Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-06-16
CONGRESSIONAL CULTURE.

BY HONORABLE MEMBERS.
WASHINGTON, June I5.-The correspond
ent of the Philadelphia Press, writing to his
paper, gives the following as a sample of
congressional manners:
There was once a member of Congress from
VirgiBia-I will not give his name, though
it might be mentioned in the "kitchen"-who
had the habit of blowing his nose without
his handkerchief After each operation he
would snap his fingers, and something very
dissgreeabis might light in an honorable
gentleman's eye on the other side of the
House. Tom Cramer, of New York, and one
or two OF the Virginia gentleman's immedi-
ate neighbors, who have suffered from his
amusing tricks, bought a dozen nice linen
handkerchiefs and placed them on his desk.
When the honorable gentleman came in he
opened his package, and, turning the hand
kerchiefs over, he asked Cramer what it all
meant. "Ohw said Cramer, "those are hand
kerchiefs that some friend has sent you to
blow your nose on" "Well, Pll be id, I"
said the Virginiau. "Pve got no use for
such thiugs;" and he franked them home to
his family.
Not many years ago, at the very beginning
of the granger excitement, there came to
Congress from Tennessee a very "amoosin"
cuss, "like Artemus Wards kangaroo" He
had an upper set of false teeth, of which he
seemed very proud. During the siltings of
the House he would often take out his teeth
and examine them minutely for several min
utes. Then he would take out his handker-
chief and wipe them very carefully, after
which interesting ceremony he would suck
them back to their places with a click
like a fox-trap. He also had very en-
tartaining way of combing his hair. He
always carried in his vest-pocket 6ne-tooth
comb, and it was favorite occupation OF his
to hoist his cowhide boots on his desk and
Il, I. T.tI. a f,1 |.
raked through his tangled hair until he got
10 the ends, when he would bring the comb
fiat aide up within few inches of his face
and carefully examine it To see what he had
caught. He would often occupy himself
thus for half an hour. Another congress-
man from Tennessee, pamed Mullins dead
now, poor old fellow, was exceed
ingly playful. He would dance and
kick up his heels in very kittenish man
ner, and he had cheerful habit Of hitting
his fellow-members whacking blow on tn ;
back when they least expected it. Yet he
was not unpopular among his fellows, for he
was always good-natured, and he had no
idea his playfulness might be offensive. But
the funniest thing Mullins ever did was on a
very mournful occasion. Virginia mem
Der Il believe) had been killed in a row by
the kuklux, l think. At any rate the
funerd orations were being pronounced, and
occasions. Finally Mullins's time came, and
for him it was great occasion, and great
use he made OF it, if you will believe me. 1t
was the most ridiculous speech ever made in
Congress. Notwithstanding the pail which
hung over the chamber the audience was
convulsed. One sentence OF the orstion l
remember, and can never forget Here it is
(he referred, of course, 10 the murdered COZ
gres=man):
''He has gone down to his grave wrapped
in the peaceful soliloquy of his own blood"
The House, at this burst of pathos, burst
out laughing, and its members could not re-
strain themselves. believe John McElhone
and some of The members afterward fixed up
the speech in decent style.
Another eccentric fellow was the delegate
from Idaho, three or four Congresses back.
1t was his pleasurable habit on warm days
during the sessions of the House to take
nap. Back of the seats in the House, as
everybody knows, are sofas, wide and lux
urious, placed at short intervals all around
the hall. The honorable gentleman from
Idaho would begin his entertainment by
nodding in his seat. Then, more asleep than
awake, he would shuttle to one of those sofas.
First he would pull of one boot, then think
over 1t moment, and finally pull off the
other one. Next he would unbutton his vest
and unloose his crayat. Then to sleep and
TO snorel What would the aesthetic Mr.
Howard think TO see an American congress-
man stretched out on a sofa, snoring like
log horn, with his boots of, and socs not OF
he cleanest?
L once had the misfortune to board at a |
1otel-a frst-class hotel. My little family |
hared a very desirable table in a corner with |
IN honorable senator. 1t was in the DAYS of |
Andy johnson, and the senator was in high |
aVor. He was very good-nstured, very
lonest, very frank and very green. He was
emperate, dressed in broadcloth, and never
Fould bore you with too much talk Indeed,
may say, he would have been very agreea-
lie but for one bad habit. He would blow
is nose ON the, napkin The first thing be
i'd when he sat down to the table was to
pread out the snowy linen and "whoop it
p" like house aire. II there il anything
q the word that is revolving and cowardly
/ is an anonymous letter. but to that senator
wrote one, containing simply these words
Why don't you blow your nose on your
andkerchief instead Of on your Hspkin?"
had the desired effect.