The Washington critic., 1886-01-23
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

The story which has recently been
going the rounds of the newspapers
relative to the heroic size of General
Winfield Scott recalls a similar anecdote
of General John Mcneil of New
Hampshire, one of the heroes of Chip
pewa and Lundy's Lane. An English
officer once asked the General: pray,
sir, what may be your height?" "Slx
feet six inches, sir, was the reply.
"And, sir, may ! ask what is your
weight" about three hundred, sir"
"You appear young and not fat" II
am about twenty-five years of age, sir"
"Arc there many men of your size in
your country, sir?" II am ranked US
man of no uncommon stature among
my countrymen. am the youngest of
the family and the titman of them all. "
THAT being the case" responded the
officer, "the Lord have mercy on the
British army"
ga
The correspondent Of the Minneapolis
Tribune is informed that Fred. Wcbber,
who represents one of the New York
life insurance companies, has during
the last month written something like
100000 Of risks upon the lives of
Members of Congress, Senators, Cabi-
net officers, and other prominent oiii-
cials of the Government. Among mem
bers of the Senate who have been
induced to take out policies by this
ubiquitous young man are Senator
Warner Miller of New York, for $50.
coo; ingalls, of Kansas, for SEQ, 1000;
Call of Florida, S25, 600; Jones of
Arkansas, SEQ, 900; Manderson of Ne
braska, 500, 600; Butler of South Caro-
lima, $4,000; Cockrell of Missouri,
$4,000; Teller of Colorado, $4,000;
Dolph Of Oregon, $4,000; Morrill, of
Vermont, 100000, and several others
whose names have not yet been learned
for similar amounts. Among the policy
holders in the House are Dick Town
shend of Illinois, for $4,000; Carlisle,
for $10,000 Ranney Of Massachu-
sets, for 100000; Judge Ward of In
diana, for $4,000; Beriah Wilkins
of Ohio, for SEQ, 900; Loutitt of Cali
fornia, for $4,000; Herbert of
Alabama, for $4,000; Taulbce of
Kentucky, for $4,000; Henderson
Warner of Ohio, 10000; Colonel
Weber of New York, sec, 900; Richard
son of Tennessee, $1,000; Holmes of
Iowa, $4,000; O'Farrell of Virginia,
$4,000 and Dunn of Arkansas, $l0,-
Coo. Besides these he has got Secre-
tary Endicott for SEQ, 900. and one or
two other members of the Cabinet. 1t
is said that in spite of the fact that he
has been repeatedly informed that the
President does not want TO increase his
life insurance, Wcbber has declared his
intention of capturing him before he
leaves the city, and il his success in
other directions is criterion he will
carry out his promise before he leaves.
~%s
A Richmond correspondent of the
st. Louis Republican says that one of
the very best extant portraits of Gen
eral r. d. Lee was painted in Paris,
some sixteen or eighteen years ago, for
a former resident of st. Louis, by n
French artist, who never saw the ori-
ginal. In this painting, which now
hangs among other portraits of distin-
guishcd Virginia soldiers in the mess
hall Of the Virginia Military Institute,
the artist has given wonderfully life
like picture of Lee as he appeared to
his officers and men in the heat of
battle. 1t is a view of Lee that no
other painting does give, and that no
photograph could give, of the self
poised commander under strong emo
ton, yielding to the impulse of the sol
dier. Equally interesting as historical
paintings are three portraits of Lee by
John Elder, a Virginia artist, who
gained much fame for his war scenes,
of which he made specially for sew
eral years after the close of hostilities.
Many of his best compositions were
sold out Of the State, but his Battle
of the Crater a spirited picture of
the desperate fight which followed the
explosion of the historic mine at
Petersburg, was purchased by Senator
Malone. His first, which hangs in
the State library in the capitol at Rich
mond, was made from actual sttings
while Lee was in retirement at Lexing-
ton. The university picture, In some
respects better portrait than that last
mentioned, Is one which Elder painted