange men and appear so perfectly at home. The action of the lady was also mysterious, and I was thinking of another good story to be worked up, when Miss Biank said piteously in reply to her com- panion, ‘Oh, what shall I do, what shall I ao? = “I raised up on my elbow just as Miss Blank lifted her eyes’ and glanced towawd the bed. For a moment there was dead si- lence, she next gave utterance to a shriek such as I never heard before, and then collapsed and sank to the floor as limp as arag. The man with her, also glancing at the bed, opened his mouth as though to speak, but no sound came fcrth. He turned and staggered out of the room as though intoxicated. During all this time my bed fellow had not stirred and on the impulse of the mement, without stopping to arouse him, I hastily grabbed my clothes and ran out of the room and down the haliway. “The entire establishment was soon aroused. The night clerk, bell boys and guests, the latter more or less attired, ap- peared in the corridor and made their way to 100m 9. During the excitement I man- aged to don my outer clothes after a fash- ion and joined the throng. The young lady was just being carried out, but I noticed that the unknown man remained, as before, in bed. “I'll close down on the story in quick order now,” continved Faleglen, shifting his position in the chair. “The mysterious incident was explained to my satisfaction the following morning, and it was then that I realized the horror of the situation. Instead of entering room No. 9 I had oc- eupied No. 6, the mistake being due to the enameled placard becoming loosened and reversing its position on the door. The young man with Miss Blank was her bro- ther and it was their father who was in bed with me. He had been ill for some weeks and died about half an hour before i went toe tae room. His children, who re- turned to the room, were naturally over- come when they saw what they thought to be the dead man rise up in bed.” “Did Miss Blank and her brother learn that you were in the bed?” inquired the po- lice reporter. “No, I kept very quiet on that point, and to this day they firmly believe that their father’s body moved. The fright caused the young lady a serious spell of illness.” “That's a_pretty good yarn, old man,” said the administration reporter, turning away. The first copies of the paper were being distributed and again silence reigned. MEN WHO WORK HARD Need Horsford’s Acid Phosphate, ‘Taken at ded time it brings sound, sweet. oo quicts the nerves and builés up brain tissue. It's Good for digestion, teo—take a little after meals, THE; EVENING, STAR, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 189¢--TWENTY-FOUR PAGES. : IN LOCAL STUDIOS Mr. Robert Hinckley has finished the por- traits of Gen. Draper’s father and mother, and is at work on a full-length figure of Col. A. C. Tyler, in — x * The exhibition of oil paintings by R. Le- Grand Johnston which opens at Fischer’s gallery on Monday promises to be a very interesting one. Mr. Johnston has made a special study of animals, and introduces sheep effectively in many of the landseanes, such as those entitled “Lighthouse Point, Va.,”" and “Among the Rocks.” The most distinctive features of this artist's work are his attention to detail in the fore- grounds and the vivid coloring found in almost all his landscapes, though a quiet- er scheme of color is felt in “Twilight on the Moor” and “The Old Orchard.” * * * A couple of landscapes and @ marine will be Mr. Hobart Nichols’ contribution to the coming Cosmos exhibition. * Those who remember Miss Jane Bridg- ham Curtis’ admirable pastel, “The Prin- cess,"" at the Cosmos last year, will be glad to know that she is busily working on something for the coming exhibition. * x * Mr. Edwin Lamasure, whose work in water color is familiar to many, has been busy on a number of scenes taken in the vicinity of Rock creek and Sligo, and he has also branched out into figure painting. In landscape, Mr. Lamasure seems to have a@ special fondness for, and skill in hand- ling, sunset and twilight effects. * Miss Juliet Thompson is occupied with a head of Felix Mahoney, in costume, and will soon begin a portrait of Senator Voorhees. Miss Thompson works entirerly in pastel, and is thorroughly at home in its use. * * * Miss Mary Berri Chapman has done little for tne past six months, feeling that her health demanded complete rest for a time. But, in spite of this, she is planning to send several pictures to the New York water color exhibit, and will certainly be repre- sented here at the Cosmos Club, even if she dces not hold an exhibition of her own. Miss Chapman is equally well known through her charming book of verse, “Lyrics of Love and Nature,” as through her water color and pen work, in which she favors the Italian style. She does both portrait and landscape work, but is perhaps most suc- cessful In her portrayal of negro character, to which she has given considerable study. * x * This week a good many people have been attracted to Heitmuller’s gallery by the exhibition of work by Howard Helmick, who, &s one of the foremost magazine illus- trators of this country, is widely known. The black and white originals of many of his illustrations have been loaned by the publishers for the exhibition,but for the most part it is composed of Irish and negro sub- jects in water color and pastel. “The Rural Confessional,” one of those Irish subjects which the artist, by his long residence in Ireland, has learned to depict so well, gives us a long. low room, with groups of coun- try folk waiting their turn for confession, some troubled and sad, others full of care- less gayety. Another noticeable picture is called “Luncheon,” and shows a white- haired priest, tired out from morning mass, waiting patiently while a buxom serving girl sets before him an appetizing repast. Mr. Helmick has a faculty of seizing the individual character of each face, and throughout all his genre painting one sees now a quaint humor, now the deepest pathos. The exhibition will be continued through next week. * * ‘The bust of Commodore