Evening Star Newspaper, May 9, 1896, Page 14

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1894-TWENTY-FOUR PAGES. = to some of the departments,” said Capt. Ten- “Base ball is a blessing in disguise nell of the pension office, “‘and especially on the days when there is a gam2 on the home grounds. There are many base ball enthusiasts In the departments, old and young, ard they are more regular in going eut to see the games than they are in attending their churches or Bible classes. On the day of a game it is noticeable how the fans hurry up with their work so as to have everything ready to jump out as the hour of 4 arrives. The gcvernment gets the advantage of this extra spurt from thousards On other days the clerks are not so particular and do not hesitate to let unfirished work go over until the next day. But on ball days they run no risks ard clean their aesks up so that they can- not be held back from the game.” ee KK “People hereabouts have only a vague idea of the politics of Texas,” remarked a well-known Texas politician, “and they get things wonderfully mixed. The de crats are cut up into factions, as are the republicans. One of the factions of the republican party is known as the ‘black and tans," that is, it is composed of repub- licans as they run, black and white, good, bad and indifferent. The kid glove element of the republican party is known as the ‘ily whites.’ This is not a division of the colored elemeat as is generally understood, but a division of the whites. The lily whites feel that they are too good to mix up with the ordinary republicans of color and they hive by themselves. Ww. Cuney, who is well known here, is the leader of the black and tan faction, which is the stronger, and it was he who chri tened the other lily wh It is war to the knife with them, with the black and tans in the lead, however.” * * * *K * “The Zoolugical Park here,” said a Phila Gelphia visitor, “rarks high among similar institutions throughout the country, al- though it is not claimed for it that it is completed, ‘or even half completed. When it is filled up and all the buildings erected I think, and I have seen nearly all similar places in this country, that it will surpass | Zoo at the Central Park at New Yor! the the Ir Philadelphia is on a ale, but the Zoo se for admission de > pleasure of visiting it cents is the charge in Phil hink of the advantage the chil- have over our ebildren in Phila- There i delphia. one thing I could sug- gest in the way of improvement here, and that is there should be some small boais on the lake or creek for the use of chil- i There would be no danger in case for the water is not waist und seed that has me- ral value, as well as the leaf, flower and f the plant, has to be kept in ste > must be kept the hundreds of pre made from them, tinctures, e: fluid and solid, s and decoctions without number. Then come the housands of chemicals, aci Its, active the various pre; Dill al! the proprietary medicines and of articles known as sundries, per- "sand fancy arti-le: xe KR OK “The mileage of Congressmen runs ail the * said a clerk at the Caritol, “from © $1,100. The law requires that the mile- age shall be caleulated by the nearest of travel. te yland Representative gets the lowe. ‘$3—which includes his «om. ing and while an Ore r gets the larger s ornia Congress- men get on ach for m age. Th a good deal more than is usually paid, and it helps out in some cases in paying other expenses. *-* 8 * & “I do not know cxactly when hat bets be- gan on elections,” remarked a leading hat dealer. “but the betting of hats has always been a popular form of betting, and already I have filed for future delivery a number of hat bets. Just now, however, the bets are on the nominations, presidential and other- wise. As soon as the nominations have been made the number of bets will increase ver rapidly, but not too rapidly for hat deal There is one pecullar thing about hat bet: and that is they are nearly always for the higher grade of hats, and oftener for silk hats than any other kind. Still, in. mz cases, the bets are limited to the hats ‘u: ly worn’ by the winner, which generally means a hat that costs about $3.” ee eK KK Representative Jenkins of Wisconsin was a gallant private soldier in the tenth Wis- consin regiment during the late war. He does not believe in keeping alive the ani- mosities of the struggle and is never hap- pier than when he runs across one of his old foes, and they get a chance to talk avout bygone days. The other day he met a Virginia soldier, and they chatted of the days on the Rapidan, Rappahannock and of the surrender of Lee. “There never was,” Mr. Jenkins said to shis friend, “a bitter f ing betw privates of the opposing armies war. I remember how we us things on the Rapidan. get together and talk with ea It was not three hour after th r of Lee until seven or eigh » into our camp. good dinner pre- pared and were just sitting down to it We invited them to partake of it. One of our boys said ‘Come on; we've got some- thing good today." and a Witty confederate answered, ‘Yes, dog-gone you, you stole it from us if you have got anything.’ Then We all fell to, ate heartily and told stor When the armies were disbanded and we Were on our way home we often ran across southern soldiers trudging along. We kept company until time to part, and always xot along pleasantly ** te & “T've been down south,” said a republican Politician to some friends at the Capitol, “and I've had some funny experiences. For the first time in my life I attended a publican ward meeting in a southern cit Myself and a friend were the only white men present. The proceedings opened in typical style, with all kinds of curious mo- tions and parliamentary decisions. About an hour after the meeting opened two col- ored politicians became involved in a dis- pute. In a few minutes they had clinched and hair and skin began to fly. Their friends also became involved, somebody put out the lights and the fun began in earnest. We happened to be near the door and got out all right. We didn’t wait to find out the result, but the papers next morning announced that the affair had been broken up by the police after several of the combatants had been badly injured. It happened that there were few razors in the assemblage, and consequently no lives