The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-05-31
SArIoNAL CAPITAL GOSSIP.
Random Notes of Persons and Things

IN the United States SENATE and Its con-
tiguous sights and associations. One of the
most attractive of these is the Marble Room.
If I had McCauley's or Hugo's singular
powers of description, l could possibly give
the reader faint conception of the extra
ordinary beauty of this grand room. But
then the charm of establishment would be
in part broken when you came here to see it
with your own eyes. 1t is 81 tuated in the
center of what may call the north facade
more properly the north end or wing. A
spacious lobby extends from east to west be-
tween il and the Senate Chamber, in which
the legislative Solons sit in front of
Jumbo" David Davis. Speaking of pro
tenn. Vice President Davis,he is not so pond
erous in appearance as you would |
conclude by reading the many |
references to his avsirdupois. This lobby |
referred to is sacred to Senatorial feet, and |
il is special privilege for an outside bar
barian" to trespass therein. LISA courtesy |
however, extended by official chiefs and the |
Senators sometimes. j saw not long ago |
bevy of young ladies chsperoned by the |
pretty and piquant Mrs. Nellie Gorgas Scott, |
formerly of Indianapolis, escorted by
sERGEANr-AT-ARMs RICHARD J. BRIGHT,
Il u
trauscendent beauties in imperishable |
marble and other adamant of various hues |
Colonel Bright has control, ex-otfico, OF that |
lend" of the Capitol. In the House the Of |
fee corresponding to Mr.. Bright's in name
is of more limited jurisdiction. There they
have a door-keeper. In the Senate Colonel
| Bright has all the bookkeeping, the Post
office, the document room, the folding room,
the messengers and heating and ventilating
under his direction. If the ventilating only
| included the.records of the public servants
quartered here, wouldn't our genialan hand
some Colonel Dick Bright have jolly old
time of it? And if he did his duty fearlessly
and faithfully, without partiality, would re
rot soon be in the plight of the darkey's
boy who made facial Inspection of the
| hoof of an irritable mule THAT is, not so
| good lookin' ez he war befo', but he knows
mo-" About thousand newspaper cor
respondents, reporters and editors on the
ground are ventilating" away at these
Executive, Legislative and judicial officers,
and the job is confoundedly poorly done,
even then.
| Would you like to know how Colonel Bright
stands in his official shoes as Sergean tat
Arms of the United States Senate? / have
had the matter brought to my attention
accidentally. One of the most prominent
of the "Stalwart Republican Senators said
to me recently:
|, "Your Indiana man. Mr. Bright, is a
: splendid type of manhood-a courteous,
capable, earnest, attentive officer, III whose
integrity all of us have confidence, and OF
, whose conduct We have no word but praise.
Should the political whirligig of time give
us Republican ma jority in the Senate, as
is likely TO occur at a not remote period, for
/ one | snail be very reluctant to have
: to vote with my party to displace Mr.. Bright
and substitute some new and untried man.
{ His case is one of those instances so felicit-
ously referred to by President Garfield when
he said some of the sweetest flowers bloom
$ over the wall that divides parties. We Re-
publicans could not hope to find a more
I faithful more agreeable man for the place
r one whose heart is bigger and warmer, OF
whose head is leveler. Indeed we woald De
| lucky il we succeeded in electing one hi:
7 equal in generous impulses and assiduity to
duty.
More than this was said of personal ma
ture. and on a little inquiry found ii not .
J, singular feeling among Senators OF bott
4 paruee. Divesting ourselves of partisanshlI
e Tor a moment, il really looks like child
i PLAY to pitch in and change officers every
time the party majority changes If Colone
} Bright were the Sergeant-at-Arms OF TIT
Senate for q score of years, no doubt /
r would be for the best His next in com
e mand." Bassett, has been in official connec
= ton with the Senate for over half a cen
= tury.
When Colonel Bright took hold of thi
4 Office, he bought our Indiana ex-State III
d brarian, popularity known far and wide as
4 Mr.. CURG DALTON,
e and installed him as Private Secretary. Blu
IF il was found the more responsible place @
is SUPERINTENDENT of the folding diyisio
,e needed a trusted and capable man. III
le Bright told your correspondent that he wa
K very sorry to part with Mr.. Dalton as privat
l. secretary, but he knew that with this gentle
4 man as superintendent of folding, there woul
re be certainty and efficiency. SO the chang
to was made. Curg is just the same quie
,e transformations and genial old boy in thu
nd official position requiring strictest attention
a that we find him in public life in lndianaE
1t oils. He is great favorite among publ
rd men, as well as among his friends. Or
d. day when taking mOmentary Whit OF b
ne hospitality in his Office Oust beneath Il
Marble Room) had ansopportunity to 81
a ocular proof of the cordial relations esta
n lished between Curg and the leading men
the country Gen. John b. Gordon, la
re United States Senator from Georgia, WI
NO resigned to go into business, called in
D. see Mr. Dalton. and the creating was war;
N is red-hot admirer of Senator Voorhee
zee eloquence and j. E. McDonald's fame befo
in the Supreme Court.
nc Speaking of
SENATOR VOORHEES,,
be he has won an enviable fame as a gracefJ
re- entertaining public speaker. Critics ma
Ill disparage as much as they plea
ch mis- craftsmanship, and point o.
lar what they call inconsistent
be in his career (for example, as alleged, in
by present position ON the tariff and with reft
he ence 10 Government support of and gensrC
he lty TO the Union soldiersl yet do n
cal know but Senator Voorhees, must be 9
In knowledged as the readiest and most Ell
ra' quent speaker and general debater on q
re, Senate floor Ii my estimate is correct, 1T
Id indeed, proud distinction to have attaine
he / observe that when the graceful Tall SyS
le more addresses the Senate, the Senate CIV
om ear, and the galleries are full TO overtiowlr
be- What gloomy and pitiable contrast is pl
sented in Voorhees, eonfrere-the son OF
grandfather, Ben Harrisont The Jnni
,,Ia Senator essayed greatest effort of his i
, 30, recently, on that fascinating subject, t
tho Mississippi River leyee matter. 1t was
80 Harrisons maiden effort" That CO
- manded the expected attention OF euriosi
10 bat the speech fell cold and desolate up
IN, the Senate The galleries were ]
ni6 enihused - except one intensely
ont tent spectator refer to ia
al sons pet protege, Mr.. Alexander, v
ON holds the nice plumb of Fifth Auditor
sro Harrison's hands. I might have Gown
he ON some attention to that ',greatess eff
a. of Harrison in the Republican ally h
H ;o'o the National Republican. But the Il
- | morning it simply announced: AT the