The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-02-15

HAhhAS " AAH UNIV Alu HlH
authority by sort Of staccato iusilade
with the wrong end Of the gavel. Indeed
he seems to have pendant for getting
things wrong end foremost Orchard
Grant White would call It heterophomy)
Tor In a speech the other day,
instead Of "interest Of State atb'
heart" he said interest Of heart ut State
In speech he labors under the Tuckahoe
inability to articulate the letter "Rn--a
fashion much affected in the South and
not unfamiliar here "beio the wah." He
descends from the chair semi. occasionally
and moves around the House, sometimes
talking with member, again with his
chin buried in his shirt bosom In an atti.
tude OF meditation, with an amused
smile, US though lie knew something too
good TO tell. The smile | interpret as
selt'congratulatory. He is probably com.
plimenting Mr.. Speaker on his immense
success in clearing the gallery" As II
to show that the duties Of presiding Off.
Ger do not exhaust his talents, lie takes
an active part In debates, and evidently
likes the sound Of his own voice. These
exercises he sometimes varies by sitting
around the hall with cigar between his
lips. He ia said to be quite gallant to
the ladies who are reported TO be deep
in controversy a. to whether he is
bachelor or benedict. Some Of
them think he looks "cross" but imag-
Inc he could make himself quite agree.
able to them II lie had mind 10. /
| Judge he belongs TO the class Of fine old
Virginia gentlemen, who are chivalrous to
ladieS, courteous to equals and arrogant
TO interiors. Somebody spoke OF Nc.
Clellan when reposing on his spades with
the army Of the Potomac, as General Nc.
Clellan by courtesy. Perhaps II would
not be altogether unjust TO refer to
Speaker Gibson in the same way, for
there is said TO be "power behind the
throne" that overtops the throne itself.
And that naturally brings US around
to the quarter Of the house where sits
the gentleman from Kanawha, Mr.. Fer.
guson. What agrand looking man ho is.
In the prime OF intellectual and likewise
Of physical vigor, probably rising fifty, he
towers above the rest like Saul amongst
the prophets. The personal figure Of the
man is striking. He il above medium
height; powerfully built and burly in
form; his greatshonlders rounded little
by the students stoop, his head is Web.
sterian, with handsome face and great
massive forehead, overhanging eyes that
look dark from this distance. In debate
he is clear, concise, sarcastic and witty,
Always speaking with the confidence Of
conscious power, he seems to be
on the right side of every cues.
ton, so entirely does he possess
the exquisite art Of putting things, and
in the end, whether he carries his point
or yields it, he usually has his own way.
He is altogether, one sees at a glance,
the master mind and the controlling
spirit Of the House, and, if | might be
pNrdOned the homely and inelegant com.
parrisOn, the big dog with the brass col.
lar have no doubt the House seems to
him much as the Punch and Judy show
does to the person who stands behind the
curtain and pulls the strings. In.
deed it is darkly limited that the gentle.
men from Kanawha, has sort Of pro.
prletary interest in the Speakers Chair,
which is said to be connected with his
desk by not altogether invisible wire,
have not seen this wire and do not
know how this may be. In word the
locker on here cannot but see that this is
the noblest Roman Of them all and reflect
that his natural fitting garment is tho
Senatorial toga recently laid on should.
ers for which-like Shakespeare's clean
and slippered pantaloOn"-it is a world
TOO wide. The wonder is that man of
Mr.. Ferguson's intellectual stature should
he content to waste himself in The cir
Cumscribed arena in which he figures.
In glancing at the notable features of
this body it is impossible for any one Of
feminine stature 10 overlook the promi-
nent member which adorns the counter.
ance Of the gentleman from Wayne, III
had not already described Mr.. Ferguson
"a the noblest Roman, should unkesita.
tingly assign that honor to the nose OF
Mr.. Spurlock. Had the member from
Wayne lived in France at the time Of the
first Napoleon, he could not, il he had
tried, have saved himself from being field
marshal. | really cannot comprehend
how man endowed with such nose can
make SO little disturbance in n public
body. Yet this gentleman, with all this
advantage, pursues the even tenor Of his
way like many other OF the "AIute in.
glorious Millions" and "Cromwells guilt.
less OF their country's blood" who sit here
from day to-day in maze OF golden 81
lence and move an adjournment and draw
their mileage and per diem rs il that
were the chief end Of statesmen.
The Clerk OF the House, Mr.. Peyton, ia
pronounced by many the finest looking
gentleman on the floor. ale makes a
splendid clerk" is an encomium frequent
ly heard, and he certainly deserves it,
He is OF good stature, his hair somewhat
gray, though his whiskers are dark. He
possesses fine and genial countenance,
which recommends him to all; clear,
strong voice, and brisk business.like
manner, all Of which fit him for the posi-.
ton he occupies.
The Assistant Clerk, Mr.. Rand, though
seemingly unconscious Of it, is the hand
soonest gentleman on the floor. The ladies
are unanimous in this opinion. Even
some OF the gentlemen admit the fact,
though no doubt reluctantly.
The Sergeant.at-Arms, Col. French, is
certainly u model officer. He has a be.
nevolent face set in an abundance Of white
hair and whiskers. His form is peculi.
arly adapted to the place he fills. From
their elevated situation his blue eyes
look benignly out over everybody's head
and see what is going on in all parts OF
the hall ut once. He constantly wears
his spectacles, Of which each lens ia d.
vided horizontally into two parts, one
part, ! take it, for far.seeing, the other
for near-seeinE, making in all two pairs
of glasses. With all these advantages is
it any wonder then that his eye ia 80
quick to see lady way over on the other
side looking for seat? A gigantic stride
or two brings him to the rescue and al.
though there isn't another chair to be
found, in less time than it takes to tell 1t
he has, by some mysterious process, pro.
duced one and in twinkling she is COM
fortHbly seated in position which com.
mands view OF the lions OF the House.
Truly there is nothing like having the
right man in the right place at the right
time. KATE CALAMo.
lFyou desire rosy cheeks and complex.