The Washington critic., 1886-04-26
. ASHINGTON CRITIC
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

fearful nuisance to his friends with his
war yarns, says that he sauntered into
newspaper Office the other day, took
chair beside journalistic friend,
pulled out Century and opened to the
map of a celebrated engagement. With
sigh, the editor, who, by the way,
shutters most disastrously, laid down
his pen and prepared to be bored for an
hour. Said the veteran; ooh, this was
famous battle, and how well / re-
member the day and recall the scene.
How plainly this map recalls to my
mind the green fields and dusty roadsl
Here, where my finger points, is where
the enemy tried to turn our left flank.
Here is where we charged, driving them
back in disorder. AT this point our
gallant major fell, penetrated by
score of minnie bullets. And here,
right beside this clump of trees, Is
where had my leg broken by bull
let" "G.G- General" said the editor,
his face as impassive as a wall,
"w-w.won't you show the BIB boys,
please, where your b.b.brains were
blown outY'
~
Says Frank Burr in recent New
York letter to the Chicago Nens: II
met Mrs. James G.. Blaine and her
daughter on Fifth Avenue this after.
noon, both looking cheerful, well and
happy. What a great part Mrs. Blaine
has played in the career of her hus-
band Few people who have not
known her well appreciate 1t. She has
been as great an actor and n greater di-
plomat in many respects than Mr..
Blaine, and her ambition for him has
always been unbounded. From the
first time she came TO Washington with
him, when he dawned upon Congress,
until this moment she has never lost a
chance to advance his interests. In.
tellectually she is very strong woman,
has thorough control of herself, and
has rare power of impressing those
who come within her reach. In the
hospitality of Mr.. Blaine's home,
which has always been generous and
cleverly handled, Mrs. Blaine has
worked with as much skill as her hus-
band has in the broader sphere of ma
tiOnal life. She impressed on the wives
and daughters she met her hus.
bands magnetic quality as well as
he did upon the men. Even the
stronger sex was not beyond her reach
and many man has taken look at
her husbands character and capacity
through her spectaclcs. She has
had degree of good sense
far beyond most women and never lost
trick in the part which she took In
the great game of politics, in which her
husband has been such leading actor.
She always wears commanding air
either at home or on the street, and no
one would pass her without noting her
strength of character and inferring that
she was superior woman. She looks
as fresh and bright today as l have
seen her for years, and | am told pos
sesses Us much ambition for her hus-
bands future as ever.
Says a Sunday contributor to the
New York THJune.. "The amount of
money spent in hotels in New York
must be enormous. l was chatting
with well-postcd hotel man last night
who was telling me about the prices
paid by some of the guests. The Hoff-
man House. said he, has a guest who
pays $115 week for his rooms, or
over $16 day, Admiral Maxse of the
English navy. His service and meals
are extra and must bring his bills we'll
up to 5000 week for himself alone.
John w. Mackay pays 500 week for
rooms at the Hoffman. When James
McHenry, the London railroad man,
was over here on New York, Pennsyl-
vania and Ohio business, he paid $50
day for suite of rooms with private
service and table at the Victoria Hotel.
1t was the same suite of rooms that Pres
ident Cleveland occupied when he held
his famous Victoria Hotel conference, to
get acquainted with the prominent
Democrats of the country. There is a
Mr.. Dean at the Fifth Avenue Hotel,
whose bills are about $50 day. lie is
retired Californian and has family
and several servants. He has been
there all winter. The Windsor fire.
quently has guests who require service
amounting to $50 or $50 day. Madame
Barrios, the widow of the Central
American warrior, was one of the
heaviest paying guests New York
hotel has ever known. She stopped at
the Langham, where her numerous
family and large retinue of servants
brought her daily expenses up to at
least $780,"
x**
Says yesterdays New York Herald.:
"Ex- Congressman w. Il. Robinson of
brooklyn has returned home from n
short visit to Washington. While in
that city he had the pleasure of calling
upon Mrs. Septimia Randolph Meikle-
ham, tht only surviving grandchild Of
Thomas j. arson, for whom Mr. Rob-
inson made an earnest effort to secure
apension to enable her to pass the few
remaining days of her old age in peace
and free from want. Mrs. Meikleham,
in appreciation of what Mr.. Robinson
has done in her behalf, and also as an
evidence of her friendship for him.
presented him with some valuable rel
les. The first of these was single
hair from the head of George Wash
ington. 1t came to Mrs. Meikleham
from Mr.. Hamilton, son of Alexander
Hamilton. She had in her possession
two hairs from the head of the
Father of his Country, and these
she reverently kept for many years
One of them she presented to Mr.
Robinson and the other she keeps for
herself. The hair is brown in color, is
curled on piece of cloth and carefully
kept in position by stitches, The sec.
ond relic was lock of Thomas Jeifer.
son hair cut from his head in 1921.
This was four years before his death.
Mrs. Meikleham was seven years of
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