The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-11-22

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making a speech, and wave his finger
at him as if he were prompting the clear
cut sentences. He wrote card to the
Washington Journal, complaining OF
| the injustice with which he was treated
by his brother, John c. He said that
John c. had no brain power except that
which he drew from him, William H. ;
that he wrote all his brothers speeches,
furnishing both ideas and language, and
pumping eloquence into him from an
inexhaustible reservoir of oratory that
was stored within his mind. And yet
John c., with fraternal ingratitude
that was disgraceful to the family, had
refused to acknowledge his obligation,
that he declined to recognize him as a
brother, and that he had even refused to
lend him half-dollar to buy food with.
The writer called on the public to know
ifSuch an migrate was fit man to rep
resent the proud State of South Carolina
the Senate, and threatened to cut the
supnly-pipe of eloquence and to write
nonore speechesif John C. did not come
to terms. 1t is said that Mr.. Calhoun
was so worried by the persistent claims
of this man that he gave him the alter
native of being arrested for lunacy or of
accepting small sum to go away and
never return, the latter of which was
agreed to, and the tormentor of the
great nullifier disappeared into space
and was heard of no more.
For years at a time the cranks have
disappeared from Washington, and then
returned in such quick succession as to
suggest an epidemic. But even since
the foundation of the republic Wash
ington has been a magne: for men with
crazy schemes. From the days of
William Fullilove to Guiteau. Bill Jones
the Avenger, and Queen Clementina
they have all focked to Washington to
air their vagaries and enforce their vi
sionary claims. Last year a lunatic came
afoot all the way from Lincoln, Neb.,
to Washington, the trip occupying near
" five months of travel, to inform the
President that he had discovered the
grave of Moses in the Rocky Mountains,
and he wanted 5000 soldiers to guard
it from dissertation. He said that
Moses had set up in his stone sarcopha
gusand talked to him in ancient Hebrew,
and there could be no mistake as to the
identity ofthe prophets body. 81 must
see President Arthur without mo-
ment's delay" said the ragged crank to
the doorkeeper at the White House;
eve all have wrong idea about the
garden of Eden, Mount Sinai and the
Red Sea. They are all out in Nebraska.
The Red sea is there but it is dried up.
l have discovered Moses and have a
letter from him to the President. The
Indians and Mormons are about to steal
his body and put it in the tabernacle al
Salt Lake and the army must go out
there at once. You needn't laugh
Moses is there and looks just like he did
1900 years ago. He told me all about
that story of the hullrushes and Pharaoh's
daughter" Then the crank insisted on
going into the White House and "right
to the Presidents room," but police
r.sn appeared and told him that a tele-
gram ,',->.-->~~------ -t-c--sr-----
who was coming on here himself, and
that big crowd was at the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad depot waiting for him.
On receiving this information the crank
Immediately struck out for the depot at
full speed, and though he was expected
to return he was not seen at the White
House door again.
"Oueen Clementina" was dement,
ed lady of excellent connections, good
education and means, who left her home
in Louisville and came here about two
months ago to "take possession of her
heritage" Her first act was to issue
an imperial order directing President
Arthur to vacate the White House and
turn over "the crown jewels, the pre-
cious stones, the gold and silver to her.
She appeared at the White House door
and solemnly delivered her decree, add
ing that she would allow "a hours for
itsexecution, at the expiration of which
time her Centurion" would take
charge of the executive mansion. She
also announced that the "royal mason's"
had been ordered to at once begin the
erection of a marble wall 50 feet high
to surround the White House, which
was hereafter to be known as the"Im-
perial Palace of Queen Clementina. ="
The lady S mind was stored with strange
medley of decisions, and she exhibited
family tree, showing that she was a
direct descendant of the Ptolemies, and
directly or collaterally related to Queen
Semiramis, Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth,
Maria Theresa, Catherine of Russia,
Mary, Queen of Scots and Queen Vic
toria. She said she had received pro-
posal of marriage from Victor Bonaparte,
and if her cousin, Queen Victoria, would
give her consent she would probably
marry him and consolidate the republics
of France and America under one en-
pire. She was completely daft, and at
the hotel spent her time alternately
laughing and weeping. When publici-
ty was given to her queer antics, friends
of her family living in Washington took
charge of her and cared for her until
tie arrival of relatives from Louisville,
who returned with her to her home.
They had been searching the whole
country for her.
But these are not the only kind OF
cranks who abound in Washington.
The capital being an 0mntum gathe,zna
of all the various classes of people from
every portion of the country, it is not
unnatural that human eccentricity should
find its favorite field here. 1t is not the