The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-01-24
-ECCENTRIC1TIES OF STATESMEN
AND OTHERS.

A Washington correspondent writes as follows
on the above subject: "Thc recent publication Of
a story illustrating some of the peculiarities of
Congressman Broadhead, of Missouri, an aspirant
for Cabinet henors brings to mind similar oddi-
ties of other statesmen and prominent men. Mr..
Broadhead, it is asserted, is absent minded as
to have walked dowa town with but one overshoe
on, and to have gone into the public library and
ordered chicken and celery, forgetting where he
was for the moment.
"While not many statesmen are quite so much
troubled with absent mindedness some of them
have ways that quite as peculiar. 1t could
have been nothing but absent-mindedness for
instance, that led Judge Reagan, who has been
the most conspicuous member of the House since
its session began last month, to appear at the
Presidents New Years reception in swallow
tail so full of wrinkles that one could not help
supposing it had just come out of rag bag in
some garnet, especially so when tailors' shops are
on every square, and five minutes and quarter
of dollar would have made it look like new
coat. 1t was another case Of the same trouble
that led distinguished member from Kentucky
to make an unfavorable report the other day on a
bill that was passed at the last session and signed
by the President.
"The Supreme Court judges never think of
riding to or from the Capitol, unless the weather
is so extremely bad as to remind them of the long
distance. They have fallen into the habit of
walking because they need the exercise, and so
they always walk. ..- ~
ain Congress this force of habit is often ap-
parent. 1t happens, not infrequently, that some
absent-minded lawyer, who has perhaps struggled
for an hour to catch the Speakers eye and get
recognition, addresses him as "Your Honor" for
getting at the very moment when he ought to
have his wits most about him where he is, and
supposing himself in the courtroom and the
Speaker a judge upon the bench. A roar of
laughter usually disilusionizes him, perhaps to
so confuse him that the opportunity is lost. Mr..
Hewitt, of New York, has an awkward way of
crossing his legs, and to keep himself from top
ping over touches the desks on either side with
his hand Frank Hurd likes the middle of an
aisle when speaking, and it is doubtful if he
could make a real frst-cass speech from behind
q desk. He has been accustomed to standing in
an open space in the courtroom, and couldn't
feel at home penned up behind desk.
"0n the principle a stenographer relates
that when called by clergyman to take a sermon
at dctation, he found the reverend gentleman
quite unable to think his sermon out until he had
stationed himself behind table, where with Bible
before him and the stenographer for an audience,
with full many thump and gesture and pulpit
information, he delivered to the stenographer one
of the best efforts of his life
"Reagan cannot talk without something in his
hands, string or bit Of paper, which he can
pull or twist or tear, as the case may be. Brown,
of Indiana, cannot feel at ease without
both of his hands in his pockets when talking.
Cox, of New York, can fight anywhere, but when
it comes to special effort he likes to get into
the aisle and perch himself just on the edge of
the steps, seeming to feel himself taller with a
yawning abyss six inches deep just before him."