The daily gazette., 1878-04-11
(From our regular .Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON, April II.


tFrom our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, April IL.
Much has been written about Congress
sionalstars,a ,as well as about society queens
and lobby queens, in Washington. Such
are the wonderful facilities for the trans
mission of news and gossip, from the
Capital to the remotest town, that, for
| anyone to become famous or infamous in
| Washington, is to gain national distinc-
ton or notoriety. Who has not heard of
Boss Shepard, Belva A. Lockwood, and
DR.. Mary Walker? If anyone protest
against the triphng of these nam es, will
say that it is only for the sake of argu-
ment. The great street grader, the fan
tastic female in pantaloons, ,and the woman
lawyer, have nothing in common, except
in the fact that they are conspicuous char
acters. The sketching of congressional
stars, and telling the most trivial things
has been little overdone, and I propose
to write about few famous female per-
sonages, who are as consistent in their in
consistencies as Blaine, Cox, or Butler.
| Mrs. Belva A. Lockwood, by her per-
sistent knocking at the doors of Congress
for admission to the Supreme Court of
the United States, has become somewhat
famous throughout the country. There
is some difference of opinion as to her
ability as a lawyer, but she is certainly a
ready and effective speaker, excelling,
lperhaps like many lawyers, in what may
be called sentimental law. She is shrewd
and successful in the management of her
cases, and whatever advantage she may
take ofthe opposition, she is little unique
in that she has lot been known to take
advantage of her clients. The late bill
which passed the House of Representa-
tives, to permit female practitioners to
appear at the bar of the Supreme Court,
was for her benefit, She has at present
two important cases pending before that
court, which she is declared from plead
ing on account of her sex. One of the
cases is Cherokee Indian claim involv-
ing 5000, 900. The bill which passed the
House in her favor has failed to pass the
Senate, but not, it would seem from op-
position of that body; the learned judi
ciary committee of the Senate assumed
that an enabling act was not necessary,
since the court itself had exclusive juris-
diction in the matter.
This view of the Senate would seen to
involve a deadlock, on a nice question,
between the highest judicial and highest
legislative body in the land; Tor, when
Mrs. Lockwood applied for admission at
the bar of the Supreme Court, two years
ago, one of the reasons for refusal, as
given in the opinion OF Chief Justice
Waite, was that there had been no legis-
lation for the admission of women. Mrs.
Lockwood is now in the fifth year of her
practice and has all the business she can
attend to. She is distinguished for great
perseverance,, patience, and tact. Her
specially is government claims. When
she began practice, her property consis-
ted of few feet of real estate in a ceme-
terry, now she is worth $4,000, and her
practice brings her a yearly income about
live times as large as the salary of clerk
in the Treasury Department. Mrs. Lock
woed is q widow, nearly fifty years Of
age; she is quite able to support a hus-
band, but evinces no inclination to marry
again. She has dark eyes, white hair,
kindly Intelligent features; her dress is
quiet, elegant, and black; her jewelry a
gold thimble, which she sarcasticany
wears as a breast pin.
DR.. Mary Walker, distinguished for
her persistent parade of seIni-male attire,
Is native of Oswego, New York; and
her family is one Of standing and rs-
spectability. Long years ago she was
married 10 MT. Miller, Dut WnateVer
distinction he may have gained from
that union, he has now no right to claim
for he was divorced about twenty years
! ago, and DR.. Mary has resumed her
maiden name. Congress voted her a
gold medal for services during the war,
and the Secretary of the Treasurery had
her elected from his Department, not
long since, because she was annoying
DR.. Walker has a big boot, but wears a
little foot. She has suffered for years
chronic martyrdom of ridicule, in the
cause of comfort, health, and principle;
at least that is her view of it; and the aid
of mingled resignation and resistance
which forty nine years of perverse
heroism have stamped upon the face
form and gait of the grotesque little
woman is pathetic rather than funny.
1t is impossible for me to describe her
clothes, even specifically. She wears
kind of dress, with demi skirt, in fact,
the demiest skirt you ever saw, cane,
and pair of pantaloons. 1t was the in
tention of your correspondent to inter-
view her tailor, but he learned, on in
Quiry, from one of her friends, that she
cuts her own trowsers, and cries hike
l Il,