were lost, but pieces of ears, noses and other useful articles were found lying around on the floor. A good deal of chew- ing had been done in the dark.” *_e #2 ee I heard a charming girl a few days since give utterance to a widespread complaint against the young matrone. “It really doesn’t pay to go anywhere nowadays,” she said, or the only ccmpanions these young married women leave for the girls are their husbands. Now, I like a nice man, whether he is married or not, but I don’t like to have the attention of any other kind, and the married women insist on appropri- ating all the young men, so I think the only thing for us to do is just to retire from the fleld!” xe ke * Philosophers abound among our colored population. I overheard a pair of sable- 3. to swap The boys would . | She handed me a letter grand | | hued Artstotelians discussing the recent sul- cide in the Smithsonian grounds to this effect: “What dese yer white folks all time sui- cidin’ "bout, anyhow? Dis worl’s good ‘nuff for de niggers; nebber hear "bout none 0’ dem gittin’ outen it on der own accord.” “Dat’s easy,” replied his friend; “you see, we ain't ‘ejucated up to de point ob dissatisfaction. I tell you, man, dere ain’t nuthin’ Ike eddication to mak’ de folks think dere ain’t nuthin’ on the face ob de yerth to live for.” * eK KOK Business enterprise took a new tack a short time ago, which reminds one of the good old days described by Dickens and his ilk when creditors masqueraded in all sorts of fancy costumes for the better trapping of their prey. This modern ia- stance occurred in this city, and though not largely commented upon by the parties interested, has caused some commotion in certain circles. It seems that a social plunger had con- tracted bills of various kinds, which, in spite of repeated duns, had remained un- paid. Finally one of the creditors issued a writ to be served upon the delinquent cus- tomer. Time and again the bearer of the summons called for the purpose of serving it, and just as often was the crafty one too busily engaged to be seen. Finally a ruse was adopted to carry out the game. Attiring himself in regulation calling re- galia, the arm of the law called on the re- ception day of his victim, and passing into the parlor with other guests, slipped the stmmons into the hand of his hostess in re- turn for a cordial handshake. The conse- quent indignation of my lady and the speedy exit of the unbidden guest lest he should be visited by the wrath of the head of the house are left to the imagination, but settlements of accounts were quickly made. — THE BROKER'S EX How He Made a Tidy Sum on a Mys- terious Trip “A man in my business,” said a New Yerk broker to a Star reporter, “has nu- merous opportunities to depart from the path of str rectitude, and I am pained to say that not all of us neglect to em- brace those opportunities. In fact, I have not always been neglectful, myself, in that regard; but only once,” he hastened to add, as he noted the look of shock and pain on the face of the honest reporter at this information, “and that time I think I | Was justified in acting as I did. I had be- come pretty well known in the street and on the stock exchange, when one day a woman came into my office heavily veiled. and walked out without saying a word, though I tried to discover what she looked like, or who she was. The letter, which was typewritten, bore no marks of identification, and stated | that the writer was a woman holding a po- sition where she could secure valuable i fermation in my line, and that if I would agree to give her one-tenth of my profits SRIMENT. e on any deai made at her suggestion, the tip would be forthcoming. “My reply was to be sent to ‘Ajax,’ at one of the big daily newspaper offic where hundreds of letters are sent every day B to adver ‘ments. “At firs it like wanting to take a club to this betrayer of her employe: con- fidence, and I rejected the proposition with scorn. Then I gave it a second thou; and felt less unkindly. eral more | thoughts followed, and at last I wrote an | acceptan: which I did not put my name | to. It didn’t make any di ence, you un- derstand, for the whole thing was ‘crook- ed,’ anyhow. I heard nothing from it for | ten day then I received a note telling me j to buy a certain stock, which hi | | hanging betwixt and between for months, with a tendency to go lower, though it was 1 dy pretty near the bottom. It was a very flimsy foundation to build much on, but I took a gambler’s risk and bough Not a great deal, but enough to show what kind of a tout I had watching over my in- terests, and, by jove, within a week I was ahead ten thousand dollars. felt ashamed of myself, and never told anyone how I had come by my informa- tion, and at the same time I resolved to shake my tout and have no more to do with her ‘crooked’ work, even though it was profitable to me. I also resolved to punish her duplicity by giving her no part of iaz ill-gotten gains, but to give her share to charity. As an immediate relief to my consefence I distributed the cha fund at once in hundred-dollar lots, and then smiled to think how my lady would teel when I had informed her of my ac- tion, “The test was made that evening at my apartments, when two ladies called and were showp into my reception room. I hadn‘t expected that kind of a call, and I was in the room before { knew what was up. But I made a bold bluff and refused to shew down. Then they began to coax me by telling me a few things I thought were secrets of my own bosom, and the up- shot of the interview was that I handed over the sum agreed upon. They were not blackmailers, they said, and only asked for what was theirs by right, and I.felt so mean over the entire transacton that I yielded. I never saw the face of either of them, and, of course, never knew who the party was who furnished the tins, but I do know that when another tip came I refus- ed to act on it, and lost a chance to have made a hundred thousand. But I didn’t regret it; one sin had paid me eight thous- and, charity one thousand and somebody else another thousani, and I was satistied to make the balance of my money honestly or not at all.’’ ——--— Those Dreadful Girls. From the Chicago Record. The poster girls have s And yellow cheeks With brownish ears and In re gannt and « waists and ghoulish’ feet— ghastly bands apd arms—ob, dear, maidens eat? ee As Haughty as Ever. A mar. who rode on the same train with the ex-Empress Eugenie on her way to isit_ to the Princess Bestrice at s that she shows no trace of but that the imperious will that brought on the Franco-Prussian war is Le- coming more and more clearly stamped on her face. Nevertheless, she was as _ner- vous as possible over the difficulty of step- ping from her comparz‘aent to the plat- form—a step that French cars make some- thing of a feat for any woman, and which Engenie’s rheumatism rend» alarming to her—to judge from the way she called on the Lord in true French fashion. She was walking, as usual, with a cane. The special tie between her and th> Princess Beatrice is that the English princess and the prince imperial were in love with each | other; and it was mainly to crush their In- ecnvenient young affections that the prince lowed to go to his tht Old Gent—“Ah! What fine little fellows! And what is your little brother's name?” Small Boy—“E's right name is William, but if yer call "im Bill e’ll-come to yer. —St. Paul’ TOL® BY A NEWSPAPER MAN Sitting in the press gallery of the House the other day, at a time when little of in- terest was taking place to need their at- tention, was a group of Washington news- Paper correspondents. They were swap- ping stories of their early days in news- paper work in various cities and towns of the country, and the most of them looked back to those days as the most pleasant and happy in their lives. The ambition of the majority of the group had led them to come to Washington as the correspondents of large papers, to mingle with statesmen and to handle news pertaining to the wide field of national affairs, but they looked back with satisfaction to the days when they had pushed the pencil on “local news,” and when the city editor had pushed his blue pencil all over what they had written. Each of them could recall with a degree of horror tne manipulations of the blue pencil on some favorite article, in which the writer had thrown his whole soul and mind and attention. Then they remem- bered that after several years of hard work the strokes of the blue pencil be- came fewer on the manuscript, and in “the course of time the ‘copy’? went into type as it was written. “T'll tell you, boys,” said one of them, “there’s nothing sweeter, if I may use the word, than being the local man on a daily paper in a city of from 12,000 to 18,000 peo- ple. Everybody knows you, and you know everybody, and you amount to something with the populace. The people tell you all the news and all their secrets, and you are the custodian of many important mat- ters. You amount to something. It’s not like in a big city on a big daily, where your identity is lost, and you are nothing more than one of the ordinary herd of human cattle. As local reporter on a small daily, everybcdy knows what you write, and they get accustomed to your style. “While this is pleasant at times, it occa- sionally results seriously. Of course, you have got to write up all the ‘scraps,’ as well as the social, financial, agricultural and other matters of the day. You must try to puff everybody, and never say any- thing mean of a person, unless it is the re- porter or editor of the rival paper. Well, as I was saying, it is this business of ‘scraps’ that once in a while gets you in trouble. Col. Sellers and Maj. Smith will meet on the street, have a few words and go to fighting or shooting, the latter more often the case in southern cities. It is in writing up these affairs that you must be very careful. “If Major Smith recovers from the ditt culty and doesn’t like the style in which you reported the affray he is aimost sure to try to get satisfaction out of you. Of course if you can’t satisfy the major by apology cr otherwise you will have to fight. If you are whipped you lose your grip on the re- spect and esteem of your consutuents, and might as well emigrate to another coun- On, don’t bother about all that. We know a good deal of that ourselves, if seme of us didn’t work in a small city. Tell us some of the incidents and fun of the work.” “Phere’s not much fun in some of it. Did any of you fellows ever attend a lynch- ing to write it up?” Most of them shook their heads. “Weil, I've seen a good many, but I'll tell you one where I had a close call myself. It was in a southern state. A white girl had been assaulted. Somebody must be lynched for it. Three or four days afterward a negro who had been in the neighborhood of the crime came straggling into the capital of the state, saying he wanted to surrender, as he understood he was being hunted. He declared that he was innocent. The governor of the state kept him in the penitentiary until the au- thorities of the county in which the crime occurred sent a regular warrant for him. The negro was to go back to the scene of his crime. ‘The three daily papers of the town knew that a lynching was almcst sure, and each t its best re proceedings. The the prisoner and offi the crime had been committed. long journey by train, and they intervi the poor fellow often, gave him tobacco and whatever he called for. On reach the town we found that a mock eourt had been organized to try the negro, whose m2 was Ike Peterson. The trial took There were some suspicious cir- mstances, and the crowd war ted to lynch Peterson at once. Cooler heads advised reporters accompanied that the poor devil be taken before the victim of the assault for identification. “This was done, the negro, newspaper men and the excited crowd walking and nz two miles to the Lome of the girl. She positively stated that tic negro was not the right man. Peterson was returned to the town and put in a leckup. A few hours later it was rumored that the girl had hanged her mind, and we knew it was all up with Peterson. Some of us didn’t like to see 2 man butchered in that way, and 1 said so to a small party of excited men. “They got mad at me, and one of them said, ‘We'll fix you first.’ They started to seize me. I became somewhat frighienea, but, before the matter had gone any fu ther, the Senator representing the county walked up and said, ‘That man’s ail righ don’t one of you touch him.’ After that I kept my mouth shut. Just at dusk the howling mob broke in the small lockup, seized the cowering prisoner and marched him down a railroad track to within a yards of where the crime was committe: “There was some delay about getting a sapling bent down and a rope adjusted. A passenger train was due along the road in a few minutes on its way to a city from which one of the reporters came. He want- ed to get to town to write a long report < the lynching instead of having to tele- graph it. He hurried the crowd up. Find- ing that they didn’t know how to fix a noose, and as time was being lost, he made the noose himself, adjusted it over Pete: son’s head and gave the order to let the sapling swing upward. “The order was obeyed, and the writhing body of the negro shot into space. It was a weird scene. A new qioon gave just enough light to see the body. Then there was a fusillade of pistol shots, the body was rid- dled with bullets. Before the man was dead the passenger train rolled in and was stop- ped by the crowd. The reporter got aboard, wrote a good story for his paper next morn- ing, but didn’t mention his own part in it. I was standing right under the sapling when it was loosened. When the firing be- gan I had to lie down to get out of the y of flying bullets.” ARTIFICIAL SUNSHi} A Man Who is Going Into Agriculture on New Lines. | A Star reporter the other day came acros a man who, if he is to be believed, and he ought to be, for he is worth a million ggid doesn’t have to lie, is working a revoiution in farming and fruit raising. He isn’t ready to spring his scheme yet, but he is ready to say a few things, and he said some of them to the reporter. “I have been,” he said, in response to an inquiry, “for many years interested in the problems of clectric! especially in its application as a light-producing element. Hewever, I did no experimenting until within a few years, the last three, to be accurate, and in that time I have devoted myself to the study of the eftect of electric light upon vegetation. On my farm, for I am _a farmer by nature, though I never made any of the money in that business, I have a fine cave, which has never been fully explored. One chamber in it is a great semi-circular place, covering at least five acres, and roofed in by a magnificent ceil ing as white as snow. The fioor of this chamber is quite level and even, and here I have conducted my experiments. The clay floor I have had covered to the depth of three feet with loam from the fields near the cave and I have it carefully irrigated from a spring at one side of the chamber Of course, I use the best of fertilizers. Now for the light. I began first with the ordinary are light, but results were not as satis- factory as I could wish. Tesla, however, was opening a way for me to better things, and later McFarlane Moore, with his phos- phorescent, etiieric light has about solved the problem. This light, you understand, is the result of the agitation of atmos- pheric molecules by electrostatic currents from thin metal plates and is practically sunshine made to order. “There are no heavy shadows, as with the ordinary electric light, the etheric light being even more diffusive and soft than sunshine. ‘The voltage required is much less also, and the hundred horse power en- gine which I have been using makes my cavern chamber as brilliant as any sun- kissed day you ever saw. Of the tempera- ture of my subterranean farm, I need scarcely speak. You know the tempera- ture of caves remains all the year at about 54 degrees, Fahrenheit, and as the water from the spring I irrigate from is of the degree of the ordinary “warm springs” of Virginia I have just what I want in light and heat. “In addition, I have unvarying tempera- ture for day and night, no winds, no in- sects of any Kind @nd no other of the in- numerable pest’ Which make the outdoor farmer's life a‘bg@tden and his farm food for the sheriff? 1% run my light about eighteen hours @ day, so as to force vegeta- tion somewhat,2but I give my plants time for sleep and Yest, and, my dear fellow, you should see thém grow I havo straw- berries and other small fruits, garden truck and flowers, that,would make a Califor- nian’s eyes bulge and drive a Florida farmer into the‘swamps. As yet it is all experimental, and‘‘I can't say that I raise enough on my five acres to pay all my expenses, but the ¢ime will come when tht caves of this country will be changed inti hot houses and eyery man who owns one will find it as valuable as a gold mine.” For an hour ddnger this fin de siecle farmer went on: telling of his scheme and of its future, but the reporter wisely thinks that he has told enough until later devel- opments, aU oe CLEAN TOWELS FOR CLERKS. A Large Number Needed in Each of the Departments. “I had the opportunity of seeing the de- partment wash lists recently,” observed an official of the treasury, “and was rather surprised at the enormous number of towels the government owns in Washing- ton. The Treasury Department owns over 7000 towels, and nearly 2,000 are used every day. The Interior Department proper has nearly 2,000 and uses 650 each day. The Pension office alone soils 450 towels each day. The Agricultural Department sends 110 towels to the laundry every day. The State Department has, of course, the small- est number of clerks, but uses more towels in proportion to the number of the clerks than any two of the other departments. The Navy Department and War Depart- ment need about the same number of clean towels each day. All the work is done by contract, aud at an average cost of 35 cents per hundred.” eS ee Virginin Reel on Wheels, The last new thing in the cycling world is the Virginia reel on wheels. At the Michaux Club, that very swell club for the very smart set, the bicycle dance was first introduced, and such pret- ty women as Mrs. Arthur Rotch, Mme. Bettinf and Miss Bessie Bradhurst have taken it up and made it quite the vogue. Every Tuesday and Friday evening the club meets to ride, and the Virginia reel on wheels follows the usual drill, in which one “follows the leader,” who gives the mem- bers a pretty lvely half hour in following bim through circles and semi-circles and various geometrical figures, with here a sharp detour and there another, and all done to lively music. After the drill the evening winds up with the Virginia reel, in which eight couples take part. Figures of a more intricate character