The Portland daily press., 1881-04-08
CAMERON AND HIS COLLEAGUE.

Don Cameron appears weary, as if tired with
it all. A man must have peculiar organiza-
tion to thrive in the Senatorial atmosphere. 1t
is gladiat or's ring where intellectual combat
is the order of the day. Woe to him that is not
endowed with weapons OF the keenest and
most polished kind. Though a Senator can
pipe his slogan on a thousand hills at home and
carries bonanza mine in each pocket 1t will
not add feather to his Senatorial strength.
Men endowed with business talent, even OF the
highest order, can find neither c0ngenial nor
agreeable work in the Senate Only q natural
orator or debater like Blaine, or great law
yer like Edmunds find their native element
in the stormy waters of the Senate; and even
Blaine was far more at home in the other wing
of the Capitol, where his talents at all times
shone as star of the first magnitude. It is no
sign of the lack of ability because . Senator
does not rank high, but rather lack of the
peculiar and exceedingly rare qualities which
make Senatorial success secure.
OF the new Senators Pennsylvania must be
awarded the prize in point of beauty, for Sena-
tor Mitchell bears away the palm without
dissenting voice. In the grounds OF one OF the
nabobs at Saratoga there may be seen the stat
ne of Roman gladiator, such as lived in the
times of Nero. It is "stalwart' to the last de-
gree. Imagine the old statue Americanized-
that is, toned down in its toughest corners,
smoothed away-a little less muscle, little
more nerve, daintier, with dash Of Greek
symmetry, and you see the handsome Mitchell en-
eyes a twinkling hazel that rise and set with
the arrival and departure of the dry goods in
the gallery, but with a modesty that is simply
indescribable.
CONGER COOLED DOWN.
Conger dear old Copger, is here, cooled
down to the polite frigidity which constantly
pervades the Senate. He wears white chok-
or Of such elevated height that it grinds away
at his ears in the same way that a horrid gal
cier wears away the face Of the mountain. A
new suit of the finest broadcloth, of satin
sheen, conceals limbs of the Adonis kind.
though this last statement is more q matter of
faith than actual proof. That "horn'' which
attacking with cruel squibs in the Washington
Post, appears to have gone where the woodbine
creepeth, for it is heard of no more. 1t is ru-
mored in private circles at the Capitol that
Senator Conger is one of the most romantic
and sentimental of men, and Governor Foster
declares that it is the only case in Congressional
record where man is known to be madly in
fatuated with his own wife. Wnen Mrs. Con-
ger would enter the gallery of the House it
was Immediately known that Mr.. Conger
would soon sa attract p gm his graceful gsseb Of
Congressman would call out; "Now, boys, we
are in for it, and there has been no such
scenes of suffering chivalry since Don Quixote
attacked the wind-mills in behalf of mis- below
ed Dulcinea But far be it from the head and
exalted flame. Rather let us stand in the
presence of this man with uncovered head,
who brings to our aching vision a new Garden
of Eden, when Adam was good because there
was but one Eve, until the serpent did the
mischief.
THE DAUGHTER OF CHIEF JUSTICE CHASE.
In the gallery assigned the families Of the
| Sprague-cold, stately and statuesque as lily
or bit of marble in human form. The heav
| lily fringed waxen lids fall over the sorrowfu
| eyes-these large, dark almond orbs such a.
| glorify the Orient. There are faces all around
| but she seems as much alone as Cleopatra il
her barge floating down the dusky Nile. A
| blue turban with single birds wing for al
| ornament sits jauntily on her auburn hair; no
l out Of place, because youth, beauty and sweet
| ness still linger in form and face. There il
not the slightest attempt at display in her 81 m
pie toilet-a dark dress, severe in its simplici
ty, a scarf of scarlet silk folded GRACEFUL.
around her throat. She has given no though
| to her personal appearance, but has come evi
| IDENTIFY to observe the intellectual comba
which has drawn together SO large per
| centage of the citizens of Washington. Tn
writer recalls the impeachment trial of And
johnson when Society" appeared in the Sen
ate galleries and when Katharine Chas
Sprague was the acknowledged queen. He
toilet is recalled for the readers of the Press
and to-day it may be found recorded in the ol
l
"staff correspondence at the time, whose dut
it was to make "pen pictures" of the day.
Partisan suit of royal purple velvet perfect in a
its appointments; the detail escapes our memor
but the bonnet never will. 1t was made i
| Paris to accompany the suit, and when place
on her head it conveyed the idea of singl
Marguerite. Imagine a purple violet larg
enough to be placed on the head, the leave
bent in bonnet shane. At the time the write
felt that her eyes rested upon the most grace
full, distinguished and queenly woman that SD
had ever seen in the Capitol or elsewhere o
the face of the globe The writer has no pc
sonal acquaintance with Mrs. Sprague, but d.
scribed her then, as she does to-day, as 81
would picture or poem. When it was pu
lished in the newspapers that she was engage
during the Senate session sending notes to
Senator on the floor the writer sat in the ga
lery, but saw no notes given to page or d
livered on the floor Year after year t. o wri
or has noticed this accomplished woman sittir
! in the gallery from time to time, apparent