The Washington critic., 1885-11-13

10 nunJ up. lie lnVenlS CalcnuarSi LOT
instance, for telling the days of the
week and month years ago, and can
tell you what day of the week the 9th
of November, 1901, came on. lie is
very learned man, and is possessed of
wide range of information. Judge
Harlan Is quite areader. Judge Field
is much like Judge Bradley, without
the hobbies. He reads books Of travels,
the classics, and Is much interested in
the Chinese problem. A day seldom
passes that he does not call for some
book of reference. The readers of
the Senate" this man went on in re.
spouse to my question, ARE many.
Senator Voorhees, has often from sixty
to one hundred books out of the library
at time, and he reads great deal in
preparing for his speeches. He likes
the biographies and speeches of states
men-lives of Clay, Calhoun, Webster,
and their speeches. He reads more
for business than amusement. Secre-
tary Bayard is much like Voorhees, in
this respect though he does not read
as many books. Senator Logan is now
reading on the civil war while working
at his book, which is about completed.
He has out now the History of the
War; by the Comte dc Paris; 'Sher-
mans Memoirs and 'Badeau's Grant.
Mr.. Blaine read great deal in pre-
pairing for his first volume. lie de-
vourcd all the literature relating to
the times of which he wrote, and he
came to the library and spent hours in
reading the newspapers of the period.
Mr. Cox got number of books from
the Congressional Library, but he did
not do any work in it. Cox is a great
leader, but his drawings before this
were books of travel largely. Senator
Hoar of Massachusetts Is one of the
most learned men in Congress. He is
very accurate in his knowledge too,
and he knows almost rs much about
books as the Librarian. He knows the
different editions, is up on biography,
of Americans especially, and is a great
student of American history. Senator
Edmunds is q very learned man, and
reads books in foreign languages as
well as the English Senator Ingalls,
is classical scholar and u reader.
Both Garland and Ransom are great
lovers of the classics. Ransom is al
ways quoting Virgil, and Garland is
fond of hunting up the origin of quo
tations from Greek and Latin, Sena-
tor Vance reads good books. Senator
Sherman reads on financial questions,
and generally for special purposes; such
as for political and legislative speeches.
He reads everything relating to finance.
Senator Joe Brown sometimes reads re-
ligious matter and also American his
tory" "How about the Presidents
president Cleveland has not troubled
the library as yet except for one book,
which think was some rare document
President Garfield took great interest
in the library and presente it with
large lot of pamphlets. lie was great
student and read political economy,
American history, and the classics of
our own and other languages. He was
a man of liberal self-education, and his
reading was wide. President Arthur
was voracious novel reader. While
he was President he spent hours
in the alcoves of the Congressional
Library looking up new novels, and he
liked love stories as well as girl In her
teens. President Hayes did not use the
library much, though his family read a
great deal. Mrs. Hayes used the IL
brary considerably, and the wives of
many public men are readers. Most of
these read novels, though some affect
stronger food. Mrs. Logan reads a
great deal, chiefly for amusement. The
daughters of Justice Strong read solid
literature, and those of Senator Beck
affect novels and esthetics. Mrs. Sena-
tor Malone is n great novel reader.
Mrs. John 5. Wise also likes novels,
and Congressman Anderson of Kansas
is crazy after sea stories.
90
"Cliff," the Washington correspond
ent of the Hamilton Ohio HeraM,
writes as foil ows concerning class of
men Of whom the general public has
limited knowledge and usually very
incorrect idea What he says is no
less true than just; "The Government
| clerk affords material for the funny
man MS well as the paragrapher, and is
one of the most abused of Government
servants. But why revile the Govern
ment clerk? Is he not human and is
he not entitled to live? And who
would not be Government clerk if he
got the chance? It's mistaken idea
| to hold that when one enters the De
partment he leaves the world and am
bition behind and thinks of nothing cX-
cept office and drawing his salary. To
appreciate the Government clerk you
must know him. Take him on the
whole, he's a lively fellow, we'll met
He can hold flush or pair of deuces
in jack pot and his expression won't
change. Take his tips on the races and
you'll come out ahead every time. As
to politics and lobbying, he has been
there. And society? What would it
do without him! Studious? Yes. A
stranger visiting Washington will often
hear of sun down doctor and will ask
it's meaning. And when he's told it $
government clerk, who has gradu-
ated in medicine, and who practices
his profession after Office hours, he
seems surprised and says is il possiblel
Yes, and a large number of clerks
graduate every year from the law
schools with honors and are only wait.
ing for an opportunity to make start
in their noble profession. When they
have saved a sufficient amount of their
salaries, to warrant them in rcsigning
their clerkships, they make for the
growing towns of the West, where
they establish themselves and in few
years they come to Congress. Not a
few are clever artists, and in fact ii
would be difficult to tell in which art
one or more clerks don't excel You
will find among the vast array of them,
beside lawyers and doctors, musicians,
linguists, astronomists, painters, min
listers, authors, poets, scientists, etc.
OF course the good for nothings except
to sign the payroll are there, and
they are the ones whose heads are
dropping off in the interest of civil SER
vice reform"
"a BULL in a china shopn is out of place