are being arranged for the fancy dress ball which the Michaux Club intends giving before it breaks up for the season. ———__— Women and Insurance. At the annual meeting of the Rallway Passengers’ Assurance Company, the chairman referred to the fact that the in- dependent spirit shown by the modern wo- man in taking up athletic exercises and ex- pesing herself to risks of accidents kither- to only run by the opposite sex, is said to have accrved to the advantage of insur- ance companies. It is a sign of the times that women are at last turning their at- tention to insurance. ‘This shows not merely “independent spirit’ and “new wo- man iness,” but anereasing common sens: on the part of the sex. It has always sjruck me as odd that so few women with families do insure their lives. There is no reason whatever why a mother should not tous provide in case of her death for her daughters, as well as a father, or why a daughter should not insure herself, let us say, for a widowed mother. ‘To insure for a husband seems to place kim in a ridicu- Icus posit however, as it ls assumed a r te able to tend for himself jorn widower. — n, an ought even as a lone Boudvirs on Wheels, The woman who rushes from one func- tion to another, aimost turns her carriag: into a dressing poom, in cases of emerg- ency. Ladies’ caertages are provided with a falr-sized mirror, cunningly arranged pockets in which are hidden away the comb and brush, powder puff, several fresh handkerchiefs, and a bottle of per- fume, to mention no:hing cise. Fashion- able women can renew their complexions as they proceed on their way, and return from a round of visits looking as fresh and dainty as if they haa just stepped {rom the boudoir, —_~—-_—_ The Benefit of Many Creeds. From Life. “What enthusiastic converts they would have made!” On Thursday evening the friends of the Art Students’ League gathered at the league rooms, on 17th street, to view the exhibition of work done during the year by the pupils of the school, and on Friday and Saturday the exhibition was thrown open to the public. The work on the walls is an extremely creditable showing for the years, and indicates a very earnest purpose on the part of the students. This is seen toa marked degree in the exhibit of the antique classes, where the large number of draw- ings of anatomical figures shows that the pupils are endeavoring to get a thorough grounding in the most essential things. In the advanced antique quite a number of excellent drawings by Mrs. Muller are ex- hibited, and among others who have done good work are Misses Latimer, Wainwright and Gloetzner. In the life classes, of course, the drawings upon which John C. Clay was awarded the scholarship in the New York League attracted the most at- tention. In addition to these strong draw- irgs there is admirable work by W. B. Chilton, Harry Bradford, and many oth- ers. In the women's life class the accurate drawings by Miss Beulah Reeves, who re- ceived the honorabl2 mention from New York, were much noticed. Miss Jackson is represented by a large number of fine drawings, and, among others, Miss Y. De Mier shows good examples. The work in oil in the portrait class is best represented by Miss Anna Lee, who has quite a large number of good canvases hung. Miss Edwards shows an equally large number of good portraits in charcoal,which indicate serious study. Miss Aline Solo- mons has one portrait in which her fond- ness for color is illustrated, and Mrs. Mar- ble is also well represented. The general work in color makes an attractive display, and Miss Perrie, the instructor of the wa- ter color class, has enhanced it greatly by several specimens from her brush. The landscapes and the marine which she ex- hibits show both a thorough technical krowledge and a delightful feeling of color and atmosphcre. In her “Gladiolus” and other flower subjects Miss M. K. Porter has clearly found her forte, while Miss Ma- son does her best work on still life sub- jects. Miss Annie W. Ingle has several gcod things hung, the best of which is a little marine. Mrs. E. J. Smith and Misses Sampson, Godding and Thompson have also good work in water color. Mrs. Whitney’s jJandscapes are not altogether confined ‘to water color, and some ot her oil subjects are full of atmosphere. Miss Doolittle also shows several interesting landscapes in oil. The exhibition of sketches is the larg- est and by far the best yet shown, and one finds in it evidence of a great deal of serious study. Some of the best sketches are by J. C. Clay, who combines in his pen and ink work a good technique with a very firm drawing. All of his sketches are quite large, and there is excellent treat- nent of the faces in most. A large propor- tion of sketches shown are in pen and ink, all of those by Mr. Carter being in that medium, a3 are also some very fine compo- sitions by him. Jerome Uhl, jr., and Mills Tho:npson both have a share in the pen work exhibited, and Miss Aima De Mier and Col. Alcen are rep- resented by sketches in wash. A. G. Randall has a large number o7 sketches in pencil and wash, which are for the most part la! scapes and scenes about the city. Miss Clara Hill has several things done in a style peculiarly her own; Miss Coleman, Miss Meetze and Messrs. Hills and Luckey have wood work. The compositions being some- what scattered aj ut the rooms, the merit of this departme: is perhaps not fully ap- preciated. Probably the best composition exhibited is George Parson’s black and white oil of the subject, “Dancing Before Herod.” His strony point is light and shade, and the arrangement of the masses in thi: study 1s admirable. In Miss Solomons’ daintily colored compositi pring” the figures are excellently , and her other composition in. p: is also good. George F. Gibbs exhibits two illustrations in black and ite, one of a banquet scene, and the other showing a sailor heaving the ad on a man-of-war. He shows in cOlor a a ttle, which is full of spirit and chols contributes an illus- tration in gouache, from the series he is making for Poe's “Raven,” and also several other interesting sketches. ‘2 e x * The most recent addition to the Corcoran Gallery of Art is the picture called “The Nail Makers,” by Oscar Bjorck, a Swedish artist. It shows the workers stripped to the waist, on account of the heat from the forge, around