The Washington critic., 1886-04-28
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

clerical dress presented himself at the
Office of the late Zach. Chandler, and
with bland voice asked If he had the
honor of addressing the honorable Sec.
retary of the Interior. 81 am the Sec
rotary of the Interior" was the re-
sponse. "Well, sir, do not suppose
that you would have woman en-
ployed in your department If she were
bad woman and you knew itY'
"Your supposition is right" re-
sponded the Secretary. Knowing her
character, such woman would not
have employment here" 81 knew IL
must be SO" said the visitor, "and
came to tell you that you have such
woman, and to ask for her removal"
After naming the lady and the bureau
where she worked, when the Secretary
asked If he knew what he said of her
was true the visitor replied: 81 know
her to be very bad woman and she
ought not to be allowed to remain here
single day." Pushing pen and pa
per across the table the Secretary
quietly remarked: "Please write the
womans name and your charge, sign
1t, and I'll look into the matter imme-
diately." "Whyi" said the visitor,
"you couldn't ask me to do that, Mr..
Secretary? You surely couldn't ask
me TO put anything in writing in re.
gard to this very unpleasant businessY"
The Secretary rose to his feet, and his
heavy voice trembled with scorn as he
said: "You come here and tell me that
/ have woman in the service of the
Government whom you know to be
woman of very bad character, and you
ask me, knowing nothing whatever
about her, to turn her out with that
stigma attaching to her for all time.
No, slrl ! will sec you id first" The
reverend visitor at once left the com.
pany of the profane Secretary, and did
not call again.
~
One Of the saddest cases of disap-
piontment resulting from failure to Sc
cure office that has come within the
observation of the Chicago Ne,os'
correspondent was that of a well-known
San Francisco newspaper man who re-
signed an editorial position worth S75
aweek, and came to Washington q
fortnight prior to Clevelands $ Inaugural
ton as an applicant for the general
superintendency of the Railway Mail
Service for the Pacific slope. l
honestly doubt if the thought of fail
ure had ever entered his mind. For
one of his years and experience he had
more faith in the promises Of politicians
than any man have ever seen. "Of
course" he would say, II don't ex.
pect an appointment on the 9th day of
March, but do think my matter will
be disposed of and | shall find myself
en- route for home by the last of the
month" Sometimes l would drop a
hint that politics was an uncertain
business, and that 1t would be well for
him to temper his enthusiasm q little
in case the result proved different from
what he expected. But nothing could
shake his faith. "All the leading poll
ticians of California, including Justice
Field of the United States Supreme
Court, are backing me for the place."
he would say in reply, "and failure is
practical impossibility." So he en-
gagged board at Wizards and sat
down to wait. 1t was the old story,
monotonously, ,drearily familiar TO every
one who has lived a few years in
this political Mecca. The days length
encd into weeks and the weeks into
months, but success was no nearer at
tainment than ever. At the end of
three months he had exchanged his
luxurious quarters at Willard's $ for q
modest boarding house in an unfash-
ionablc street. noticed, too, that the
judges and majors who hold down the
settees at Willard's, and who had paid
unceasing court to the California ap-
pllcant, had suddenly stopped their at.
tentions, and this, taken in connection
with the shabbiness of his attire, salts
fed me that my friend $ financial affairs
were in seriously embarrassed condi-
tion. When his last penny was gone
and his credit well. nigh exhausted
some of us urged him to return to Sar
Francisco, but his pride would not per
NIT this; so he went to New York in
stead. He Is there now, man sixty
years of age, trying to earn living a!
reporter in opposition to more active
men of half his years. There Is abso
lutely nothing in the future for hin
but hard work and little pay. He viii
live and die soured and disappointed
man.
~.
Cummins Jackson, an uncle o
"Stonewall" Jackson, was a remark
able man in his day. He was TIL
owner of large farm. and also had
mill on the West Fork River, in Levi
County, Va, giving his place til
name of Jackson's Mill, which it still
bears. A correspondent Of the Oourte,
journal says that Cummins jackson
was of powerful frame and loft,
stature, an iron will and unscrupulou,
character. He was liberal to thepoo
and defiant to the rich. Though O
a limited education he had jiant intel
lect combined with all the native rug
gedness of his race. His influence wa
great, and he was independent of law
or man. Some time in 1S49 he was ar
rested for counterfeiting money an(
presented before the United States
Court at Clarksburg, in Harrison
County, the birthplace of Stonewall
He was released by giving bail. Ol
the day of his trial he presented him
4 self before the court, thus releasing hi
Rlbondsmen. lie sat close to the bar
nd paid marked attention to tn
rogress of his case. When TIL
ial ended and he heard the decis
IA against himself, he rose up t
8 full stature, and, gazing upon TIL
Pwded courtroom with flashing eyes
ed out in a loud voice: make way
tlemenW walked down the fu
It'll of the courtroom, threw him
ION the back of fleet nag he had |
mess at the door, slapped his Ion
5 into its side, and, at terrinl
~, outstripping all pursuers, dashe
long to his home in Lewis County
ty miles away. lie immediatel
hized company of gold hunter
Ainrtnd for lifnrnin tIhis cnm