The Washington critic., 1886-03-31
TOPICS OF THE DAY,


A writer in the New York Tribune
asked Jesse Grant, II day or two ago,
about the big railroad scheme In Tur-
key.in.Asi with which his name has
several times been connected, aud he
told him something of it. Senator
Leland Stanford, while travelling
abroad, was received by the Sultan of
Turkey, and in discussing public af.
fairs with him found that he was de.
skous TO have railroad constructed
from Constantinople to the Persian
Gulf by way of the famous valley of
the Euphrates. Such railroad would
bring London and Bombay into cx-
tremely close relations and be of vast
commercial and military advantage to
England in her relations with India,
as well as to Turkey in her relations
with Russia and England Senator
Stanford had an idea that the fran
chises and grants could be obtained
from the Sultan and from the English
Government, and followed the matter
up to some extent, with the idea of
letting his son make fame and fortune
out of the venture. The death of his
son stopped all the negotiations. The
Senator had talked the matter over at
different times with General Grant, and
last year, after his fathers death, Jesse
Grant went abroad, having in view an
investigation of this scheme, among
other projects. He became convinced
that the consent of the English Gov.
ernment could not be obtained, and
that if obtained the enterprise would
be blocked by other governments,
whereupon he dropped it,
W.
Sergeant John NJ. Sherry died in
Philadelphia on Monday. lie was an
old man, of whom the Press says that
he had some small but soldierly hand
in shaping American history. He served
in the Mexican war. and for six years
after its close was clerk in the post.
Office of that city, when he enlisted in
the marines. He was sergeant of the
amphibious corps in October, 1859, and
on the nth Of that month, while in
barracks at Washington, got orders to
march with eighty-nine others, under
Colonel Robert L. Lee, to help the Vir-
ginia militia in suppressing the insur-
rection of a certain John Brown. There
were eighteen marines detailed to storm
the engine house at Z o'clock on the
morning of the 18th, and Sergeant
Sherry was one of them. His arm
added impetus to the ladder which bat.
tered John Browns door in, and the
man who crossed the threshold ahead
of him was shot down by one of the
Sharpes rifles that old Old Ossawat-
tonic had brought from Kansas. From
that time until a year after the close of
the war Sergeant Sherry was on board
the frigate Lancaster and saw no more
particularly active service. For the
last twenty years he has done little or
nothing, chiefly owing to inflrmities
caused by hardships in the conflict
with Santa Anna. He leaves a wife
and two grandchildren.
VIZ
Said "Carp" Of the Cleveland Leader
the other day; Washington is fast be.
coming the greatest resort for sight
seers in the United States. During the
past Congressional session this class has
been here by the tens of thousands and
| the hotels are now crowded. Quite an
excursion business has sprung up lately
in the taking of parties to Washington
and there Is delegation of about
three hundred now here from Boston.
The agent who has them in charge
brings them by water, gives them six
days in the city, and pays their travel
ing expenses and board for the sum of
S45 apiece. The trip, all told, must
take from ten to twelve days, and it is,
indeed very cheap one. i met in
New York the other day a man whom
had known at Cleveland. and he told
me that he was in the excursion busi.
ness and was taking parties to London
and back from Cleveland for 800.
He is now taking an excursion
to New Orleans and he is one
of the men who make a
business Of getting up excursions. The
| great excursion agents Of the world are
the Cook Brothers, who are, think,
Americans, but who have their agents
all over the world and will take you
clear around it and pay your every eX-
| pense for SO much money in hand.
| Some of the other agents are cheaper
than Cook, and for the man who wishes
to do the most travelling on the very
cheapest basis it is best to figure closely
and sometimes use the agency hotels,
and at other times go to others. The
hotel coupons are as good anywhere as
so much money, and think the agents
themselves will take them back at a
slight discount if they arc not used.
Nv
The same correspondent says that
Mr.. Cleveland, the hardest worked
man of the Administration Is appa-
rently the healthicst. lie sleeps like n
top and grows fat on work and worry,
| heard day or so ago how ColoneI
Lamont was surprised at Cleveland
power of getting along without sleep,
When Lamont first called upon him al
Buffalo and spent day or so with him
there, the two sat up until after mid
night talking, and Dan supposed that
they would sleep until about noon thu
next day. He was aroused about
o'clock the next morning by hearing
some one backing his boots and
whistling like bird in the next room
lie got up and found it was the festive
President, dressed, looking fresh as
spring water and ready for breakfast
Lamont went through some dumb'be
exercises with his shoes to get his sys
TEN up to its usual tone, and called on
Good morning" as though he haC
never had more than four hours slcel