The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1880-03-12
Tng wILIIAlIsrs OF onrcos.

We take the following from the
Washington correspondent of the Stand
ard /:
l met a gentleman tho other evening
who has been acquainted with Mrs.
Geo. II. Williams from her childhood,
and listened with no little interest to
his recital of her Iast life, his amusing
talk Of her marriages, Of her husband
Mr.. George, tho Placerviile gambler,
how she hired detective TO frightcn
her wayward son into Mexico, how sho
naively said she ''wished he waA ia the
penitentiaIy, foe then she would know
he was safe" etc, but thcse things are
rather out Of my line TO speak about,
and SO / will give you simply what lie
told me Of her business-like conduct
while in ITashington-littlci items which
/ believe have never before appeared in
print.
When Boss Shepherd VAS as the
height of his speculative career in
Washington he went TO Mrs. W. aud
told her Of a square of land, To which
streets led, but none of which were
paved, which might be had for song,
and that on communication of tl.c tur-
chase, and before she conld have her
house built, he would have all the
streets leading in that direction in hand
some order Flaxbrake gave his note
for l20 days, which Shepherd had no
difficulty in getting discounted at the
bank. The house was begun, the streets
were paved, and the sudden increase in
the value Of property gave Mrs. VII
liams he: handsome house and lot for
nothing. Delano is said TO have made
half million in this way. and Babcocl<
enough to make him happy for life.
Grant, too, il known 20 have taken ad-
vantage Of Boss Shepherds a pointers, /"
in secret way, ana Mt this time o@ns
considerable real estate scattered over
different PARTS Of Washington. An
other sharp piece Of business which is
ascribed to the Williamscs is that the
cabinet maker in the department Of jus
tice put $500 worth Of elegant furniture
into this new house, calling il Office far
nituic for the Attorney Generals i,ifnr
Office. Mis-. Williams told my isl an
ant that at the National Hotel her hus
band had l.cen 81 well shaved by . col.
ored barber that he got him IA snbaitern
position in the department Of justice 20
that the man with the iron jaw could
keep him always as his lackey or rais
de chambre. The fJotman and driver
/
at the department. Of Justice rs messen
gers-they appearing in that capacity
whenever Mrs w. did not need theil
services ON her card-svapping expedi
tions. Another item which may be o.
interest 10 Oregonians, and for the trutl
of which my informant vouches, ] vii
give in a few words. Flaxbntke wa,
enamoFed with the charms OF the wilJ
widow and did not try TO conceal th,
ardor Of his love. At Salem he wa,
working among tho legislators for the
honorable position of United State.
Senator from Oregon, when bis wife
that now is-placed in the hands of Mr.
Lansing Stout certain papers threaten
ing-a breach of promise case and an-un
pleasant exposure that would knock al
senatorial expectations into five distinc
cooked hats unless he should come t,
the scratch" You know the rest--hs
came. FIaxbrakO looks rather broker
in health, although hear he has .
IRFeltYi igoei l4w Pl4etiee. In.tlle de
fraliuent of ins;ive they have what il
ralleI special counsel, paid from the sc
cret service fund, about s. 900 year
and 1 am informed that the wonld-b,
Chief Justice ofathe United State
holds one Of these places. Ben Butle
was a special counsel at one time, bn
would take no salary, charging 500
day while engaged. They say tha
when Flaxbrake's name was mentione,
for Chief Justice the Senator's wiye
made special fight against it, and lob
bied day and night--owing to tIei
social jealousy of Mrs W., the favorit
at the court of Ulysses l. Senate
| Frelinghuysen remarked to a frien
that his wife would hardly let him slice
at night with her argumentative tai
against Flaxbrake's confirmation.
q ~o
MANY persons are puzzled to under
stand what the terms "fourpenny,
"sixpenny" and ''tenpenny" mean a
applied to nails. "Fourpenny" mean
four pounds to the thousand nails, O
six penny means six pounds to th
thousand, and so on. tt is an old En-.
lish term, and meant at first "te
s, pound" nails (the thousand being III
derstood), but tho old English clippe
: it to "tenpen,Y and from that it degel
Grated until 'spenny" was substitute
for "pounds." When thousand mai
weigh less than one pound they III
called tacks, brads, etc, and are reel
oned by ounces