The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-04-24

Over meadows swiftly changing,
LeadeA hues for spring array;
Symbol of our LIES young morning,
With its pleasures and its pain;
All! does not our youths best impulse
Pass like Springtime's cloud lit rain.
|
PUBLIC STORY.TELLING
How tho Senators ana Representa
tives Amuse Tn emselves In Tn ei
| Washington Correspondence st. Paul Pionee
| Press.
When some Senator or member o
moderate ability is making q speech
the cloak rooms are generally crowd
ed. The room represents club-roon
more than anything else, but wer,
there not so many hats and coats huns
along the walls, and were there lit
tie more Of an air Of cheerfulness, tn,
resemblance would be more complete
As it is, however, the cloak.rooms arc
the most interesting places at the Cap
itol. Around the walls are cleats, or
which are large brass hooks with the
names of the owners on little cards
tackled under them, on which the Con.
gressional hats and coats are hung.
There are sofas and settees, of old.
fashioned patterns and well.worn
numerous chairs, in various stages OF
decay and Offering various degrees of
attraction, are scattered about; there
is tankard of ice-water, three or four
marble wash-basins, with soap and
towels, and at the House end Of the
Capitol a couple of BARRIERS chairs in
each cloak-room. Cheerful fires are
burning in the CRATES, and generally
one of the chandeliers is lighted, for
the only light that can be otherwise
obtained is filtered through the STAIN
ed-glass windows from the public
A box of matches sets on
the mantel, and in the House cloak
room one of the pendant gas jets seen
in cigar stores, gives the smoker his
fire.
At any time during the session
groups Of lounging statesmen may be
passed, in every variety Of posture, all
'moking and discussing the events of
he day or telling stories and some of
he best story-tellers in the world were
in the last Congress.
Abraham Lincoln's stories are quite
% much a part of his Administration
's the Emancipation Proclamation.
President Grant told q story eloquent:
y when he was tunbent,' bat he was
lot in the habit of telling them pro.
President Hayes does
lot originate stories as Lincoln did,
'ut often quotes them, and seems to-
ave been studying Lincoln, for he re-
'eats his sayings very frequently.
Secretary Evarts is a habitual wag, g,and
nd is the life of Cabinet meetings,
cry often illustrating his views on a
'ending question by the point of an
necdote. Many of his stories are in
now. Attorney General
)evens doesn't tell many stories, but
} given to punning. Secretary Thomp.
On loves q Joke as well as ever q man
id, and can entertain company with
Hoosier' anecdotes for q whole eve
ing at q time. g eneral
icy often attempts to be funny, and
succeeds, but generally tells
story you have heard before. Schurz
fond Of q good story, but doesen't
IL one. Sherman and McCrary are
le sober men of the Cabinet. Sher-
an sometimes smiles, but was never
lard to give good hearty laugh.
.cCrary laughs sometimes, and is al
ays in good humor, but you seldom
It an anecdote from him.
Charles Sumner never knew what a
ke was. Humor was entirely absent
ON his nature. Morton enjoyed
Dries, and told them sometimes, but
} was always a very busy man, and
hen he wasn't in bed, suffering tor
re indescribable, he was generally
work. Gen. Sherman is an invet- ;.
ate story-teller, and you can catch
m at army headquarters, surrounded
his staff, relating his experiences, ,
which he seems to have an unusual
lount of an amusing character, or {
some funny eight he had &
en-, or some funny thing he had I
ard. He has very keen sense of {
ridiculous, and is graphic in des-
iption, and very successful in MINI
y. Vice.President Wheeler enjoys
oke as well as any man in Congress,
It seldom perpetrates one.
is inimitable when he I.
doses to be. There is no man in .
lblic life who has conversational
'wers equal to his. He can be in ter .
ting on any topic that may enter a
and when he fairly lets
mself out, as he did in England a I
'ar ago last summer, people stare at l
IN until they are overcome by fasci-
'tion. Blaine is equally accomplish 8
!, but does not display himself as
onkling does on stated occasions. {
aine is more genial as common t
ing, but not so pyrotechnic in his
splays. Gen. Butler can make him. 1
If as interesting as any man, when
} chooses, but his humor generally is
q grim kind, and he tries to make
ople uncomfortable. If Butler .
ould sit down at q dinner table with
'elve strangers. before tho coffee =
as reached he would find the tender /;
OTIS in each mans armor. He has a 9
sagreeable way of finding out the
eaknesses of those with whom he
mes in contact, and conceitcd ass &
braggart never wants to meet But
: q second time. He puts this facul- l
I-s -