The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-01-03

The Queer Women Who May Be Seen About
the CnDItOl


the little army of persons who have claims
which are pending in congres, where too
many of them have been hanging on for, 10 /!
these many years. Among this army of clam.
ants are several who are so remarkable in
their general appearance or manners that they
are known to all whose business brings them
to the capitol. OF these, Mother Brown rs
she is called, is the most famous. She is not
bad locking woman, of about GO years Of
age ANA is always particular in having her
snow-whle HAIR nicely fixed up III curls
which hang on both sides of her face. Moth
or Brown is attircd in nothing. to-wear"
manner, and has all manner of garments on
her, with ribbons of all hues hanging from
every place she can pin them. If her hair
was black, her makeup would be that of
plendidlooking gypsy In colors and RIB
bons she runs to bright reds and yellows.
Mother Brown, Notwithstanding all these good
points, IS generally regarded as an annoyance
or nuisance. Her life is devoted to one con.
tnual worry of members Of congress, and es
pcClally Of the members OF the committee of
claims. Her clam results from some kind of
service rendered during the war, and does not
amount to anything. There has never been
favorable report made on it yet, which is
pretty good evidence that there Is nothing in
it, On this imaginary claim she has been
personal knowledge, for sixteen years She
comes as regularly as the session, and departs
the day the adjournment takes place. 1t is
generally agreed that she Is not as sound in
the head as some Others who are almost as
much about the capitol, though she can hard.
ly be called insane. How she lives no one
knows, though there is a belief that she has Il
small income from some source which about
pays her living expenses. She travels to and
from the city on her musCle-refusing to pay
a cent until congress has passed her claim.
Mother Brown Is of the opinion that there
have never been but two good men in con
gress since the war; one of them was Andrew
johnson, the cX-president and senator from
Tennessee and Blue Jeans Williams, formerly
a representative of Indiana and afterward gov.
crnor of the state. Mr.. johnson was the onl y
senator who would listen to Mother Brown rs
long as she wanted to talk. Patterson, who
was senator from Tennessee when johnson
was president, was also good listener to her,
but he would laugh at her the moment she
left She caught him at 1t several times, and
from that moment sworc vengeance towards
HIM. Old Blue Jeans, however, would listen
to her and advise with her upon her claim.
He had way of getting rid Of her by intro,
ducing her to some other member, and while
they were talking, of slipping away
Another reMarkahle case is that of the Lady
of the Lake-the name another woman claim
ant goes by She is an Eastern woman, old
maidish in looks, and wears corkscrew curls.
Her back is as straight as an arrow. Her
clam, also, is largely of an imaginary char
aCter She has been regular attendant for at
leastten years. The Lady OF the Lake seldom
speaks to any one, while Mother Brown is
talking almost all of the time. From this fact
some know the Lady by the name of the Wo-
man with the Iron Jaw. They are great char
acters In their way, and help to make up the
scenes that make the inside of legislation so
interesting to many. There are two wooden
legged women, one of whom uses Crutches,
who can frequently be seen about the build.
ing, but these will not put IN an appearance
until after the Christmas holidays, as there is a
general understanding that nothing will be
done in the way Of legislation until after then
DR.. Mary Walker wno Is probany better
knawn or more written about than any other
lady in this country, is also quite q famous
claimant She has two good ones that will
yield, some day, Her hig clam is for services
rs surgeon during the war Under some
service, being a woman she could not legally
draw the salary. 1t is for this that she makes
her visits to Washington. Her claim is for
five thousand dollars $4,000, and 1t has been
passed by one or the other of the houses sew
eral times, but never bv both during the same
session. Her great friend has always been
Gen. Butler, and it has been by his efforts
that She has almost got her money on several
Occasions.-H Washington correspondent of Net
HarJ6rd Times.