National Republican., 1883-02-07
ON THE AVENUE.
small Tn1ls About Men and n1ensur


an opinion to the Avenue man last evening
as follows: 4 am possessed Of the notion
that the republicans of the house will put q
sudden stop to the tariff foolishness one of
these days in the near future. They will let
the discussion go on long enough to satisfy
the country beyond all dispute that the demo-
Gratis will defeat tho bill If possible, and then
they will turn in and pass 1t as IL came
from tho ways and means committee. A
conference committee can work out satis-
factory compromise measure in week, and
bring the question of its passage or defeat to
fair and square issue that will enable the
people to locate the responsibility Of failure
TO revise the tariff, should there be n failure,
and put the blame where it belongs. The re-
publicans understand that they must take a
decided stand on tho question and define their
position before congress adiourns or they will
not have leg to stand on"
@%e
"I am paired with the senator from Col
orado," said one of the democratic senators
yesterday when his name was called. "It
didn't take the now senator long TO find out
the value of pairs" whispered a dgnified
gentleman from ono of the New England
states to his next neighbor. "His education
was certainly not neglected" was the response
/ wonder what his side card is"
go.
A correspondent, who has evidently sold
real estate short, seeks to discourage tho con-
struction of palaces in Washington by the
statement that the men who build them
nevorl have any political luck aftcrward.
Senator Window, ex-senator Blaine, and Mr..
Bobeson are given as frightful examples of
the willing, ruinous example of expensive
house building and Senator Pcndleton Is
warned that he, too, is doomed to political
decay by the same token. II is remembered,
however, that Gen. Butler buildcd him n
palace in Washington, and he cannot be
enumerated in the list of political cadavers
at this writing.
go
Fow men in private life are better known
in Washington than DIR. d. &. Rush. His
constant companion during tho past three
months, until few days Ago, has been Gen.
Thomas o. Osborn, minister to the Argentine
Republic. They were seldom separated, and
it was safe TO wager that if one was in sight
tho other was somewhere in the immediate
vicinity The Damon and Pythias attach
ment of the two men, who are past the me-
ridian of life, dates back twenty years. DIR,
Rush was surgeon during the war; lie
enlisted at the breaking out Of the re-
bellion, and performed excellent service on
the field and in the hospitals, and in year
or two he was transferred to the officers hos
ptal at Norfolk. He carly took issue with
other surgeons on tho question of amputation
of limbs, and on scores of occasions he refused
point blank to cut Off arms or legs when his
associates in consultation decided that the
operations would have to be performed to save
life. 1t was on ono of these occasions that
he was called upon to amputate Gen. Osborn's
leg. The general, desperately wounded
was laid out on table and the
saw and knives were placed within tho sur.
geons reach. DIR. Rush examined the patient
and although it had been decided that ampu.
tation was absolutely necessary, he not only
peremptorially declined to cut of the manged
limb, but refused to allow another to do it
The wounded man also protested when he
| found he had n friend, and the operation was
postponed. In few weeks the general was
sitting up, and it WAS not long until he was
out. He is as sprightly to-day as though
nothing had ever troubled him. Since
the day DIR. Rush saved his leg, Gen
Osborn has entertained for him the warm
est affection. The doctor saved an arm
for Gen. o. l., Mann, of Chicago, and legs ant
arms for many others who came under hi!
care. He had horror of unnecessary ampu
tation, and before the close of the war he hat
the satisfaction of seeing his views very gen
orally adopted by the leading surgeons o
both armies. Skillful healing treatment ant
nursing were substituted in great measur,
for the brutal butchery that characterized tn,
practice of the surgical art in the earlier day
of the unpleasantness." Latterly, ampu
tation was resorted to only in very dcsperat,
cases, whereas at first limbs were shortened
in many instances because it was thought
stump would heal quicker and better than
mangled, ragged wound and splinteret
bone.
@a&
The peopls who filled the galleries yestcr
day were not treated to q single scene tina
gave promise of carnage. "Wonder what ha
kept Randall and Blackburn SO quiet to-day {?
calculated disgusted spectator in the gallery
"Neithor Of them has jumped up and cracke'
his heels together once the whole livolonj
day, and not member has been plastered u
against the wall by the b-a-a.d man from
Kentucky and his equally b-a-a-d man from
Pennsylvania. Hope they will do better to
morrow. 1 like to see them fee, foo, FUN
around after the blood of inofIensivc con
gressmen."