Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-03-22
A Strange Character.

THE Washington correspondent Of the
Cincinnati Commercial furnishes the fol
lowing.
| remember one old woman, she must
be dead now, who used to sit near the re-
porters' gallery, in a corner, all day long,
with her knitting. She must have been
nearly seventy years old, for she was gray
and wrinkled, and bent with age, and her
voice was shrill and piping Her dress
was always the samoa dress of dark
wooden stuff, and bonnet of black silk,
something between hood and sun-bon-
net. For many years that old lady occu-
pied that seat. She was never seen in an
other. She came long before the House
assembled, and remained until it anjourn-
ed Nothing was known of her. She
| paid no attention to anything but her
knitting and the proceedings of the House.
She was the great mystery; nobody knew
her; nobody could tell where she came
| from, what her name was, nor where she
went to. 1t was only known that she was
never absent from that seat during ses-
sion of the House. Every day found her
in the same place.
It made no difference whether the mud
Of fall and spring were knee deep; it
mattered not if the wind blew the snow
of winter in biting eddies about the ears
of outdoor folk; it availed not il the ses-
sion was delayed long in the tropical
summer, when the galleries were like im-
mense bake-ovens, sparkling and snap
ping with heat--nothing kept her away.
She came as regularly as the hour of
twelve on the big clock in front of the
Speaker, and she always had, at least she
appeared elways to have, the same knit
ting work. This was counted q little
strange, for she toiled most industriously
stopping, it is true, now and then for a
second, to bend over the railing when any
exciting occurrence was taking place.
What was most peculiar in this strange
woman, she seemed to take the deepest
interest in the proceedings, and she
watched them with the intelligence which
denoted her thorough understanding and
appreciation of what was occurring. She
would frequently break out with such ex.
carnations as Good for you" "That's
right" "That's lie." ooh, you are
very sharp" 81 hope he'll carry it," etc.
The stranger sitting near would turn and
look the old woman in the face in wonder
for moment, but she was unmoved pay
ing no ottoHeior, but oontin uiHs her Knit
ting. She did not seem to have de
ranged mind, but single circumstance
led many to believe that her mind was
somewhat unsteady. Whenever vote II
the House was taken cicd r0ce, she would
cry out as loud as any of them, aye,
and when the Speaker called for the neg
ative vote she would answer in the same
manner mo" She voted on both side:
of every question and never lodged, be
ing somewhat in advance of good many
of the members in this respect. This
strange woman disappeared from her ac-
customed place in the gallery about two
years ago. She departed as quietly and
mysteriously as she came; nobody knows
from whence she came or whittier she
has gone. She is probably among the
dead, for nothing short of that would
have taken her from her perch of obser
vation, near the reporters gallery, and
from her chronic knitting-work.