The Evening critic., 1883-04-12

| lawyer. He had perfected partnership,
it is said, with the firm in which is OK Sen
ator Mcdonald, and would have entered
upon the practice of law before instead of re-
manning on the bench not later than May 1
The law firm he would have been con-
nected with stands in the front rank, and
he would have added still greater strength.
| So the Postmaster -Generalship was an
accident to him, and must have been a
total surprise.
The Washington correspondence of one Of
the leading Eastern papers has called atten-
tion to the aesthetic hitching- block and
stepping stone that has been placed in
| front of the Department Of Justice. The
| dispatch says it is designed as an artistic
beauty and is one Of Brewster's idiosyncra-
sizes, etc.
Yesterday the Critics attention was at
tracted to this piece of art as he passed the
Department of Justice, and he paused to
look upon it. There it lay upon the very
edge ,of the dusty sidewalk, exposed to
wind and weather. It's thing of beauty
and must be constant joy to the man of
ruffles who presides over that Department
of misnomer.
1t is a beautiful piece of brown stone,
probably two feet long, about twelve
inches wide and ten inches thick-just
rightly proportioned to give the sculp-
tor good field for artistic work. The
sides exposed to the street and sidewalk
are of the inlaid panel pattern painted
deep cardinal, and in the centre the sunken
letters Dept Justice" all with beautiful
effect
There are panels on the ends, but they
are not inlaid SO deeply, and bear the simple
date "1ss3," which will herald to future
generations the fact that it was the work
OF Brewster, Attorney General
On top of the stone is readily seen the
handiwork of an Angelo. The finish is
beautiful. In the centre are the majestic
words Dept Justice in sunken gin letters!
After carefully examining this beautiful
.piece of stone-work the Critic stepped back,
looked upon it again and again, admired it
and passed on, his pity aroused that such
magniflcence should be placed there in such
exposure and used as even stepping stone,
thing laid bare to the slipper soles of the
rnffied king whose steps, though in early
days like the gazelle, are now so heavy
they must soon efface the polish and wear
to dullness the gilt that to-day sheds its
resplendant rays SO scrumptiously in the
sunlight of heaven And his heart throbbed
with compasson-for the stone.
-;o.-
The Critic was called upon yesterday to
been victimized by one of the gilded
nickels during recent trip North, and
was sadly exhibiting the glittering half
dime which he had verdantly accepted for
one hundred times its value.
The conversation turned naturally to
counterfeiting and the skill and ingenuity
| with which the disreputable industry is
| carried on. The subject was being dis
| cussed when Secret-Service man of long
experience Joined the couple and gave
some rather striking views ON counterfeit
ing.
After listening to the talk about the skill
and talent ofthe counterfeiter, he inquired,
| gravely:
'Did it ever strike you, Mr.. Critic, that
| it is the worst counterfeiter, and not the
best, that makes the thing pay, generally ?"
The Critic had never seen the matter in
that light, and inquired what was meant.
| "Well," said the Secret-Service represen-
tative, sit is fact that in my experience
the man who makes the poorest possible
imitation ofa coin is the most successful
| money maker"
By way of explanation he continued
Suppose you make study of counterfeit
| ing and make silver dollar that has
enough silver in it to have good ring and
| good color, has enough art bestowed upon
it to have good appearance, and is of the
| proper circumference and thickness. Your
dollar by the time it is made costs you
from fifty to seventy-fve cents, in proper
tion to its perfection. I go to work and
make the worst lead dollar that can be
moulded, bad in die, in color, in ring, in size
and in everything. My dollar costs me five
cents and yours costs you seventy-fve
cents. We both go to crowded town or q
| public demonstration and I pass half as
many lead dollars as you do we'll made
ones. | make ninety-five cents on every
one and you make quarter. Sabe 2"
| -:o;-
As result of one of the incidents grow.
ing out of the last election for Congressman
in "My Maryland " was rough and.
tumble fight in 'front.' of Willard's Hotel
| day before yesterday between Mr.. Smoot, O
| clerk in the War Department. and citi.
zen of the Fifth Congressional District oi
Maryland, who calls himself Andrew v
Robey.
AS the story came to the Critic it was
about thus: Mr.. Widdecombe, chief of a
division in the Sixth Auditors Office, was
candidate for the Republican nomination
for Congress in the Fifth District. Tc
secure the nomination several clerks en-
ployed in the different Departments were
induced to get leave of absence to 60 into
| the district and work for Mr.. Widdecombe
In order to 60 and be able to pay their way
several of them had to borrow money OF
-per-centers. Mr.. Widdecombe wa:
beaten for the nomination by the Hon
Hart B. Holton, who was elected.
| Time rolled ON and some of the notes
| given by the aforesaid clerks fell due, and
they were not paid and are not paid yet.
Mr.. Widdecombe took occasion to report