Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-03-02
WASHINGTON.
Smalls Stuffed-A Statesman's Teeth

Smalls Stuffed-A Statesman's Teeth
TabOr's Triumphs-Ben Butler on
Deck-PensacOIa's Public building.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-In the old Hall OF
Representatives at the capitol there has re-
Gently been placed a statue OF Robert Fulton.
The marble figure represents the great invent
or seated IN broad backed arm chair exam
lining the model of primitive paddle wheel
steamer. To-day that able colored statesman
and learned gentleman, Col. Robert Smalls.
of South Carolina, stopped to gaze on the
statue. There were perhaps half dozen 9th
ers engaged in the same thing. Asked Smalls
OF gentleman who stood by him: 'sWho is
that?"
Robert Fulton" was the answer.
whats that he's got in his hand?"
''The model of steamboat
''What did Fulton ever do?"
With twinkle in his eye, the man interro-
gated said: SHE ran the first line of steamers
between New York and England"
Ugh" grunted Smai's. and then-s'Is he
running them yet -
'NO,'' was the calm and even reply. "He
has sold out to Jay Gould" Audible smiles
Smalls was not disconcerted; didn't know
there was any joke about it; thought he was
getting solid facts.
There is an able member of the House who
has just been made to pay $50 for an upper set
of false teeth. This gentleman is of an
economic turn of mind. He went to one of
the teeth. The conditions were that
II the JOB was not satisfactory the
teeth should be returned and no
money paid: They were delivered one
morning. That afternoon the statesman
made speech. The dentist happened to be
in the gallery. He watched the result of his
work. lie noticed that the eloquent gentle
man every now and then put up his hand and
firmly GnpEnf a11fi ft1I
teeth. That evening the dentist waited on
his Congressional customer. He said: 81 was
in the gallery to-day when you were speak
ing. l noticed that you had little trouble
with those teeth. l can fix them all right in
two minutes" But the legislator would not
have it. The job was unsatisfactory, he said,
and he would not pay for it. Neither would
he return the teeth. The next day the dentist
consulted lawyer. That gentleman advised
him to inform his debtor that unless he either
returned the food masticators or paid for
them he would take legal process, and just
as he got up to speak next time would take
back the teeth that he gave him. This had
the desired effect The teeth were fixed so
that they would work for both talking and
eating without any filibustering in the pro-
ceedings. And the legislator paid the bill.
He now talks good deal on the floor. His
smile while cOnversing with ladies is perfect
ly irresistible.
Senator Tabor is credited with adding one
more laurel to his wreath of fame. Dia-
mOnds, two hundred and fifty dollar night
shirts and swell dinners would certainly in
the ordinary mind constitute fame enough for
one man taken in connection with service
of thirty days in the Senate. What more
could man want of fame when all these were
added to his millions? But Tabor is ambi-
tious. He wants to go out in a blaze of
glory. Such great statesmen as he
cannot be prevented from spreading their
piniOns and seeking fame wherever it is to be
found, or words to that effect. Now what is
Tabor going to do? He is going to get mar
ried! His millions, his dinners his big dia-
mOnd-and may say his $3.50 night shirts?-
have captured a dazzling belle of the highest
toned society. | will wager that with this
climax Tabor will have beaten the record.
Ben Butler, Governor OF Massachusetts and
the horror of Beacon street and all that is
silk -stOckInged in politics. has been here for
several days. Benjamin has peculiar ways
about him. He don't put up at hotel and
have his arrival noted in the papers. He goes
to some private boarding house, where no
register of guests is kept He then attends
quietly to his business. When that is through
he emerges into the public view. He was last
night and to-day very prOmiscuous around
the capitol. He did most inhabit the cloak
rooms of the two houses. He maintains
his reputation for agility and activity, COM
bined with an astuteness that was never eX-
celled. Members and Senators went to the
cloak rooms to talk to him. He is a good
talker. He tells a very good story. His cross
eyed feature and cunning and most harmo-
nious habit of dropping his eyelid adds to the
effect of a wit that Is perennial. 1t is never
dull where Butler is. 1t was noticed how
ever that he devoted himself to the Democrats
He did not care to please Republicans except
in gentle, preoecupied way. He aimed his
tender endearments at the Democrats BEN
jamin is not hankering after the Republican
nomination in 1884. Therefore. he wastes none
of his sweetness upon that party.
There is clause in the sundry civil service
bill which authorizes the Secretary of the
Treasury to erect the new public building at
Pensacola upon ground other than the site of
the building which was burned down. The
reason this clause was inserted was because it
was desired to purchase some of the adjoining
property for the new building, which will be
larger than the old. The owners of that prop
erty asked an exorbitant sum for il. stfhere
is nothing like these little things" said Super
vising Architect Hill to me to-day. '.As soon
as the owners Of the property that we wanted
to buy learned what was going on they came
down to a reasonable figure, and we have
bought of them" POTOMAC.