The National tribune., 1883-05-31
SMALL TALK
About Men and Things.

The versatile little Congressman Sam Cox,
who represents one of the downtown New
York districts, has just bought $4,000 house
near Blaine's grand residence in this city He
has been very careful man, and this house
will represent about what he has saved from
his salary during twenty years of public life
He has always lived modestly at hotel during
the years he has spent at the capital He is
getting old, he says, but is really as bright and
jovial as in his younger days, when he repre-
sented an Ohio district in Congress. He will
be one of the leading members of the next
House, and if he does not win the Speakership
viii probably be chairman of the Committee
on Foreign Affairs which Charley Williams,
of Wisconsin, managed so ably during the
Forty-seyenth Congress. Cox is one of the
most industrious men in Washington and care
fully prepares all his funny speeches He is
quite versatile author also, and his various
books have good sale. From this source he
has also derived some profit.
s@#
Said gentleman yesterday to real estate
man: I" 1t was clever thing in Mr.. Blaine to
erect that great house of his up in that de-
serted quarter of the city, where Stuart Castle
had stood alone like big ruin for so many
years. 1t must have put thousands of dollars
into many mans pocket, for land has gone
from 10 cents to So square foot around there
since"
You don't know Mr.. Blaine very well, do
your" responded the real estate agent. He
is not that kind of business man l assure
you. The land has gone up, as you say, but it
belongs to Mr.. Blaine himself very largely.
Before he ever mentioned the fact that he in
tended to build he quietly bought up all the
vacant land in that quarter that was for sale
Then he began to erect his palace, and the
boom followed. His profits by the transaction
viii pay for the big house he has put up three
times over. Blaine is the shrewdest business
man in America"
.s*
The Regular army officers feel badly cut up
about the epidemic of scandal within their
ranks. First was the Howgate affair Then
came Ilges, the Indian fighter who could not
tell the comparative value of two pairs" and
three of kind" until he was forced to sell
his pay accounts two or three times over TO get
money to cash up. Then came Wasson a pay
master, who had similar misfortune but
more costly one to the Government. Then
followed Colonel Morrow, of Sherman's staff
with like falling, and last and worst of all is
Major Niekersou, who sent his wife to Europe,
refused to send her money TO come home on,
procured a divorce by swearing she had de-
serted him, and three days later married
dashing society lady of Baltimore.
Said General - yesterday " This sort of
| thing makes me so mad / can't express my
| feelings. l know Mrs. Niekerson well and she
| is a very lovely and accomplished woman. I
| have known for some time that something was
wrong with NickarS0n- 1 served with him in
| the army and have been intimate with him for
| years, but for the last twelve months he has
avoided all his old friends and has even gone
| so far as to dodge me on the street He belongs
| to the Metropolitan Club, but he has changed
| his hours for being there for some months past
and has made steady effort to shun all his old
acquaintance and get in with a new set
| Whenever man acts like this you may be
! sure something is wrong. 1t is something
| wrong with himself, too When a fellow gets
into trouble the first thing he does is to tell all
his intimate friends about it, provided it is not
| his fault. But whenever he becomes secretive
| and mysterious, lodges his old friends, and is
never seen except with some one unknown to
| his old set, you may be sure there is something
| crooked about him. This sort Of thing in
| Nickerson lately convinced me that he was up
| so something he was ashamed Of Since his
conduct has been exposed friend of mine has
| shown me letter which Is enough to convict
| the man In tho opinion of the world at any
rate. Mrs. Niekerson wrote asking for infor-
nation about her husband She said she had
| been unable to hear from him for months, al
| though she had written him almost daily. She
wanted to know If he was i'll. The last time
| she had heard from him he had forbidden her
| to come homo. She was afraid no was sick and
| did not wish to worry her by writing the truth.
II this was 30 she would insist upon coming
any way to take care of him herself. TAis