The Washington critic., 1886-06-21
WASHINGTON CRITIC
WASHINGTON. JUNE 81, 1886.
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

lullOn, MS btyle was luil vi Vcnculcnt
gestures like those of lawyer in the
court room, you know. Mrs. Spooner
has cured him Of all that, says cor.
respondent of the New York Tribune.
The remedy was very funny, and as
the Senator tells the story on him
self and enjoys IL, too, may repeat 1t.
lie said: II went home that day. ex
pccting, Of course, to get some little
praise from my wife. thought was
modest in my expectations. l thought
If such men as Evarts, Edmunds, Hoar
and Sherman, old Senators all, APP
proved of anything I had said, that my
wife would be pleased. | fully looked
for little taffy, at least. But she
didn't say word about my speech.
waited for her to speak, and as she
didn't seem inclined to do 80 | broached
the subject myself. told her about
the congratulations of the Senators and
thought that would be sure to evoke
some expression either one way or the
other. Finally asked, What do you
think of it?' Well, she got up,
and without word took her pocket
handkerchief like ball in her hand,
and threw it with full force on the
table. This she repeated several times,
making violent gestures and throwing
the handkerchief as If she wanted to
hit something or somebody. was
speechless with amazement. | began
TO think some dreadful thing had hap
pened, and that she didn't know what
she was doing. "For heavens sake,
Anna, what is the natter" exclaimed
But she went right on throwing her
handkerchief In the most senselcss
way, All at once 1t flashed through
my mind that my wife was taking me
off. AT the same instant she saw the
recognition Of the fact in my face and
burst with laughter, declaring, "Yes,
you didv' /, IL seems, as she eX.
planned when she could stop laughing,
had made just such gestures. But /
was entirely unconscious of having
done anything OF the kind. l didn't
know 1t, and had supposed that my
manner was quiet and dignifled enough
to suit even my wife, who by the way,
is not easily suited"
w.
General Benjamin T. Butler, who
was at the Fifth Avenue Hotel Satur-
day, says q contributor to Sundays
Tribune, wore smiles on his broad face
as we'll as the customary rose in his
buttonhole. The SMILES were occa.
stoned by the successful issue Of suit
for damages in which he was engaged
at Philadelphia. The plaintiff was
Frederick G.. Merrick, the nephew of
ex-Assistant Secretary Charles E.
Coon, to whom the jury made an award
of $25,000. Merrick was student Of
the Pennsylvania Military Institute at
Chester some five years ago and had
both his arms blown off by the prema-
ture discharge of cannon which was
being fired in honor of the French
visitors to the Yorktown Centennial
celebration, who were passing through
Chester on their way to Virginia. He
was only sixteen years Of age at the
time of the loss of his arms. This left
him in q deplorable condition. 1t was
claimed by his guardian that the Off
GERS of the institute were at fault in
placing him to serve at the gun, as he
was ignorant of his duty. The academy
set up a plea of contrlbutory negli-
gence, which the jury by their verdict
seem to have disallowed. His uncle,
Mr.. Coon, secured General Buffers s
services and was instrumental in press
ing the suit to conclusion.
~
The Chicago Neus says that when
Colonel Charles e. Hasbrook, business
manager of the Kansas City Times,
heard that Dr. Munford, editor of tina,
paper, had been shot at by a cranky
lawyer he was sojourning at one of the
Atlantic coast watering places. His
tirst care was to learn whether the edi.
tor was seriously hurt, and upon learn
ing that the wound was n very slight
one, he indited instructions to his sub
ordinates at home as follows "Scnd
out double orders to all newsdealers
to morrow and boom this thing all you
can. It's the biggest advertisement
we've had in ten years"
~
Says the Washington correspondent
of the Cincinnati Iimes.iStar: "Thert
is probably no place in the country
that has the facilities for object teach
ing that Washington has. Does your
young person want to study oratory, hc
has free school In that line at the
Capitol selected from the best public
speakers of the country. Does he de
sire to pursue the study Of medicine
he has in the medical museums ant
the army libraries the finest collection
of information ever got together in thi;
country, or perhaps in any other, on
this subject. Does he want to pursue
the study of law, he has school o
lawmakers before him, the creates
legal lights of the country, practicinl
or delivering opinions in the Suprem,
Court. Would he study statecraft
what better school could Re have thar
the developments at the Capitol or til,
Departments. If he desires to give hi
attention to art, he will find no riche
collection of art studies, both il
and out doors, than here, wher
paintings and statuary greet tn,
eye at every turn. Would III
delve beneath the earth and give at
tention to geology, the geological work
ings of the Government Department
and their collection in this line are un
surpassed. If he would pursue tn
scientific researches pertaining to tn
atmosphere or the stars, or the ele
ments, the rich resources of the oh
servatory, with weather bureau and tn
scientific libraries of the Capitol an
the Departments, are not to be equalle
anywhere. If he would study ethnol
ogy, he has here choice selection
OF all the civilized nations of th
world, and the most complete colleC
iion of works and object lessons on thi
subject Imaginable. In political ecor
omy and in the school Of politics ther