which they are standing, shap- ing the narrow strips of metal into iron spikes. The ruddy light which the fire casts on the men’s faces and on their brown arms. is rendered with great skill, and the cela- tion of values between the firelight and the patches of sunlight on the walls is carefully studied. It is quite a large picture, and is on this account most suitable for exhibition ina gallery. The painting was presented to the gallery by a few of its friends, who ap- preciated the strong quality of the work and recognized its peculiar fitness for a public gallery. * * * The exhibition of the Corcoran School, which will be held on the 28th, 29th and 30th of this month, will be somewhat small- er this year than formerly, by reason of the higher standard of merit which the judges will require, It has been thought advisable to limit the size of the exhibition in this way, and to make up in quality what is lost in quantity. The gold medal which is awarded yearly to the student whose three life and three antique draw- ings are adjudged the best, will be given upon the day previous to the opening of the exhibition. The usage of the gallery in having the committee of award made up of artists of distinction outside of Wash- ington will be adhered to this year, and it is understood that the gentlemen selected for the delicate duty on this ocasion are Messrs. Henry Mosler and William Sar- tain of New York, and Henry Thouron of Philadelphia. The night classes of the art school have been discontinued for the re- mainder of this season. * * * Quite an attractive collection of oil paint- ings and water colors of the modern Dutch school have been shown at Fischer's gal- lery for the past ten days. Of the different artists Josef Israels, perhaps the greatest of them all, is best represented, a round dozen of nis pictures being exhibited. The most striking example is a large oil, en- titled “The Workman of the Sea,” contain- ing only one figure, that of a sturdy fish- erman, bearing a heavy basket upon his shoulder, plodding along the seashore. In the sense of weight in the burden and the sturdy, patient aspect of the man, is shown the same sympathetic understanding of the laboring man which Miljet possessed. The composition has a simple grandeur about it, the figure standing out darkly against the sea and sky, in which there is a won- derful effect uf atmosphere. The other pic- tures by Israels are mostly Dutch interiors, showing the inmates at their daily tasks, or some one of the old folks who has passed his usefulness. sitting idly by the fire, as in the painting called “His Greatest Pleas- ure,” in which an old man is lighting his pipe with a coal from the embers in the fireplace. Several fine examples by Anton Mauve are shown, and in them all the ef- fect is gained in the simplest manner and with the fewest colors. This is especially marked in the water color of a shepherd driving his flock before him, entitled “On the Heath.” It is sketched in boldly in sepia, with only a few touches of color here and there, but the effect is admirable. “The Woodcutter” and the “Road Near Brus- sels” are the best outdoor scenes in oil, and “Wash Day,” a view of a homely Dutch intertor, is also extremely good. Very different from Mauve’s coloring is that of Albert Neuhuys, in his picture, “The. Little Culprit,” in which one finds great warmth and richness of color. A number of water colors, by the Mesdag brothers, are included in the collection, those by T. Mesdag being landscapes, and those by H. W. Mesdag marines. There is also a very large oil by the latter, called “A Bright Night,” in which the way the moonlight is caught up by the clouds and the waves is well rendered. “Under the Willows,” by A. M. Gorter, is one of those cool, damp spots where ‘the sun rarely peretrates, and the dark tones of the foli- age and the brown tree trunks are con- trasted sharply with the small spots of brightness in the center of the picture, where the sunlight has struggled through the leaves. Two excellent wood interiors, in water color, are by M. Bilders-Van Bosse, and possesses that peculiarity of treatment found fn all the work from her brush. Among the pictures exhibited are also specimens by Jacob Maris, P. J. C. Gabriel, B. J. Blommers and a number of other Dutch artists less widely known. * * * Quite a number of the local artists will ART AND ARTISTS| ena pictures to tne Ioan hibition and sale. which will be held in New York dur- ing the last week in May for the benefit of the Cuban cause. It is understood that William Ordway Partridge, the sculptor, is active in promoting the affair, and paint- ings have been solicited from all quarters. The artists have been asked to loan pic- tures, and if so inclined, to donate them, and so great is the sympathy which the Cuban insurgents have excited everywhere that a large number of paintings will prob- ably be given outright. x * Miss Juliet Thompson has received from the Atlante exposition a certificate of hon- orable mention and the bronze medal which accompanies it. The medal was awarded to her on the pastel called “1774,” of a handsome young lady dressed in what was the height of fashion of that time. Its beauty of color attracted considerable at- tention, and the picture was sold at the cicse of the exposition. Through some sin- gular mismanagement, which should re- ceive investigation, the money for it has never been sent to the artist, and those in charge seem to be deaf to all inquiries. Miss Thompson is now busy with quite a wPumber of portraits in pastel. In the like- ness of the little son of Mr. Blair Lee an the portrait of Mrs. Mackay-Smith’s little girl she shows her aptitude in drawing children’s faces. She has commenced a por- trait of Mrs. Mackay-Smith, and also oné of Miss Glover. * Miss Jane Bridgham’ Curtis has also re- ceived a bronze medal from Atlanta for her work in pastel. The pictures which she sent were an exceedingly clever study of light called “Diablerie,” and “A Study of a Spaniard.” The latter was exhibited at the ‘Cosmos two years ago, and the easy pose of the figure and the charm of color in the man’s dress won much praise. * x * The collection of water colors that has been on the walls of Veerhoff’s gallery dur- ing the week includes seme very widely ciffering themes and methods of