Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-07-06
WARRINGTON CITY.
Some Of its Characters Done in Ink.
Correspondence of the New York Citizen,

Some oi its Characters Done in Ink.
Correspondence Of the New York Citizen,I
WASHINGTON, June 81, 1866
The morality Of the capital is better than it
used to be; the social character of the town,
while not 20 violent in ITS contrasts as formerly,
IS hardly up TO the venerable level Of the ancient
regime. The harpies are more numerous; the
''shyster' lawyers and claim agents are in ex-
cess; there is not enough pride among Washing
tons regular inhabitants 10 get up a tolerable
tea party. Strangers come TO il and feel ss they
contemplate the superb dome of the Capitol,
that the nation Is greater than they believed /;
bat nobody settles here TO become attached 10
the city.
Here is Cox C'.Sunset. y ofold. an adroit
and ambitious democratic leader. He keeps a
shop for the shaving Of notes. the buying Of
mutilated postage stamps, the sueing out Of mus
ty claims; and, with his springy little figure in
the dingy, miserable quarters he has taken, he
looks Ike Ariel playing the part Of ShylOck.
People Of leisure, who want some light amJse-
ment at little expense, send a cabman fer Beau
Hickman, who resides in the negro quarter Of
the city. lie is the most venerable BEAT" in
Am erica. There were years when be wore the
tmos. ponderous seals, and brCsdcloth at which
hePrestdent looked OBVIOUSLY He played all parts
in Washingt gton,-lobbying, running faro bank,
acting as scout, guide, and worse, to all manner
Of rich importauons; but when the South hoist
ed its fag, he ran out his rags, and is now mere
ly an impudent pensioner upon the good nature
Of those visitors unlucky enough to discover him.
| had BIN before me a week ago, gray old fel-
low, i'm perfectly dyed, around whose eyes the
crows Of fifty years had set their feet, and re-
serving as Il seemed the bite Of their invisible
beaks only for little season.
"C0me gentlemen he said, ''you must
pay your way. ola Beau never ltts the boys
Up. must have fifty cents all round. gentle
men. Viii drink. Yes | don't mind
champagne cocktail. Come now gentlemen,
I'm one Of the institutions Of the couutry.-
When Mr. John J. CritteuIen retired be gave
me a twenty dollar gold piece. lie said that in
me present and past history was linked together.
Washington be said, gentlemen, is no Wash
ingtou to me without old Beau :" Come up
No shanannygan Pay your f1y cents
ahead"
This ex'orticn is compulsory one. He will
follow anybody who solicits an introduction to
him for hours, saying, with all the persistence
Of legalizel dun - "Giye your footin' to
the oll man Ola Bean never lets mp You've
teen introduced o..
Passing Beau Hickman, come TO Mrs. Cobb,
the Pardon Broker. She Is a woman OF good
guise. about five feet four inches high, and be-
tween the years Of twenty-eight and thirty-two.
She is slender and delicate looking, though there
are fine curves in her body; she has a wistful .
dark blue eye, Roman nose, 4 pretty mouth,
generally well compressed but when dsparted
you can see that the teeth are ike pearls. Her .
skin IS clear as a peach rind; she has brown hair.
and weighs about l45 pounds Her dress is
commonly tafteful and meant to show to adyan-
tage the shapeiness Of her figure, thus, in warm
weather, she wears a tight linen wrapper very
white, and tidy, and plump
An attempt has been made by the Presidents
enemies 10 make Of this Mrs. Cobb the Mrs.
Eaton OF the present administration. No man
Of candid character, with the usual faiths
Of decent people, would entertain this
miserable libel The woman in question
is pleasant to the eye, and f ks who
never look on woman to good uses, coin their
base appetitos into accusations. Mrs. Cobb
fcrmerly kept a cigar store on the avenue, mar
ried Treasury Clerk, left him, Travelled, re-
turned, and lives by her cheek at present She .
was successful for while, her half pathetic
face moving to mercy; when it was found that
she WaE professional broker the White House
doors were closed to her.
As you get up the Avenue as far as Thir-
teenth street, you note 10 your right hand
little triangular plot Of green grass and green
willows, surrounded with iron palngs Behind
this plot, on a street running obliquely of be-
hind you, IS a little drinking house, with a sign
On the door " Rooms to Let" 1t is a practical
sort Of place. very sunny and bare and baked;
but in its largest second story room the " An
cient Order Of Micawbers' hold their sessions
The active head Centre is Mr.. William Ran
ken, now Of New York, formerly Of Philadel-
phIa, where he figured at one time as
the founder Of the Keystone Club, a
guard Of Mr. Buchanan. Rsnken ia a Ean of
infinite elasticity and docility-s merry fellow
for a uight-snd he is waiting for all sorts of
things TO transpire, each Of which has money
in it. Some time ago he took it into his head TO
visit Mr.. Lincoln. He found that eccentric
gentleman in the Executive chamber. surround
ed by borers of all orders and without intro
ducing himself sat down upon chair, whence
he watched diligently, with the intent to expand
lis mind and increase his knowledge. In this
posture he fell into a train Of thought, from
which lie was aroused to find all the callers gone
and the President himself staring down at his
last visitor.
"Well - said Mr.. Lincoln, in a high, shrill
voice, - and what do you want 2''
" Nothing, your excellency. | had nothing
to do to-day-wsting for something to turn up
so merely called 10 look at you -
"Thank God - said old Abe. dow,
just take good Loo T.
Sc he caught h.s coat skirts in his thumbs,
pulled them wide apart, turned himself twice
solemnly and grinly around. and strobe away
before Ranken could either smile or retreat.