New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-12
NATIONAL CAPITAL GOSSIP.
PERSONAL, POLITICAL AND ANECDoTAL

AN EVENING WITH NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. oHsh'Dn4'
AND NEWSPAPERS. FLOYD KINGS REsEM-
BIANCE 10 NAPOLEON.
trroM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE.
WASHINGTON. April l1.-Senator ingalls,, in
speaking of General Grant week ago, said:
General Grant was ono OF the most entertaining
after-dinner takers | ever knew. He was only tho
silent man in crowds and at times when tatterers
tried to draw him out and make him talk about
himself. But alter dinner, or with few cOngenial
friends anywhere, ho was ready, interesting ana
often fascinating in conversation. recall
especially one evening when General Grant was
President. 1t at dinner-party he gave at the
White House. Among the guests were a number OF
Senators aud General Sheridan Mrs. Grant and
the Indies had retired from the table and we were
smok ing our cigars. General Grant talked great
deal. lie was in his happiest mood, and l know
everybody enjoyed him just as much as ala. L
don't know how it came about but finally we began
to 20 backward and talk of tho time of life a man
would most care to live over again. Each one men
toned some particular age when life seemed bright
est and most desirable. aud period he would enjoy
TO live the second time. Some turned back to
bpyhood others TO early manhood with the
peasantest rccollectons while to some the present
was most satisfactory. And you. General; what
part OF your life would you like to live over again
one Of the guests asked of the President.
sGeneral Grant dropped his chin on his breast
and was silent for q minute or two. can see MN
now, as We all waited for his answer and tried to
read 1t in his face which as usual. was sealed
book But We fully expected ho would choose that
part of his life which had been prosperous and
great lilo lifted his head and said in voice Of
quiet decision that left no doubt OF sincerity:
.All of it, | should like to live all OF my life
over again. There isn't any part of it should
want To leave out
al shall never forget the impression his answer
made on me, and think it impressed every one else.
He was the only man in the room who was ready to
take the bitter with the sweet In his life. Every
one OF Ms had left out particular time of hard
chi, and discouragcment when the world seemed
1orl,est Not one was brave enough TO face that
time again; and probably not one of us had had
such hard times and 80 much OF real adversely to
begin with / think the most OF MS had begun to
prosper before he was out of the woods But Cen
eral Grant was the only man smoking his after
dinner cigar at the White House that evening who
had the courage 10 live his whole life over again."
Though General Sheridan dned the other day
with club of newspaper correspondents and
proved himself the most genial of men. he would
prefer dare saw to face battery in action rather
than submit to being interviewed" His Office is
well guarded by messengers and there Is more red
tame 20 he unwound before one stands in the awful
presence of the head of the Army than the average
newspaper man has the time or cares to see I'M
wound But the other day one of the craft did
manage 10 run tho gauntlet OF the messengers, and
almost before General Sheridan was aware of the
fact that he was being put to the torture Of an
interview, q volley of questions had been fired Mt
him which nearly staggered the hero OF many
battles He recovered sufficiently, however. TO
look his interlocutOr square in the face and say,
with just bit of a twinkle in his eye:
aYou SEQ that room right through heroi Well,
in il is a little man who is said to look like ne and
who answers to the beautiful name of Mike Now.
YOU 90 in there and worry blank out of him. but
DON'T bother me with any questions"
don't know what success the newspaper man
had with the Generals brother, Colonel !" Nike"
Sheridan. lie never told me- But he ought to
have had n satisfactory interview for the Colonel
il a newspaper man himself. You remember, prob
ably the startling .lspatches which he sent daily
IN the Assoeiated Press while accompanying Presl'
dent Arthur on his "trip through the Yellowstone
region The classic beauty OF their style the ever
varying pictures they presented to the reader OF the
Presidents Journey through tho Wilderness, the
recital of tho perils encountered. tho adventures
met with by the more daring members OF the party.
all made the rcadin. Of these dispatches one of the
most profitable tasks imaginable If you were at
any time troubled with seepessness
]. Floyd King represents the With District OF
Louisiana in the House. don't know that he has
ever done anything remarkable. but he has at least
posed n great deal. He IL firmly convinced that
there exists a striking outward resemblance
between him and the great Mar olcon. True enough,
there IL n certain resemblance between the two but
il is not by any means striking What "ihuscs
people il that Mr. King loves TO atttudinize, to
In; the tWard form oil tile
great Corsican has been handed down To postesly
in PICTURES prints and portraits lie ~ rarely seen
for instance, except with ms rlgne manu. La Ieft
the breast of his tightly buttoned coat, us leis
behind his back. The head IL Always pent Tow, any
special attention is paid to the cut OF tlle mar
curl right IN the middle OF tne i3rGnoau nctnre
by Dearocle of Napoleon ut FontaineDleau. IN
this attitude Mr. King loves TO be seen IL Is MS
fayorte one But there is another, scarcely Tess
frequently affected by HIM. IT, too. Is eQplen lroin
one of Dcarochos pictures The great Nap1l!oon 70
seated sofa reading. while inc 'nIa,. homS 10 "a
Rome is asleep with his head party rcstins on %
fathers lap. Any one having seen the picture or u
copy of IL must remember the charactcrlse,o
attitude of Napoleon. This MI klnS copies w tba
he retres 10 the sofas in the rear oil tho seats III se
House. Ii is not quite SO taking as ine oOnof
one but rarely fails to attract the attention Oh
the knowing ones In the gallery. ..,, 90 ,vbotI
This has rather led me out OF tno WAY vi W ,t
was going to say 1t is this, that Mr. hins, aoSo
like Napoleon you might say, Is able To rso w an
occasion when il presents itself IN propsr ,o'iI, u;
Some time ago lie went to the Department Oh
Agriculture i'm search OF some seed whelewlth 10
allay the wrath of some neglected constltuen,,
Hunting about the seed bags he stumbled across
pile of pamphlets issued by the Department., when
described IN glowing terms tho virtues OF tne
liking lurnp." 1t didn't require any length 90. on
time for the Louisiana statesman TO take ln tno
situation He promptly bought the entire edition
OF the pamphlet and gave an order for several a,
thousand additional copies. lie Hooded ms astT TS
pamphlet was ~ everybody's bands. There wasn't
voter that didn't think the Department, In naI
named the turnp in honor OF the Hon >. riosu
King Ii was n recognition Of his eminent services
his constituents thuogit. His popularity increased
wonderfully. His opponent in tho district conyen-
ton WAS nowhere, and when the time came MI MI
Kiny y,as triulnphnntly retnrncd Congress on his
tnrnip platform. Let other Congressman heed the
lesson.