treatment. ‘Thus, side by side with those typical quiet colored English landscapes of Albert Bow- ers and Thos. Pyne, one sees such pictures as the Italian pastoral scene by Gabani, end the southern scenes with more vivid colering by De Franceschi One 0° the most notable of these brilliantly colored pictures is a Spanish scene by Jimoni, showing a group of villagers standing in one of those rough stone stairways which do duty a3 streets in some of the hilly vil- lages. The white houses with the purple shadows and the glossy green of the cac- tus which has caught root in the crannics of the stone walls form a striking color scheme. This exhibition will probably re- main for some time longer, as there is nothing else in view at present. * * x Those who visited the Art Loan exhibit at the Wimodaughsis this week were amply repaid by the interesting display both of pictures and art curios. The picture hold- ing the place of honor was the large paint- ing loaned by Mrs. Hearst—Isabey’s “Ja Peghe Royale.” The rich garments of the courtiers and of the fair ladies on the royal barge give a splendid opportunity for the exercise of the artist's incomparable skill in coloring, and the same warm color is carried out through the rest of the picture. The action of the fishermen Jaboring with the net they have just drawn ashore is good, and the excellent grouping of such a large number of figures shows the master hand. Mrs. Hearst. has loaned two other pictures from her fine collection —“Le Che- min de I'Ecole,” by Harpigny, and a paint- ing on a mahogany panel by Franz Gras- sel, in which he has drawn and colored with great delicacy several ducks s rounded by a flock of fluffy little duckling Among the pictures loaned by the artists themselves the signatures of many of the best-known men in the city were to be found. Of the paintings by Parker Mann his “Rynsburg, Holland,” received the most attention, and another scene from the Netherlands was an excellent murine by Mr. R. N. Brooke, who showed also ap tel. Several good specimens of Max Weyl's work in landscape were shown, and Mr. E. cM r’s widely different style was ex- emplified in a small, quiet lafidscape called “September.” Mr. Robert Hinckley’s work in portraiture found favor with all, and Mr. L. S. Brumidi’s two portraits were also well spoken of. In addition to these, Mr. Brumidi exhibited a number of sketches, in which one finds a refreshing outdoor feeling. Mr. S. Jerome Uhl's “Watermelon Thief” is the sort of picture that touches the popular fancy, and together with his other work in landscape and figure paint- ing came in for its due share of praise. Both Hobart Nichols and Spencer Nichols showed some of the delightful landscapes for which they are well known. A sketch in gouache by Spencer Nichols of the old canal in Georgetown is such an exquisite bit of color that though one feels ‘hat he has idealized the spot considerably, one cannot help wishing that the place really was as charming. R. Le Grand Johnston shows his gift for animal painting in his ‘Sheep Pasture” and “The fwins.” The two specimens of sculpture exhibited, a bust of Justice Strong and the head of an old book peddler, were the work of the tal- ented young artist. Rudolph Evans. Mrs. F. G. Doubleday exhibited several flUwer and still-life pieces; Lucien Powell a num- ber of his strongly handled landscapes; Miss Juliet Thompson a portrait; and Alice Archer Sewall, William H. Collin, Carl Rakeman, Hattie E.Burdette, Paul Gruppe, Wilhelmina Nichols and many others were also well represented. A number of artists showed miniatures, and in cli Miss Sue Buckingham and Mr. A. L. Jor- dan exhibited some very good examples of their work. Indian curios, tapestries and old laces were also ‘n evidence, and the rare Italian cabinet and the Copenhagen jar placed upon it, both loaned by Mrs. Hearst, attracted considerable attention. Mrs. Sherman, Mrs. A. H. Thompson and Mrs. Harvey Kohr also loaned articles of interest, which contributed to ihe success of the affair. — Feminine Sprinter: From the New York Journal. The rather novel pastime of sprinting has a few feminine devotees and once a week, if you happen to stroll in the right direction and at the rignt time—te., from 59th street up the western side of Central Park and about high noon--you may sce eight or a dozen pretty girls flying along as though pursued »y a whi have been exercising in a West nasium, and finish up with taking a sp of about two miles. “A lot of lunatics turned loose,” an on- looker declares; but the sirls are not dis- mayed by this—far from it--for they are taking the exercise for the benefit of thelr lungs, which they consider more important than public opinion. re Ee Marking the Seasons, From the Chicago Record. “Do you notice how time flies, Tommy?” “Yes'm.” “In what way?” “W'y, seems to me 't ain't been a week since I wuz licked for skatin’ on thin ice, ’n las’ night I got it agin for goin’ in swim- min’!""" —— +00. The Arrest.—The Sketch. THE PATIENT FATHER TALKS POLITICS. From Truth. “Father,” said the youthful Interroga-~ tion Point, as he neatly carved his initials on the leg of the office table—“father, what is a politician?” ‘A politician, my boy,” the Patient Father weplied, thoughtfully, “is a man who works sixty seconds a minute, sixty minutes an hour, twenty-four hours a day and three hundred and sixty-five days each calendar year, to save his country.” “What is he a politictan for?” “For his health solely,” the Patient Father replied, studiomsly avoiding the eyes of George Washington, whose portrait was hanging on the wall near by. ‘Does the politician ever save the coun- my son, every time his party What is a gerrymander?” A gerrymander, my gon, is what one party calls another party’s reapportion- ment.” ‘And a favorite son, father?” ‘A favorite son is a statesman with a@ presidential boom well-backed by a corpu- lent barrel,” the Patient Father answered, mechanically raising his eyes to a litho- graph of a man named Morton. “What is reform?” continued the youth- ful Interrogation Point. “A gold brick, as a usual thing,” sighed the Patient Father. “You turn the rascals out, turn a lot of fools in, have your taxes raised and find your Sunday growler rel- gated to innocuous desuetude. Hayseeds, my boy, are not the only people who get buncoed,"” the father