National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-19
OLD TIME MEMORIES.
A TALK WITH AN OLD INHABlrANr.
Interesting ReeOlieetions Of Andrew Jackson. B. B.
French, Henry Clay. and Other Distinguished
Men Of the Past A Chapter Of
Renaissance and AneedOte.

! You are q strangerin the Federal metrop-
oils; easy enough perceive that the orthodox
cut OF your coat the peculiar twist of your cravat
the primeval shape your hat the air of self
! eompiaceney overspreading your face plainly be-
| tray your antecedents Look at these boots That
! is not old time mud or Government dirt! Do you
imagine the boy who pushes in your hand the
circular and shouts in your ear Railroad tick
ets!" does not understand as well as you that you
have just stepped from the depot, and the wide
Avenue, with its jingling street cars, its clumsy
Hcrdics, its noisy carts, and passing crowds of
| pedestrians, is all just TO you novel panorama
of absorbing interest? The boot black as he fol-
lows you Two squares with his Stereotyped Polish
and shine = the ncwsboy, as he iaunts the morn
! Ings REPUBLICAN in your face; the little beggar
girl, as she clutches convulsively at your coat
| haps-know every one of them that you are a
stranger in the great Federal metropolis. Whether
at the West Fad or Capitol HILL at Riggs or the
National; whether peeping inquisitively at Cor
corais Gallery of Fine Arts staring at the more
! realistic figures in the Senate chamber, you
marked man, doomed to undergo an incalculable
| amount Of jestling, pushing, interviewing, and
button hofing.
Iou can, fyou prefer, spend the day contem-
plating thepteasing landscape from the highest
attic chamber in Browns Metropolitan, cogi
tate from the back window ofan Avenue boarding
house: or You can busy yourself in the subterra-
mean rece.ses of yonder corner restaurant 10 fit
away the evening hours at the fascinating game
ofpool, or doze during the day over the mystic
pages Of Endymion;'' but if you are All obSeryant
man, student of human nature, ali inquirera after
facts, and thirst for outdoor knowledge, shadow
the dark outline OF the inkspilleT, who in his
usual brisk style, has passed the lazs HcT'iie and
is now winding rapidly down Capitol Hill-nGt the
Capotiline hill of thirty years ago. shaded with
beautiful trees, and here and there a ghostly
primeyal mansion-but i'll its modern garb of
architectural and oriental splendor. While the
man of nib gazing critically at the big dome of
the Capitol, which, to his undraughtsnlan-lik like
eye, seemed 10 require much larger resting place
than the squat proportions of the original build
ing, he observed that an aged gentleman who was
standing near leaning OIL his cane was drcamily
contemplating the same object. He was q fine
specimen of
TIE oiD-SCHOoI. WAsIuNGToNIAN.
type of the past. now nearly extinct. His long,
flowing beard and silver hair gave him the look of
patriarch. and his venerable features closely
sembled some of the clever portraits of old Gilbert
Stuart. He Wore a faded blue coat dangling close
TO his heels and cap of the same color with all
exceedingly deep visor. Meeting the eye Of our
reporter he bowed very profoundly.
If am not mistaken" said NJ. Penman, re- |
turning the salutation, Il am addressing one of |
the oldest Inhabitants
Quite correct" returned The old gentleman, ina
thin. piping voice. Il belong to that generation |
whose sands OF life are nearly run out; and |
YOU
"One Of the inquisitive newspaper men round |
town." replied the inkspiller, soiemnly. They |
call us quill waits, because are blown here and
there in all kinds of Notwithstanding or Storm |
and nobody knows whence they come or whittier |
they go. By the bye, you have seen great many
wonderful changes in Washington since YOU were |
q young man.
"Oh, DEAR returned the oldest inhabitant |
shaking his head and screwing the ferue of his |
cane in block Of half melted ice, you cannot |
realize even from hearsay what extraordinary
changes forty years have produced. was think
ing, SIR as l looked at that large dome-and
handsome dome il is-how peoples tastes change,
or, as the hackneyed line of the poet expresses It,
'Tempora mutantur ct nos mutamur in Ills
came here-I mean 10 Washington-int the autumn
of 1854 The steam cars had not commenced run
ming then, and we were carried into Washington
by line of stages that dropped passengers at the
Indian Queen. on the site of Browns MetropOli-
tan. well remember. as we slowly numbered into
town. the sensations Of curious interest with which
gazed at the big, bulky, MambrnO- shaped dome
If the Capitol that rose like splendid vision be-
Those were plain and primitive days." said our
reporter, who perceived that the 'oldest inhabi-
ant" was in a very talkatiye mood.
They were the golden days, sir, of the Repub-
ic,' rejoined the old man, with enthusiasm. 1T
IS somewhat unusual now days 10 see the PrcS-
lent of the United States walking the streets like
my ordinary citizen, but
GENERAL JACKSON
seldom rode in vehicle, except Oh public Occa-
horc hi cir 6,,o |
aking his customary stroll OH the square wearing
/ long suriout overcoat, and looking for all the
World like one of our rough Western farmers. He
vas blunt old soldier, and not much yersed i'll
he social amenities of life. An artist one day
howed him a miniature likeness of the poet,
ord Byron. The General examined it very care
ully. and, to the astonishment Of the artist, re-
urned it with the observation: pretty nice gal.
lpon my word: where does she live?'"
President Jackson allowed himself to he con-
rolled somewhat by ftyorites if history is 10 be
elieved,' suggested our reporter
yes remember man who at one time eX-
rted singular fascination over him. almost like
hat power history confeTs Oh Mrs. Eaton; his name
ras Francis o. J. Smith, Representative from ,
he Portland District of Maine. He was finely ed
cated sagacous in council, eloquent in debate !
nd possessed rare conversationals gift. This |
Dung statesman enjoyed the distinction of having
lore political influence than any other man in !
Washington; he was associated with Professor !
Morse in the telegraph, and claimed, believe the
merit of the invention, but did not clearly establish
isright TO the title
During the administration of Martin Van !
Iuren he exercised an almost dcspotic sway over l
he executive. II was whispered around town ;
hat be had, on more than one occasion, shaped q
he course Of the administration. Upon his re
lection TO Congress two years later he aspired to
ted prize, and enraged at the treatment he had ! /
seeived from his Old political associates, he re-
sned his seat III Congress and retired into pri-
ate life. whence he never emerged. His sudden !
ownfal may be cited an interesting illustra- i
Oh of the uncertainty of political power, even in
1ese days of primitive simplicity
:. Do YOU remember any other nOtableS around ! U
Washington worthy of mention at The time you D
peak of? y
II can recall few names that will sound fa-
liliar even at this late day. One was
MAJOR b. b. FRENCH,
Jerk of The House of Representatives. He was
email gentleman, originally a lawyer from New :,
hampshire. His unvarying good nature and dry
ulnor enliyened many dull hour in our COM
littee- room. The Major was always fond of tell
lg me how lie commenced life He started on a
'laTy of $500 per annum. l was, he said, the .
apniest man alive and never dreamed of being Il
nv richer He was a devoted member of the /;
rec Masons and a gentleman Of varied accom- >
and scholarship. He died here few u
ears ago, and is almost forgotten in the eddy
ig changes and whirl of Washington political .
fe"
'Can you recall any other "reminiscences OF
her distinguished men?' !"
" Well, there was Henry Clay. [ messed with
i'm at Mrs. Hills, Oh Pennsylvania avenue. \ q
member was considered parsonage of more .
Importance than he is nowadays IsuppoSe il was u
,cause there were not 50 many OF them: but Il
ere were certainly grand intellect in Congress '"