The Washington critic., 1886-11-10
WASHINGTON CRITIC
WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 10, 1856.
TOPICS OF THE DAY.


from Colonel Child" said General
John A. Halderman to the Washington
correspondent of the st. Louis RcpubH
can. "He writes me that he can't say
too much in praise of Siam; says he
likes the country and likes the people.
That is just how knew it would be.
Why he can't help but like 1t. II Is
quite distinguished position he holds
and he receives great deal of nattor
ing consideration. 1t cant but be
pleasant when he goes out to have
battallons come to n present arms TO
find the way open before him whete-
ever he goes; to be invited by the king
to seances, and have the nobility
entertain him frequently" 1t Is
rumored here, says the same
correspondent, that eX.Congressman
Franklin, now United States
Consul at ITanliow, China, Is not al.
together pleased with that position.
The story told here is that Franklin Is
just little bit jealous of Colonel Jake
Child, his idea being that an ex.Con
gresham should have received more
consideration than u country editor.
Franklin at one time had his eye set
upon the Coreau mission. That was
before Colonel Child was appointed,
but the appointment of Child to Siam
made 1t out of the case for Franklin to
get any consideration as Minister to
Corea.
~
ut takes an artist to sell books on the
railroad cars" said news agent to the
ST. Louis Globe Dom0crat, and then he
went on to relate how "Homely Dave"
red headed, and ugly as a hedge
fence-once piled his insinuating art on
Senator Evarts. 1t was when Mr..
Evnis was Secretary of State under
Mr.. Hayes. He had been out to Cali
fornia, and was coming back with a
number of Senators, Congressman and
officials. They struck Dawes run at
Council Bluffs. Before he had gone
ten miles Dave had looked the party
over and determined to sell them some
books. He decided that he would
make his first assault upon Secretary
Evarts. Mr.. Evats was not feeling
very well that day, and when he saw
Dave coming he turned away i'm
patiently and motioned the porter
TO put him out. II have been
bored to death by news agents and
book peddlers ever since | left
San Francisco, and | am heartily sick
of it," "IIomoly Dave" was not
frightened in the least. He said, with
bland smile: Excuse me, Mr.. Sec.
retary, but l don't want to sell you
anything, l just want to read you a
page or two out of book just issued.
Have you seen it?" Mr.. Evarts glanced
at the title page and said he hadn't.
"Now just let me beguile the tedious.
ness of the journey by reading the
first page to you" So Dave, who had
remarkably clear and sweet voice,
read on, not only the first but the sec
ond and third pages, with Mr., Evarts a
deeply interested listener. When
"Homely Dave" stopped Mr.. Evarts
simply said: "I'll take that book.
Name your price. Now, what else
have you got?" That book was "Ed.
win Arnold's Light of Asia" 1t hal
just come out then. After Mr.. Evarts
had picked out lot of other books
and Dave had read to him from them,
he called the Senators and Congress
men, introduced Dave to them aud
made them sit down and listen while
Dave read lot of things. lie sold
more than 5000 worth of books to
those people before they got to Chicago.
~
Says Florence Mccarthy in Wash
ington letter to the Chicago HerWla:
The illustrated article which you pub
lished n short time since on the first
battle of Bull Run was an exceedingly
interesting one to those who, like my
self, participated in that remarkable
scrimmage. But / have just returned
from visit to that battle field, and de.
sire to correct one mistatement of your
article. 1t refers to the pcrilous stu
alton of old Mrs. judith Henry In her
little house in the middle OF the battle
field, and says that the rumor that she
was killed is mistake; that she es-
capped in safety and removed to Wash.
ington, where she lived for several
years, and where her daughter is still
a clerk in one of the Departments. On
my recent visit to the battle field |
spent several hours at the rebuilt
Henry house with the son of Mrs
Henry, gentleman about 72 years old
who Is the acknowledged authority on
all questions pertaining to the battle.
The present house, though
double as large as the old one,
is q mere shanty, and in the
yard are the grave and neat marble
tombstone of Mrs. Judith Henry. From
the inscription learned that she was
the widow of Commodore Henry of the
man. of.war Constellation, believe,
Uic of the six naval commanders ap-
pointed by President Washington that
she lived to be eighty five years old
that she lived thirty five years on those
premises, and that she was killed In
her bed by a shell during the battle
From her son | learned that his mothe,
had been bed ridden for some time
that she was living there with her
daughter at the time of the battle that
the fighting approached the house be
fore they were aware of IT, that the
daughter attempted to take her mother
down the Ludley road to II place
of safety, but that the danger in
creased so that they returned tC
the house; that the old lady took
TO her bed again on the first floor
and that the daughter stood up It
the fireplace with .her head up tn,
stone chimney for protection; that In,
house was penetrated by forty cannon
balls and about one thousand muslSu
balls; that men fought Ia the it'll,
hallway Of the house, and that onl
soldier was killed there by another
that about 3 o. clock in the afternoon
shell exploded in the house, woundinl
her mother in five places, so that sh,
died instantly, and that her sister es