The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-05-10
SMALL TALK


AD0ut Hen ana Things.
John Tyler, son of ex-President Tyler, who
is a Government employee in the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing, is engaged upon a
history of his fathers administration. It is I'M
derstood that he is putting great deal of labor
upon it, and applying himself carefully to the
work in order to produce a vindication of
President Tyler's political career, and reply to
the various attacks made upon his administra-
ton by contemporaries Mr.. Tyler win also
include good deal of personal "reminiscences of
a gOssipy nature which will be of interest as
portraying the life and acts of public men who
were in the meridian of their activity during
his fathers term of official life Many anec-
dotes of Webster, Clay, and Adams will appear
for the first time in print, and good deal Of
interest is manifested in the work among old
habitues of the Capital Mrs. Tyler, the Sec
ond wife of the ex-President, who lives in Yir-
ginia, and is still a lady well preserved and in
the prime of life, is frequent visitor to Wash
ington, where she has many friends, and is a
general favorite in society.
Charles Ii. Reed, the pertinaciOus Chicago
lawyer who defended Guiteau, is going to New
York to enter upon what will be no doubt a
brilliant practice. He has already ensconeed
himself among the attorneys on Nassau street.
He is one of the most suave men living, with
bright grey eye and a moustache that reminds
one of the last Napoleon. He is a terror to his
opponents, because they say he always captures
the jury. He has way of an assumption of
franknesS and keen desire for fair play while
all the time he is watching for the weak points
in the enemys position like a hawk, and when
he once has his man where he wants him he is
as merciless as an inquisitOr. He was for
twelve years States attorney in Chicago, and
during that time prosecuted nine murderers to
the gallows. Afterwards he conducted the de-
Tense of HILL supervising architect of the
Treasury, who was indicted for alleged frauds
in connection with the stone contracts for the
Chicago custom-house. He acquitted his client.
bringing him out unscathed Reed is great
friend OF General Grants and ex-senator Conk-
Hng's He would be for Grant for President in
1884 if he had the power to make the nominal
ton.
#*m
Gen. Green B. Raum who has just resigned
the Office of Commissioner of Internal Revenue
is said to have already received retainers TO the
amount of $4,000. He is an able lawyer, as
he was gallant soldier and no man under
stands the Treasury Department better than he
does. This Department, by the way, has not
undergone many changes In its general scheme
OF management since first organized by Alex
ander Hamilton. The twig which he planted
has simply grown to treaof vast proportions
George S. Boutwell,. of Massachusetts,, who is
now counsel for the United States before the
French-Ameriean Claims Commission, when
Secretary of the Treasury introduced one of the
innovations which at the time looked to some of
the conservative old fellows who had passed half
their lives in the great building like a reckless
attempt to ruin the government. 1t had always
been the custom not to notify any one when the
interest on their bonds was due, and if they
never called for it they never got it. In the
course of the frequent transfers of bonds from
one party to another it frequently happened
that neither buyer nor seller claimed the in
terest falling due at certain day, probably
both supposing the other took it. Secretary
Boutwell, thought this was wrong, and devised
the scheme now in practice of sending to the
address Of every bondholder, by mail check
for the amount due at the expiration of each
quarter. There are to-day large amounts of
money due people under the old custom which
have never been called for, and probably
never will be, because the owners of it are not
aware OF what is coming to them.
A prominent citizen of Rhode Island said
last evening Il have just come from Senator
AnthOny's home His friends have given I'D his
ease of the kidneys and will never get out
again. He is an old man, you know. He has
served four full terms in the Senate, twenty
four years, and has been an extremely high
liver His system is worn out. Last session
his colleagues noticed that something was
wrong with him. He slept for hours at time
in his chair showing that his system was being
overcome by torpidity, from some cause unno-
ticed by himself. OF course not much is said
about his successor yet, for every one has great
respect for the old governor; but probably,
Mr. Chace, member of the House, viii be
elected. Mr.. Chace is asuecessful business man
of ability and great integrity. He is very cir
cumspeet Quaker, and speaks and writes with
the thee and thou in that quaint way peculiar
to the Friends.
#&@
Said an 1llinoisan, the other day: sour State
will have one of the ablest new men in the next
Senate in Governor Cullom. He is a genius in
his way and a man of wonderful executive
faculty. IfShelby wants anything TO go in GER
tain direction he will be hard man to head OFF.
Cullom has had long experience in the House
of Representatives and has been twice elected
governor. He knows what he is about, and
will not .have to take the back seat to which
new Senators are generally relegated for awhile.
lie will fall in like an old Stager."