The Washington critic., 1886-10-11
). -...''5.IINGTON -, CRITIC
WASHINGTON, OCTOBER II, 1880.
TOPICS or THE DAY.

October 8, 1S46 he was tall and thin,
rather handsome, somewhat pale
young man, with noticeable hair and
blue eyes. The next year he began his
long career at the Boston Museum.
Mr.. Warren Is still wellknown per.
sonage at the Boston theatres, though
now seen always before the footlights.
When Miss Dauvray opened her sea.
son, the veteran actor occupied q seat
well to the front, and on nearly every
occasion when an artist makes his debut,
or q playwright brings out a new work
Mr.. Warren is an Interested auditor.
On the street his familiar form. erect
as ever, is daily seen, and he still en-.
tertains his friends cordially in the
cosey clearinghouse of Miss Fisher
In the old West End of Boston, where
for years he has resided lie now lacks
only five weeks of being seventy four
years old.
Here are some of the "reminiscences
of Captain Isaac Bassett, the venerable
Assistant Doorkeeper of the Senate, as
told to Carp" of the Cleveland
Leader: an olden days candles were
used in the Senate, and sperm candle
in common brass candlestick stood
on each Senator's desk. These and
two large brass oil lamps on either
side of the Vice President formed the
whole light Of the chamber. / had to
fill these lamps every day, and we pages
h01 tp mt iba rup1lnc nnI nap 1lnrti iotya
on each Senator's desk. The pages
had to go around the Senate during the
evening and snuff the candles. For
this we used big iron snuffers, and dur
ing a long night session we would use
two candles, and In the middle of 1t
we would have to take out the old
ones and light new ones. a night ses.
sion of the Senate In the past formed
weird scene. The Pickering shadows
would fall upon the Senator's face as
he spoke, and when the light burned
low forms would be hardly distinguish.
able. The mellow lamps cast softened
light over the marble of the chamber,
and made the whole look like ghostly
Senate, presided over by spectral Vice
President. The House and Senate
restaurants were not nearly so fancy as
they are to day. though their food was
just as good and their drinks were bet
ter. The old restaurant of the Senate
was in one of the rooms below, and
food was all cooked to order. The eat
ing was done in the same room In which
the cooking was carried on, and the
Senator sat at pine table covered with
a fine white cloth, and ordered steak,
n chop or oysters as he desired. The
cooking was done on great fireplace,
at the side Of the room, and the Senator
could sit and watch his meat sizzle as
he waited for it. The Hole in.the. Wall
was just off the library, and it was
round circular place lined with shelves,
which was started at first as cold
lunch stand, but was afterwards turned
into more Of drinking place. At first
only bread and butter and ham were
kept, but towards the end it dispensed
champagne and turkey and all the deli.
cacies of the finest bar. At this time
wine was kept in most of the commit
tee.rooms, and l had charge of that
belonging to Webster"
#*#
The son of Stephen Merritt, the un.
dertaker, who is in the business with
his father in Eighth avenue, New
York, is an active and busting busi.
ness man like the paternal Merritt. In
reference to the embalming of General
Grants body he said to Tribune re-
porter: Il had talk not long ago
with Colonel Fred. Grant about this
claim of the Saratoga firm when the
Colonel told me of number of bills
that had been sent to him, some of
which were simply outrageous, moth
ing short of blackmail. When it was
found out that Mrs. Grant would get
large sum of money from the Generals
book, sharpers sprang up 10 every di-
rection with claims against the family
and demands on them for money in
which there was neither sense nor jus.
tice. The Colonel told me that he
would endeavor to pay every just bill
that was presented, but where he knew
that bills were not just he should re.
fuse to pay them under any circum-
stances"
~
A New York World reporter met the
handsome Colonel Nicholas Smith in
Hartford the other day and asked him
whether the statement telegraphed
from Washington that he was soon to
marry Kentucky belle was true. 80
far from its being true" said the Col,
81 have not the slightest idea who the
young lady Is to whom 1t referred
Why, only the other day the Graphj'
represented me as being very much In
love with our Mary and, though /
had brother Joseph, you must know
believe in the Edmunds bill. The
World has been making more matches
than heaven of late, but don't obi lect
so much to its usurping the celestial
prerogative in my case as / do to the
tone in which it was pleased to
mention me. / don't think any
thing Is quite so offensive
to man past the buoyant
period OF youth as to have his appear
ance commented on. You have heard
the story, no doubt, of the old Quaker
who, suspecting that he had been over.
charged for his railway ticket, asked Il
young fellow in the next seat what he
paid for his. Nothing, sir; nothing.
i travel on my beauty, Then, replied
the Friend, thee can't be going far.
Now, If l was ever dead head on that
train, was put off twenty years ago,
and It is unkind, TO say the last. to re-
mind me constantly of my misfortune
AS Joseph Surface says in the play,
When a scandalous charge is made
against one there is no comfort like
the consciousness of having deserved
it, but man past forty, when accused
of the heinous crime of vanity, is de.
MED that pleasure, for, however idol
atrous his fancy may be, he cannot
worship his own relics"