Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-04-26
Our Washington Letter.

" 1oN. L.. hIDA Nl
Our Washington Letter.
SOME WASHINGTON NOrORiErIEs WHO ARE MOI
IN CoNGRHSS-PRoFEssIoN wOMGS-MRS
| LAWYER LOCKWOOD AND DR., MARY WALKER
THE WASHINGTON ADVENTURES - \
srIRIrUALISTIC LECTURE.
10 the Editor of the Free Press and Times.
Such are the facilities for the transmis-
sion or news aud gossip, from the capital to
the remotcst town, that, for anyone to bo-
come famous or Infamous in Washington, is
to gam national distinction or notoriety.
Who has not heard of Boss Sheplrd, Belva A.
Lockwood and DR.. Mary Walker? These
names are joned only for the sake of argu-
meat 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 charac-
ters
Mrs. Belya A. Lockwood has become
famou. by her persistent knocking at the
door of Congress for admission to the Su-
preme Court Of the United States. There
is some difference of opinion as to he: abili-
ty as lawyer, but she is certainly a ready
and effective speaker, eIcelling, perhaps. like
many lawyers, in what may be called senti-
mental law. She is shrewd and successful
ln the management of her cases, and what
ever advantage she NAV take of the opposi-
.l, = leila in that gba bac
not been known to take advantage of her
clients. The late bill which passed the
House of Representatives to permit female
practitioners to appear at the bar OF the
Supreme Court, was for her benefit. She
has at present two important cases pend
ing before that court, which she is debarred
from pleading on account of her sex. One
of the cases is the Cherokee Indian claim
involv wing $4,000, GOO. The bill which pass
ed the House in her favor failed to pass
the Senate, but not, it would seem, from
opposition 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 jurisdiction
in the matter. This view of the Senate
would seen to involve deadlock, on a nice
question, between the highest judicial and
highest legislative body in the land; for,
when Mrs. Lockwood applied for admission
Mt 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 legislation for the Ad
mission Of women. Mrs. Lockwood is now
in the fifth year of her practice, and has all
the business she can attend to. She is dis
tinguished for great perseverance, patience
and tact Her speciality is Government
claims. When she began practice, her
property consisted of few feet of real e.
tate in cemetery; now she is worth go,
900, and her practice brings her yearly in
come about five times as large Us
the salary of clerk in the
Treasury Department. Mrs. Lockwood
isa widow, nearly fifty years of age; she is
quite able tc support a husband, but eyinees
no inclination to marry again. She has
dark eyes, white hair, kindly intelligent
features her dress is quiet, elegant and
black, her jewelry gold thimble, which
she sarcastically wears as a breast min.
DR.. Mary Walker, distinguished for her
persistent parade of semi-.nale attire, is
native of Oswego, n. Y; and her family is
one of standing and respectability. Long
years ago she was married to a Mr.. Miller,
but whatever 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 resumed her maiden
name. Congress voted her gold
medal for services during the war, and the
Secretary Of the Treasury had her elected
from his Department, not long since, because
she was annoying" DR.. Walker has
big boot, but wears little foot. She has
suffered for years the chronic martyIdom of
ridicule, in the cause of comfort, health, and
principle at least that is her view of it
and the air Of mingled resignation and resist
ancc which forty-nine years Of peryerse hero
ism have stamped upon the face, form and
gait Of the grotesque little woman is pa
thctic rather than funny. 1t is impossible
for inc TO describe her clothes, even super
fcially. She wears kind of dress, with
demi skirt, in fact, the demiest skirt YOU
ever saw, cane, and a pair of pantaloons.
1t was the intention Of your correspondent
to interview her tailor, but he learned, on
inquiry, from one of her friends, that she
cuts her own trowsers, and cries like
woman when she cannot make them fit.
When Chesterfield said that women were
only children of a larger grow III, with an
inter esting tattle, and sometimes wit, but
that he had never known one to possess solid
reason and good sense, or to act consistent
ly for four and twenty hours together-it is
quite evident that he had never come ill coz
tact with the Washington species. maid,
wife, or widow Had he met Washing
ton adventures, he would have met his
equal, and more too. With all his knowl-
a r, al. l. Sh.rn gI
Washington might teach him thing or two
that would cause him to admire. The GEN.
tury and quarter that has elapsed. since
Chesterfield wrote, has not left women be-
calmed in the wake Of its mighty evolutions
and revolutions. The Queen Of the Can
nibal Islands is more tastefally tattoOed
than was her grandmother, and the belle
Of this habitat has more in her head, II
MOI in her heart than had her pro-
genitress of the day of Chesterfield. The
Washington society woman has one grand,
absorbing passiOn-an enthusiastic devotion
to herself. Money, subsidiary to self, is the
supreme object of her life, and she will secure
it, through marriage, if she can ; but at any
rate, she will secure it. Since the days Of
Blbylon there have been other careers for
women at capitals than matrimony.
Yesterday evening, in passing Tallmadge
hall, which ad joins the old theatre where
Lincoln was murdered, observed that it
was illuminated, and asking the long haired
man at the door what he was to have, he re-
piled, "a lecture by the great high-priest of
spiritualiSm-tlr Andrew jackson Davis"
| paid ten cents, and strolled in to hear him.
One secs some queer-loOking people in
large hall full of spiritualists. 1t is said that
every man has his insanity; but n spectacle
of room full of middle-aged men and VIC
men, elated with a homogeneous insanity, IL
n spectacle. From Mr.. Dayiss lecture |
would infer that his insanity is of themider,
more refined and ethereal type. The philoso-
ply which he taught was to distrust the senses
and listen only to instinct and longing which
was real wisdom. and the hereditary expe
rience of infinite generations Of the human
soul. lie denounced spectacular spiritualism
and so-called materialzations, and
reproachcd spiritulists for wasting money on
them. lie told story of a wealthy Onioan,
who paid 81 400 for an oil painting of his
esprit BRIDE" the woman he was to wed in
the spirit world. lie said this man would
spend hours in enamored contemplation OF
the painting, (Which he kept at his place OF
business, New York; while his good, homcly
wife, in Ohio, was engaged in the care OF
their numerous progeny. When asked why
he did not take the picture home. he re
piled that he was ''airaid it might make
troublei' Yours, Nix.
New Set of Rules for Courting.
CUT THIS OFT BEFORE sTAETISG OUT THIS
ENENING.
From the Reading Dispatch.
The attention of the fathers of marriage
able daughters is called to the following set
of rul,s which IA D;SpditL reporter saw bang