Melville which Mr. H. J. Ellicott has been modeling for the Loyal Legion in Philadelphia is ready for casting, and the sculptor is at work on a bust of President Pierce. Mr. Ellicott’s equestrian statue of General Hancock is still at the foundry, and will not be com- pleted until about the Ist of March. * x x Since the recent discovery of Gilbert Stuart’s unmarked grave in Boston, and the movement to give it a suitable monu- ment at the National Capital, there has been some talk of starting a subscription in this city to aid in the memorial to thatgreat portrait painter, who is said to have done much of his best work in a studio on 14th street. * x * Nesterday afternoon and evening at the residence of Mr. E. A. Robertson, 1630 19th street, there was an interesting evhibition of miniatures and decorated porcelains, the handiwork of Prof. F. I. Schwarz and his pupils. The exhibition was in every way a most creditable one, and the average of ex- celience was unusually high. It included the work of about sixteen pupils, and some of the speciments of the teacher’s own ar- Ustic talent were notable for their treat- ment and mastery of detail. Admission was by invitation only, but a large number of art lovers were given an opportunity to admire the handsome display. ———.___ A RESURRECTION PLANT. One of the Rare Specimens to Be Found im Rock Creek Park, Written for The Evening Star. Rock Creek Park produces among the many rare plants one which has such inter- estingly peculiar faculties that it deserves to be called the resurrection plant of the west. Probably very few of the readers of The Star are familisr with the reputed reses of Jericho cr the resurrection plants of the east. They are very insignificant locking products of the vegetable kingdom, and grow in the barrens of Palestine, Syria and Arabia. They have, indeed, very little in common with our beautiful roses, their nearest prototype being the Brussels sprouts or Savoy cabbages of culinary fame, to which family they reaily belong. The plant is a short, half-woody shrub, bearing small white flowers, and its leaf- lets grow in dense clusters and are irregu- jlariy grouped on the sparingly branched stem. These leaflets cling tenaciously to their common support. In dry weather, or when detached from the plant, they curl inward, assuming the shape of a closed, many-petaled flower. Whenever these leaf- lets are moistened they unroll themselves again, take on a green hue and seem to revive for a new start of growth. Owing to this peculiarity many supersti- tious beliefs prevail among the poor east- ern people. The roses of Jericho have be- come an article of trade. The name of roses of Jericho was probably given them by the wily fakirs to make the thing more salable. The shepherds of Palestine call it “Kaf Maryam,” or the hand of Mary. ‘The resurrection plant of our own region, which has lately been found in Rock Creek Park, is much more interesting and better entitled to its name than the one of the east. It is of an entirely different nature, as it belongs to the class of fungi, or mush- rooms, though very few people would be- lieve it to be such. Undoubtedly most my- cologists are aware of the existence of this or similar plants, bat not of its habits and peculiar characteristics. In a dry state this little fungus is not unlike the rose of Jeri- cho, a rather unsightly, blackish ball, ap- parently made up from a few ieathery leaf- lets. A more complete metamorphosis which the form of this plant can undergo in the short space of time of one to two hours can hardly be imagined, and is a surprise to every beliolder. After being thoroughly dampened with cold water, this ball opens and unfolds the perfect form of a quaint eight to twelve- pointed star. The rays of the star are white, dotted irregularly with black lines. In the center fs a globular prominence— gray or brown in color—which has at the top an orifice or mouth-shaped opening, so that one would take it to be a miniature starfish. It is certainly remarkable that a fungus can stand such a continued twist- ing and turning, moistening and drying without suffering in form and color. In size these etars vary from one inch to two and a half inches. It does not require a very close observation of the ground to no- tice these plants in the woods. They form quite conspicuous decorations to the green moes, to which they are attached by very slender rootlets. They seem to flourish also in winter time, as a number of them have lately been found. 2 A DETECTIVE STORY ‘The old detective was telling stories, and a Star reporter was listening with both his ears, “There are some people,” said the re- porter, when the old man had finished a robbery tale, “who say that murder wil! out, whether it will or not. Have you ever come across a case in which it did not out?” “No, but I can tell you of one, which came about a3 near to it as It could, and quite near enough to save the murderer from the rope. It happened twenty years ago in a western city, where I was doing private detective duty. There was an old man worth about a quarter of a million dollars, who lived with his daughter, a widow, who had one child, a son of twenty-one, and a bad boy, of riot- ous habits. This boy was the sole heir of the old man, his mother being comfortably fixed by her husband. The boy spent money r-ght and left, and had frequent rows with his grandfather, who was not always as lib- eral as the boy thought he ought to be. “One night the boy and his mother went across the street to a birthday party given to a young fellow about the same age of this chap I'm telling about, and when they returned, at 11 o'clock, they found the old man sitting in the brary, with his head knocked in, his money and watch gone, and & window leading to a back porch open. The old man had been dead an hour or two when found, there was absolutely no clye to the murderer, and the motive was very plainly robbery. I knew something about the grand- son, and suspected him, but I did not dara to take any direct steps. Later I did, much to his mother’s horror,and that of the