continued, his sym- pathetic eyes resting for a moment upon a map of New York “And party pledges, they?” “Party pledges are things that engage in the ice business to a very limited extent after election.” “What do they mean by saying that a man has his lightning rod up?” “They mean that he is hoping the presi- dential lightning will come his way. This sort of lightning differs from the regulation lightning, because of the fact that it some- times strikes twice in the same place. It has never struck three times yet, but some people are afraid it may “Can a foreigner vote as soon as he gets over?” “Yes, as soon as he gets over being sea- sick. “When a man wants to run for Presi- dent, why do they call it a presidential boom?" “Because there's usually port that Barkis is willin’ “What is a boss, father “A boss,” the Patient Father replied, glancing cautiously around and locking the safe as he spoke, “a boss, my boy, is @ necessary evil. He presses the button for his party, and also gets around to the primaries in time to do the rest.” ——_—_~ee MIRRORS TO PLAY WITH. They Transmit as Well as Reflect the Rays of Light. The transparent mirror which has recent- ly been invented by a German chemist will doubtless find many patrons among father, what are @ very loud re- women. There are those who go so far as to say that no woman can pass a mirror of any kind without a glance at her re- flection. The big plate glass windows of the shops furnish plenty of examples to prove this assertion. Indee these very windows illustate the principle of the transparent mirror. Every one has no- ticed how, in passing one of these on a bright day, if the interior is dark or dingy, one gets a very good view of on flected zrom the plate glass. 1 “Mections seen in a car window at night are examples ef the same thing. On the same principle, when the and the observer are on the retlecting of a transparent iirror, one sees reflection. But if the light is posite one sees the objects b the glass jus dow. Th ght ie own op- yond through as through an ordinary win- the se mirrors are made by coating glass with a chen preparation of silver ni- trate and other materials mi up ina manner that has been patented by the in- ventor. That part of it isn’t interesting. What does appeal to the feminine fancy and to that of the magician is the number to which it can be put. new mirrors are now being made a large firm in France in various sizes nd shapes—big mirrors in frames to set on the floor, panel-shaped glasses for doors to dark closets, and tiny hand-glasses for the dresser, besides these of intricate and complicated design. One of these “magic mirr the panel of the door opening ly lighted reception room would furnish end- less amusement to a hostess who in- clined to be curious about the imp) on her home makes upon her visitors. s” placed in to a bright- is To quietly observe the actions of a de- voted admirer, as he imp ly awaits the approach of his sweetheart, pacing about the room and perhaps consulting the very mirror behind which the object of his affections is concealed, as he arranges his necktie for the seventh time, would be fun for the sweetheart anyway If the mirrors grow common, as they sre I'kely to do, they will furnish parlor ente tainment of many descriptions. For instance, suppose a cabinet to be fitted up with what appears to be an or- dinary looking glass in its door. Conceal somebody within the cabinet and ask a tady to look at herself in the mirror, a re- quest which, being a woman, she cannot re- fuse; then have the person within sud- denly strike a match, or turn on an ¢ tric light that has been previously arrange and watch the effect upon your victim. Such a mirror would be a great addition to a halloween party, to be used when the anxious maiden, wishing to know her fate, gazes into the glass to see who looks her shoulder, and beholds her sweetheart smiling upon her from behind the glass. sionals ASTRONOMICAL PROBLEM. Evolution as Applied to the Stars and the Universes. From the Chicago Tribune. Prof. T. J. J. See of the astronomical de- partment of the University of Chicago ts reported to be at work on the problem of evolution, not simply that of the earth, but that of stars and unive His leading line of thought on the subject is directed to the effects of tidal action in a gradual al- teration of the orbits of bodies, this being consequent to the investigatio: in the distance of the moon fror due to tidal action at the surface of on both. Darwin (a son of the author of Origin of Species”) has led in this invest or tion, the results of which are stated in popular form by Sir Robert Ball in his ory of the Heaven It is shown that the formation of tides on the earth causes the effective center: attraction to be some distance away fror the center of the undisturbed spheroid, for which reason the line joining the effective centers of gravity in the two bodies forms a small angle with the line that otherwise would be the one along which he two bodies would tend to fall toward each other, ard the movement is correspondingly dif. ferent from what it would be in the undis. turbed orbit. This tidal movement ae: punts for the widening out of the 4 tance between the earth and moon and the lengthening of the lunar month from a few hours to about four w to see that the ended. Prof. See is applying ing to some of the do eks, and it is easy process is far from being this line of reason- ble ad pro- poses to extend it to all of them if results seem to justify it. He has computed from observed perturbations the probable exis- tence of a yet unseen star conne a “binary” in the constella Or but the fact hardly justifies the that he has “discove it. Perhaps the Stranger may be seen through new Yerkes telescope when that instrument is put into actice service, and, if so, the work of the computer will deserve to rank seo- ond only to that by which the ex ce of the planet Neptune was made known about fifty years ago. ——_+e-__ atixfactory Reply. From the Detroit Free Press. “They say,” remarked Miss Keedick, “that the most worn spot on the carpet in a girl's room is that directly in front of hey mirror.” “It can't be the case in your room,” re- plied Mr. Huggins. “Why? Do you think I have nothing to look in the mirror for?” “Your little feet would never wear the cerpet.”