The Washington critic., 1886-07-15
WASHINGTON CRITIC
WASHINGTON, JULY IS, 1856.
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Says n writer in the San Francisco
CaU: General Rosecraus was the most
fearless, as well as the most peculiar,
man in the powder business that l ever
met Some years ago he was expert
menting with nitro.g .glycerine and
chloride Of potash He was also trying
to make a new kind of percussion cap.
Every afternoon he would go out to the
old stone quarry and make experiments
with dynamite there, the mayor having
granted him permission to do so. He
had taken quite fancy to me, and
he'd come around and take me out with
him. / never saw q man experiment
with explosives as carelessly as he did,
and as ! did not care to be blown to
pieces myself, / kept warning him of
the risk he kept incurring. His only
reply was, "When mans time comes
1t comes" He appeared to be q fatal
ist, and would not believe that q person
could be killed before it was allotted
for him to die. One day he had some
nitro glycerine in pan and was doing
something with IL. l knew that It
would explode In the hot sun, and
said: General, look out. That's going
to explode" He did not seem to care,
and ! warned him again, but he kept
on with his experiments, repeating that
phrase of his about mans time coming
only when 1t was appointed. He
needed some tool that was lying short
distance off, and went over to get 1t.
He was about twenty or thirty feet
away when the nitro glycerine ex-
ploded. II did not phase him in the
least. He remarked, without any emo.
tion, "Well, that was pretty close
CALL" and resumed his experiments. 1t
was wonder to me how he ever es-
capped death out there.
~
There is very curious condition of
affairs existing at the Capitol relative
to the custody and care Of its contents,
says the Boston 7raeeller. Under the
law the architect, Mr.. Clark, has juris-
diction over all the fixed articles, and
the sergeant.at-arms that over all ar
ticles which can be moved. For in
stance, If 1t is decided to screw any.
thing to the wall, that comes under
the scrgeant.at-ar but on the other
hand If it is thought best to nail 1t up
then the architects permission must be
obtained. The cleaning of all the mir
rors In the committee rooms is under
the sergeant alarms, but when it
comes to washing the marble stand
upon which 1t rests, then the awful
authority of the architect comes in.
This may be all right, but 1t does strike
the outsider as a trifle ridiculous.
W.
Says Detroiter in the New York
Star: "The impression that Senator
Jones OF Florida is strolling lunatic
asylum which has been created by
sensational newspapers is entirely uu-
warranted. He is as sane as any one
of his colleagues who have been
wrangling over appointments on the
Potomac while he has been consuming
choice Havanas and the best brands of
liquids and cooling his heels on
shaded avenues. He lives in the best
room of the best hotel of the best
city in the country. He pays his bills
regularly, and puts in his spare time
and most of his time Is that kind of
time-delivering addresses at different
cities in the State and appearing as an
attraction at all Catholic assemblies.
More lies have been told about Jones
than were ever related concerning q
Presidential candidate. From the
original petty lie to the effect that the
Southern Senator was interested in O
Detroit heiress-dropped, think, al
Newport last summer by relative OF
Miss Palms-the newspapers erected O
towering fabric of first romantic then
idiotic conduct on the part of the Sena
tor but all his alleged eccentricitic:
are fabrics of reportorial imagination.
~*w
Mr.. w. r. Corwin of New York, who
recently visited exUnited States Treas
urer Spinner at Pablo Beach, Fla.
thus describes the interview in the
columns of the World: 81 called a
General Spinners tent and was met by
his daughter, Mrs. Schumacher, who
learning the object of my visit, went tC
inform her father of my arrival. Sht
returned after few moments and sale
that l could go in and see the General
provided did not remain long. hat
expected to see him somewhat changed
but was startled as l stepped inside thu
tent to see his feeble condition. HI
was sitting in low tent chair with ,
military cloak thrown over him, ant
his appearance indicated physica
weakness. His cot had been prepared
for the night and was drawn up clos'
to where he was sitting, while hi
negro servant stood respectfully a shor
distance away, waiting to assist hi
master to bed. The venerable ex
Treasurer sat silent for few moments
after exchanging greetings, but finally
frightened up little and began t.
talk. He said that he attributed hi
condition to cold he had contracted ,
few days before while on some bust
ness in Jacksonville. Talking with {
visitor seemed to cheer him and sool
he passed from his sickness and begar
to speak of Washington and public
men. / would have given much coulC
/ have taken down some of the storie
he told me Of Grant, Johnson, Lincoln
Chase, Stanton and others prominen
in the stirring scenes of the war ant
the exciting times after its close. Ii
some way the name of Clarkson N
Potter was mentioned by me and tol(
the General that he was dead. Thi
he had not known and was SURPRISED
to hear of it. He then launched on
into anecdotes of that gentleman's pub
lie life. Suddenly he stopped talking
and relapsed into silence. He was ap
parently in deep reverie and Will
sitting there with his hands clasped i
front of him, he remarked in low