Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-15
Society.

all we hear that fashionables are returning to
the old fashioned open fire place with a blazing
tire and - brass fender. The rage for the
LATTER particularly If it Is old Fashioned has be-
come so great that second hand stores and
places where rubbish does most abound are fire.
quently patronIzed. lady of this city in
recent visit to New York saw and fell in love
with the brass fender aud went wild over it.
There is one dealer in New York who has lived
there long enough to understand the vagaries
purchase that which has become obsolete. His
well known establishment ia the favorite resort
OF antiquarans in search Of what no one else
has thought OF preserving. Our lady hastily
went TO him and saw a brass fender at the door.
She was in extacies until told that not only that
but three Others had been sold that week. De-
termined not to be batfied she tried in another
large city and left an order to purchase for her
even should it cost hundred dollars, indeed SO
determined was she to have one that could IL be
procured there was to be no limit to the price she
was willing to pay. While suffering under
the mental depression of disappointment she
went into her cooks room to give order.
her speech, and that che was dancing frant-
cally over some object near the fire place. The
cook feared 1t was cerebro spinal meningitis OF
some other new tangled disorder, and ran to her
from her and exctedly asked, "Where did that
fender come fr0m?' "Lor miss, it haint been
to your mother, now dead and gone" or
course the fender was blackened from neglect
and verdgris, but the lady had it brought to
the parlor, and assembled the entire household
to rejoice with her over the found treasure. The
next question was where to find workman CON-
petent to clean and put it in order. The carriage
was Immediately ordered, and the lady few to
an establishment that was recommended and
asked for the head. She was so impatient that
she would have carried the workman home In
the carriage with her IL he had not promised to
be there as soon as she returned. The man
thought she was harmless lunatic and hu-
mored her within. When he saw the fender he
was disguised. Said he: at will cost all the
fender Is worth to clean 1t. 1t wi require hand
work and take week to give it the necessary
polish. 1t will cost as much a new one.h
But don't want new one" the lady an
swered, 'and don't care what you say you take
that fender to your shop, polish it up, and send
the bill, no matter what it is | will paw it,"
Nothing will convince that man that the lady j.
OF sound judgment, but she carried her point
and now one of her really beautiful parlors has
in her estimation received its browning glory in
the elittering brass fender, for the cleaning OF
which she paid twenty dollars.
Hon. Roscoe Conkling has taken Mrs. Lind
sey's fine residence corner of 18th and street,.
Mrs. Conkling will not come to Washington
until after the holidays. Mrs. Noble and fam
lily, from Plattsburg. New York, have taken
Gen Scbenck's house, Massachusetts avenue
and will pass the winter in this city.
The Secretary Of War and his bride were
handsomely entertained in Harrodsburgh, where
they were married, before their departure. At
forwards they went to Cincinnati, where Hon.
George II. PendletOn and his wife showed the IA
much attention. They are expected at the Ar
hngton on Wednesday. and will probably oc-
cupy their house in Babrock row about the 2O.n
1T is now said in circles'which pretend to be
well posted that President Grant has refused to
accept the resignation of Minister Sickles.
The APPRoPRIATIoNs.-Th House Com
mittee on Appropriations to-day allotted the
work as follows; Messrs. Loughridge, Parker.
and Hancock with the preparation of the Indian
appropriation bill; O'Neil, with the pension
bill; Swami, consular and diplomatic bill;
Star kweather, Notifications; Marshall. military
academy. Tyner, postal servicei White, the
army and Hale the navy appropriations re-
spectiyely. The deficiency. suDdry civil. ami
the legislative, executive and judicial bill was
not assigned, but the chair man Gen GarHeldj
viii have charge of the latter and IN linly pre-
pare it.
A COMMISSION ON rHz LIQUeR TRAFFIC.
Mr.. Frye, of Maine, introduced in the House of
Representatives TODAY a bill providing for ap
pointment by the President from civil life O
hve commissioners to investigate the alcoholic
liquor traffic in it, economic, criminal, moral
and scientific aspects in connection with pau
perism, crime, social vice, the public health
ard gener al welfare Of the people, and who
sha also inquire and take testimony as to the
practical pIohibitOry legislation for the pre-
vention OF intemperpance in the several states
OF the union. The commissioners are to serve
without pay. but are allowed a secretary and
the result of their investigation to the Presd emit
Referred to the Judiciary Committee.
FAvoRIYG INCREASING TAxATIoN.-At the
meeting of the Committee on Ways aud Means
held this morning the letter from the Secretary
OF the Treasury to MIR. Dawes, recon- ending
increased taxation an abstract OF which was
published in Saturdays starr was read, and
after an extended discussion the following reso.
luton vas introduced by Judge Kelly, OF Penn
sylyania, announced his intention to present it
a hts aff
Resoired, That 1t is the sense of this House
That the taxes which now burden the people
should not be increased, bnt that the extraordi-
nary means required for the support of the gov
eminent during the temporary par alysis of the
industries of the country now prevailing should
be obtained by temporary loan or loans, bear
ing low rate OF interest in currency and re-
deemable in United States notes.
A resolution was adopted calling IN the
heacs OF the various executive departments to
cut down their estimates with view OF practis-
ing rigid economy TO obviate the necessity of
additional taxation.
THE LIBRARY OF CoNGRHss-The annual
report of Mr.. A. Il. Spofford, librarian of Con
gress, states that IL, 407 volumes have been
added to the collection during the year, which
ended the list inst; The aggregate number OF
sides about 80, 900 pamphlets. In the copyright
department there have been Is. 1872 entries made
during the year, and the librarian has paid into
the Treasury the sum of Sl3, f0i-30 as the re-
ceipts from copyright fees. This exceeds the
entries of the year preceding by about ten per
cent. The librarian reports the accessions to
the library as unusually valuable, including an
almost complete set of the County Histories OF
England, purchased in London, and very i'm
portant as throwing light upon tue history and
genealOgy of thousands of American families
The rapid growth of the library and of the copy-
right business of the country render the neces-
sity for a new building to accom- modate its over
flowing stores an imperative necessity. While
retaining in the Capitol a sufficiently large IL
brarv for legislative and judicial use, Congress
has already authorized the preparation OF plans
for a separate building, and the commissioner
appointed to select a plan will shortly make the
award Of premiums. The location OF the build
ing, however, is not yet settled.
The NKw FRENCH MINIsrER.--Jean Fran
co.'s Charles Bsrtholdy, recently appointed
Minister to this Capital by President Mac ahon
in place OF Marquis de Noailles, lie a native OF
Hageman, in Alsace, and Is about 45. In his
fifteenth year he went to Paris, where he was 4
pupil at the st. BARRIE College, and afterward
studied law ct the University Of France. He
was about to be graduated - Bachelor of Laws
when the revolution Of 184S broke out, and he
ardently supported tho republican cause. He
was vice president OF the Anne Marie Club a
socialist orr anizati0n, andduring tho June riots
In 1913 fought desperately on the barbados.
Being taken prisoner, he escaped summary
execution only BY ruse, saying that MonseiG-
neur d'Anee, the Archbishop Of Paris. had
sent him to nurse the wounded. Nevertheless
be was indicted for high treason, and. In Gomez