neigh- bors and the guests of the birthday party, all of whom testified that the boy had been in the rooms all evening, except for a min- ute or two, when he was blindfolded in the ay as part of some game they were play- “That, of course, knocked out my theory, and we started off in various directions, but to no purpose. Two years later the boy's mother died, really from a broken heart, caused by the life the boy had been leading since he had got hold of the old man’s mcney. When she was gone, he doubled the pace, and in five years he had run through all the money, and was a wreck in a hospital. He died there, and among his papers was one letter addressed to me. It Was not long, but it was strong, and told how, when he was seated out in the hall, blindfolded, waiting for the others to cali him in, he had taken a sudden wild notion, had dashed out and across the street into his grandfather's library, had smashed his head in with a cobblestone from the street, without bringing the blood, then hidden his watch and money to make it look like a robbery, and had come back and put the handkerchief over his eyes, as he was in the beginning. ., "He had not been gone five minutes, and it was nothing but luck that kept the people from coming out during his absence, for within a minute after his return they called him in. He had his nerve with him, for I remember that was one of the strong points in his favor, when I tried to fix it on him, and he enjoyed himself with the others as if nothing had happened out of the ordinary. Neither did he ever give any sign, either waking or sleeping, of the weight’ of the — on his conscience, as most murderers “Do you suppese he ha® a conscience?” asked the reporter, and the detective in- sisted that nothing could live without some kind of a conscience. - ———+. —__ BOOMING A BURST BOOM. A Specalator’s Device for Getting Om of a Tight Place. A gentleman, more or less connected with the boom times and towns which like a South Sea bubble wave swept over the country some years ago, was at a Wash- ington hotel last week, and during a con- versation with a Star reporter made a statement which had as much business in it as the boom had wind. “Some of those towns,” said he, “were boomed on nothing, and some of them had Possibilities behind them which may yet de- velop into something, and result in more than even their most sanguine projectors anticipated. I recall one, which I believe is yet to become a city, It has now about 3,000 people, and an immense sum of money Was spent on it. Factories were built, busi- ness houses erected, streets paved, and generally all the modern conveniences were lavished on the place, and it had a popu- lation two or three times larger than it now has. Among the men who invested -was a shrewd Chicago man, who was led into dropping about $50,000 into town lots, and when the boom died out his property wasn’t worth a tenth of what he paid for it. “Two or three years went by, and he was about forgotten, when one summer day two years ago a man appeared in the al- most deserted village and began taking a look at things. He discovered that busi- ness houses could be bought for little or nothing, that town lots were selling at al- most acreage prices, if they could be sold at all, and that the people still in town were hanging on only because they knew that if the tide ever did set their way again they would come out on top, for their town was in the midst of fine coal and iron and timber, and only needed cap- ital to set it going.. The visitor very quietly bought up the’ most desirable houses and lots, or got options on them, and then he disappeared. “Thirty days later another man came, ard he began talking about leasing or buy- ing ore of the idie factories. Nothing suited him, however, and he finally got the town to give him ten acres as a site for a furniture factory and lumber yard. In ten days he had three hundred men at work, laying foundations and getting things into shape, and the town took @ great spurt. Property jumped away up again, empty houses filled up, business fairly boomed, and the man who had first come to town came back again, and began to sell off the bvildings and lots he had secured. He sold enough to make him a profit of about $125,000 on his original purchases, and then he disappeared. “A week later work was stopped on the foundations of the new factory, the men were told some sort of a story about an un- avoidable delay owing to unlooked-for liti- gation, and they waited for work to begin again. A few of them found permanent empioyment in the town, but the great ma- jority, after waiting till they couldn't wait any longer, got out, and things are now about where they were when the second boom started. Probably ten thousand dol- lars i. all had been spent to create the boom, which, added to the fifty thousand dropped by the Chicago party, left him a net profit of about sixty-five thousand dol- jars on the entire transaction. I say the Chicago party, because everybody else said he was the man, though no one -ever saw him there or heard of his name in connec- tion with any part of the scheme.” ——_—_—_ His Only Break, From Harper's Bazar. “Yes,” said the fellow who had lost hix legs in a saw mill, “it was at the battle of Antietam that I suffered this loss. The right leg was shot off about noon, but I hopped right on into the enemy's ranks, brave as you please; but when, along about 8 o'clock, the second was taken off by a stray shell, 1 lost control of myself and ran to the rear. It was the only break 1 made during the war.” 202 It Depends. From Harpor's Bazar. “It is curious,” said Hicks, “but In life the cat is most graceful and the duck most awkward, but how much a dinner changes one’s views!” “I fail to catch the idea,” observed Dar- "A “It is simple,” said Hicks. “At a dinner, how graceful a duck seems—and how awk- ward a cat would b eee The Force of Habit. Paul's, From St Lawyer (who has had photographic copy made of important document, to clerk)= “Take it away, please, and examine it with the original to see there are no mistakes.”