Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-01-24
MIR. wATrERsoN IN WASHINGTON
Talk About the Distinguished Ken
tuckian's Designs-The Gossip
of the Capital.

is rapidly usurping the place oil Ohio
in the national estimation everything
the distinguished editor from the blue
grass region does or says is indus
triously chronicled and ingeniou sly
studied. 1t was said that he came TO
force Mr.. Carlisle to be the compro-
mise candidate for the Senate, and al.
so to whoop up the boys for that as
tute old gentleman, Mr.. Joseph e. Nc.
Donald, of Indiana, but the natural
solution that he came here instead of
sending a man on from the Office Of
his paper to do the Washington work,
never seems to have occurred to any
except few slow and unimaginative
persons Mr.. Watterson loves Wash
ington. Its gay anG kaleidoscope life
and the cosmopolitan character of its
society are wonderfully captivating to
the versatile editor. TIE wife of JUS
tice Stanley Mrtthews is his aunt, and
his relatives and friends here consider
him to be quite remarkable person
for his years. He plays on the piano.
He does not make much of his mus
lcal accomplishment for fear it may
hurt him in advocating his tariff views,
for when he is supposed TO be study
ing the great problem of the iron in
Justly or the sugar interests he is
ofCener than not drawing forth the
weird melodies of Chopin or the great
harmonies of Beethoven from dainty
upright piano which he carries around
with him in his trunk. Mr. Hewitt
is mere stick at the piano, and Mr..
Watterson knows that Mr.. Randall
does not understand the rudimentary
principles of piano playing. But Mr..
Watterson is exceedingly modest, and
requires much urging at an evening
party before he will play.
There is still good deal
of talk about the Presidents New
Years reception On New Years
d.y the President entered the
Blue Room with Mrs. Carlisle on his
arm. On the two previous New Years
he had accorded that honor to Mrs.
Frelinghuysen, notwithstanding that
Mrs. Kelfer had the same claim to it
that Mrs. Carlisle had this year. So
the Presidents conduct has been much
commented on.
The President has spoken no word
about what he means to do this winter,
and there will be no general enter
tainments at the White House until
Mrs. McElroy arrives. The President
has never been quieter in his life than
during the last month or two. He
stays closely at home takes an after
noon drive, but is seldom heard of
even at the solemn and expensive din.
ners which people are wont to give to
him. He looks older and grayer than
he did q year ago, and despire the tai-
lor's art, is an inch or two bigger in
the waist than last year.
The Blaine Logan Chandler combi-
nation is being played right here in
Washington. They see each other
often and meet at evening receptions,
which at certain houses are pretty sure
to draw crowd of notabillties. Mr..
Blaine has not done any entertaining,
except in the quietest possible manner
and even his daughter, who made her
entry into society this winter, did so
very unostentauously and lad no
grand ball. Mr.. Blaine is doing the
retired statesman beautifully, but he
is the came Blaine as OF old. The
leopard has not changed his spots, nor
the Ethiopian his skin.
There is one prominent man in
Washington who keeps himself quieter
than any mouse. 1t is Secretary Lin.
coln Whether it be cleverness or
doltishness, no man in public lite here
ever kept himself so screened from the
people. He Is not only never seen,
but he is never even heard of. He
goes nowhere out of his own house but
to his Office and to the oval Cabinet
room at thesW hite House. If he has
any Presidential aspirations he de-
serves the prize for the secrecy with
which he conceals them. His wife
goes seldom into society, and they
seem to have solved the problem of
living quietly in Washington, though
in the immediate circle of official
life.
Monsignor Cspel spent week here
as the guest of Mr.. w. W. Corcoran,
and returns to deliver two more leo
lures. He received an immense
amount of attention, and reaped the
fruit of letting people gaze at him
without paying for it by having an
audience Of about 200 persons to hear
him lecture. He received visitors in
his own rooms at Mr.. Corcoran's from
to 6 every day, and the street was
blocked with carriages every afternoon.
He was invited to everything except
the fashionable germans, and he went
everywhere, and made himself popu.
lar. He took warning from Mr.. Mat
thew Arnold's introduction in the
form Of an experience meeting by Sec
retary Chandler, and wisely introduced
himself at his lecture.
Mr.. Blackburn has got leave Of
absence until the Goth to attend to his
Senatorial interests in Kentucky.
Formerly It WAS considered the heipht