Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-26

uluSeuiu VI EOTdl anu Uot8hISat SfeCl-
mems and of all the paraphernala which go to
make up an anglers kit. And now at his
home in Florida. although he long ago passed
the allotted life of man. the same habits remain
with him and the same pleasures come to him
from these cherished pastimes of his earlier
years. He would. perhaps, all the same have
Illustrated in his life the virtues of an honest
man If Providence had not. in addition to a
vigorous constitution. given him the Temporal
ment and taste of an angler. but the fact that
he is an angler we may be sure abstracts moth
! ing from the high qualities which enter into the
mental and moral structure of an honest man
May he yet live many years to fish with leaders
as tough as his constitution and with rods as
elastic as his humor and as stable as his fame
| What an Orator Could Do.
| we have read many descriptions of the effect
produced by great orators upon their audiences
but an incident related to US several wears ago
is perhaps as remarkable an illustration of the
power OF eloquence as any ever recorded. The
gentleman referred to was walking with us from
the Capitol. in Washington. just after we had
been listening to an unusually fine speech in the
House OF Representatives. upon which We were
commenting, when. turning to us, he said:
"You are not old enough to remember Wm
{. Preston when in public life. He was by far
the greatest orator that ever heard. and never
equa!!ed. perhaps. 10y any American except Pat
"
| at Macon. Ga. which / can never forget. and
which, Ridiculous as it seemed afterwards fur
nis!ed for that very reason the most conclusive
and striking proof of Mr. Preston's absolute
control over an audience ] have thought of it
a thousand times and know of no parallel to it,
1t was in the Clay campaign of 1874 An I'M
! mense audience. fifteen or twenty thousand had
assembled to hear Preston. large stage had
been erected. which was crowded with promi-
nent persons. and the multitude was packed
! around IT. There the uSual nd
fusion incident to such occasions until after
Preston had been speaking few moments
when Il began to subside, and soon there was
dead silence. except the music of that wonder
| 1ul voice. He was in fine condition for his work
! and went at it in his best style. The silence
seemed to intensity as the tide of his eloquence
poured over the dense mass of enchanted
listeners. With the swell of his SON
Grous voice the audience seemed to rise
on tiptoe. and to sink back again with
It's ebbing cadences; and again they swayed
with the sweep OF his arm like wheatfieId to
the breeze. At length, in magnificent burst of
inspiration-with his long arm raised high, his
eyes flashing, and the multitude hanging breath
! lesSly upon his wOrds-he seized the brown wig
| which he wore. held it up over his shinin" bald
mead, and, still soaring in his splendid flight, re-
| placed 1t cross-wlse and scared on: and sir
assure you that there was not in that vast audi
ence. the least ripple Of laughter at this most
ridiculous performance but, on the contrary
no one seemed to notice it, so completely en-
tranced was every listener. Charlotte IN. c.
! Journal.
One Phase OF Washington Society.
From a letter in the Boston Advertiser.
There Is social element in Washington
which is supremacy Indifferent to anything like
politics. 1t would be hard to tell Just where it
| begins. or Of whom it is composed. Mainly |
may say. the army and navy, and the remnants
of that old aristocracy which has chung to the
government like barnacles for half century,
They live to a large extent in heightened board
| ing houses, but have always such an acquaint-
| ance among the ultra-fashOnable circles that
they are always found at their receptions and
parties. These people generally are in receipt
Of quarterly check upon the Treasury, q me-
mento of some deceased relative who years ago
belonged to the military establishment; or else
| have some perquisite in the departments which
Yields pretty income without much work.
These folks hold a most supreme cOntempt of
that class in Washington. who go by the style
OF congressional people" To them such gen
| tlemen as represent districts and states In
Congress, who determine upon the policy of the
government, and who are in the main excellent
| representatives of the best types in American
| life, are of minor consideration.
One of these ancient ladies asked me the other
day about one ofOur New England congressman
docs he not come from the people?"-as il that
| "SIC cHouSh W COuucIIu tliiil. iHat question
embodies their ideas. They hold themselves en-
tirely above 1.-THE people," Revealing in the
memories of bygOne relatives who once drew
salaries from the nation, they hold themselves
in lofty contempt Of those later gentlemen who
now hold the places which their grandrathers
occupied. 1t is an arstOcracy unlike that Of any
other city. 1t is based not on wealth. nor in
telligence, nor birth; simply upon traditions of
official place. They and the army and navy keep
up their festivities this winter as ever With
! them there is an entire Indifference apparently
to all things pertaining to ''the people" provid
ing only that Congress appropriates the money
TO pay them, and the succession of dancing par
ties is kept up with regularity.
New Penal Code for Indians.
Indian Commissioner Price has sent circular
letter to all Indian agents, containing new rules
for their guidance. The rules establish a trf-
bunal, to be called 'the court of Indian Of
fences, and to consist of three persons, not one
to be a polygamist, at each agency, to be nomi-
mated by the agent after consultation with the
Indians The Judges of Indian offences" are
to be paid $50 month; their TERMS year, and
they are removable at any time by the commits
sioner. The court is to hold two sessions a
month, and special sessions. The agent is i'm
powered to enforce attendances of witnesses and
the orders of the court. The Indian Offences
to be tried by this court are the sun dance.
scalp dance. war dance and ''sports assimilating
nv