The herald. (Big Stone City, Dak. [S.D.]) 1883-1890, 1885-01-16

our wsshin9ssn LotteF.
From our regular correspondent.
Washington, Jan. S, 1885.
The monotony Of routine proceed
ings At tho Capitol has nearly always
an under current Of FUN. It is in the
cloak room that this current runs at
its height. When your representative
or senator seeks the seclIsion Of this
sacred precinct, just outside the doors
Of the legislative chamber, he usually
lights q cigar, unbuttons his coat,
throws himself on sofa or in one
chair with his feet on another, relax.
es himself generally, and is not half a
bad fellow. He then talks with free
dom and vivacity and, secure from
the observation Of the public, he
shows his best, and, alas! sometimes
his worst side. Then he expresses his
view of men and things with candor
and caustic calmness, and INDUCES
his inclination for practical jokes.
Senator Garland is an incorrigible
mischief maker, and his fun is not
confined to the seclusion Of the cloak
room. Butler, Of South Carolina, is
anothor mad wag in the Senate, and
he and Garland are constantly playing
jokes. more or less outrageous. on each
other. Not long ago Garland hit But
Ter pretty hard, that is to say he got a
very good one on mm; and Butler 'laid
for" the Senator from Arkansas.
Knowing Garland's fondness for
candy he procured some carmels and
also some cubes of brown soap. which,
when wrapped in thin tissue paper,
precisely resembles, to the eye, the
carmels! Butler knew that if he tried
to put the cubes of soap off on Garland
he would fail. as the latter was of
course on the alert so far as he was
concerned. So Voorhees, Of Indiana,
who sits next to Garland, was chosen
for the confederate. Said Butler to
Voorhees,. "Here are two genuine car.
amels-these others are cubes of soap.
Go to your seat lay tho soap cubes on
your desk, eat the genuine caramels'
put your trust in Providence. and say
nothing Voorhees, did as he was
told. Garland observed the cubes on
the desk, and saw that Voorhees, was
eating something with an evident rel
lsh. "Hello!' said Garland, what
are you eating!" I've got y cold, and
I'm eating some candy replied
Voorhees,, very much sbsorbed in
some papers in his hand. Garland
looked at the counterfeits wistfully for
q moment-"Hum,' he said finally,
as he picked one up,"I've got some.
thing Of cold myself" and he popped
the piece of soap into his mouth.
There was crunching Of his jaws.
and-he saw that he was caught.
Voorhees, watched him out of the
tail Of his eye, as did dozen others
Of the old boys sitting around.
Garland knew he was under fire; but
he was determined not to finch.
After chewing his soap for a
mement he looked up at, Voorhees,
with the inimitable air of innocent
earnestness that is characteristic of
him, and softly asked: DO you eat
many of these things when you have
cold!" As Garland kept on chewing
and an almost imperceptible strip Of
lather formed on his lips, Voorhees,
became alarmed aud went to Butler.
"The fellows actually eating that
stuff! Why it will kill him, won't it!
'.No.o-o.o," "drawled Butler, 81 don I
reckon anything will kill that man,
Garland was game. He finished his
soap: and no man could say that he
looked rs ii he didn't enjoy it.
The Red Parlor Of the Ebbitt House
again shines refulgent with gold lace.
This is the court room of the tribun.
al before which Gen. Swain is being
court.martialed. The members If the
Court all beam with good huinor after
the holidays. The chances look very
bad tor poor Swain.
The health Of the Cabinet is cause
for rejoicing in society here. and I