New-York tribune., 1886-05-23
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
THE pRESIDTNT-JUDGE DAV1S-W. W.
CORCORAN-NOrES.


CORCORAN-NOTES.
,.no,, ,uvp prc,t.r CORRESPONDENT TIE TRInuSE-
WASHINGTON. May 22.-RumOrs of the Presi-
da,t's alleged intention TO buy somc suburban
nronertv near WASHINGTON with a view of caeing
the prize he is to carry home in Jane have agl-
tated the 0uidnuncs of the Capital for more than
week now Colonel Lamont protests that there Is
no, word Of truth in the statements made, but ne
continues to smile mystericusly whenever the sno-
iect of he marriage is mentioned. The freN'ie"'
is reported as being in an unusually happy l'an'o
of mind, though he rcscnts any attempt on INC
part of his friends to make the marriage suDJeo'
OF convcrsation in his presence. l saw MN ""'
driving the other day, the picture of stod lhu'n'i
ence Reclining in a Victoria Coionei La'on' 81
his side. he looked neither to the rgh' "or ','o
left The beautiful foliage OF the sprlAe' tue
bracinc air the gay crowds which lined the streets
seemed 10 leave no impression whatever upon MS
mind. His gaze was steadily directed in front OF
him where the colored coachman sat handling
tho ribbons He did not even talk
with his private secretary. The two looked
ike stuffed figures taken ont for an airing. Inc
President still depends upon this afternoon drive
as the only relief from his official labor lie never
is seen walking anywhere. Even in the srounos
surrounding the White House he has only been
once OF twice since he came TO Washington. III
view of this fact il Is somewhat surprising that he
shoud retain the health he has. When Secretary
Manning was taken sick il Is said that the Pres
ident took the warning to heart and determined
TO take more exercise than he had heretofore dohe
But if he ever took this resolve he has not kept
it. or he found it impossible perhaps to carry 1t out
Letters received here from the home OF DAVID
Davis. at Bloomington, H., represent HIM as rap
Idly recovering from his recent spell of sickness
ortslt hat nj a
press adjourns. if the weather should permit.
This, however, seems improbable IN view oi thc
fact that the physicians counsel rest and quiet to
their patient for the present at least Judge Davis
ALWAYS hkel the gay life of the Capital. Ii was
somewhat of a disappointment to him when he Ie1t
the Senate though he cOnsOlcd himself as best he
could by marrying handsome young wife, mere
wasanother thing which made his retirement beafa-
ble-the reflection that he no longer was compelled
olistcn 10 Mr. Bayard long speeches. Those were
trial 10 the Judge while he acted as President pro
femoorc of the Senate. especially when they threat
encd 10 interfere with his dinner hour. lie was
apt then 10 carry things with high hand and adj
journ the Senate whether majority wanted to or
not without giving Senators chance to vote on
the question. "The Senator from so-and-So." he
would exclaim when the hands of the cock pointed
10 3 O'Clock, "moves that the Senate do now ad-
journ. Those in favor of the motion VIII So i1N
hy saving ave. contrary no. The ayes have If, and
the Senate stands adjourned until tomorrow at II
o'clock" Ii was all over in a few seconds. before
the astonihed Senators co1ld recover their breath
especially the Senator from SO-and-sO," who was
never conscious prohaby OF having made the mo-
ton to adjourn But twthstalding his many
jdo>yncracies and his anomalous position IN poll
tics the "lndepen lent Party was very popular
always with his brother Senators. l notice thai OF
all the former members OF the body WHO OCCASION
ally visit Washington he receives the warnc>; well
come whenever he makes ms appearance Oh the floor
of the United States Senate. He had lost con-
siderable lc N when last saw him, but when he
first came into the Senate after having occupied
scat on the bench Of the Srpreme Codrt for more
than fifteen years. Il necessary II construct
chair especially for him. he was SO heavy. What
has become of that char | don't know. but rnmor
has it that it was offered to Mr.. Evagts. who de-
cllncd IT, for the obvious reason that he unable
tohil it.
Judge Davis is a rich man. lie is worth probably
two million dollars. The bulk of his fortune was
nader at least its foundation laid-In spite OF
himself A friend of his tells me that when young
LAWYER. struggling for bare living. Mr. Davis was
entrusted by some Eastern firm with the collection
of a bill Incurred by Chicago company. Ihc
latter were On the verge of bankruptcv hut still
W Hing 10 satisfy the demands of ia II Eastern
creditors as best they could. They told young
wa only - OOO-hur that they woud de ii L. him
some property in the skirts Of Chicago. Mr..
aGs ,naf onf IN ''V bip name Meeting shorty
afterw ird one of the plrtners oi the Eastern
firm IN II. Lonis. Mr.. Davis tod HIM what he had
done. "Whal T. exclaimed the merchant IN dis
gust: "vou accepted the land in settlement of our
acconNiI ! thought YOU knew better We
don't want any wild Western land. We want
cash. And he bcrated he VOIug lawyer ldiv
for WHIT me considered his lack of udg ucut IN he
mattcI Mr. Davis took the, Unsatisfactory Of his
client very mnch To heart. He returned t. his home
i'll Bl""mingon determined II possible T." recilfN
the blunlcr he had been guilty oi. n" could of
course not annnl the bargain made with the CHI
cago company. but he resolved To- raise the $1,000
necessary satisfy the dem inds of his Eastern cI-
entS himself. THIS be- succeeded IN doing wlthmuch
d liculty. The new obligation incurred weighed
upon him Tor years, aS the Chicago property was
unrcmuncratve, but he held on TO ii all the same.
And in lie end, he came ontall right In time The
with every year. Hc divided II IN plots ard sold
some But the bulk he managed tore,aln in his own
possession. Ii is now in the heart Of the city Of
chicago and the rents he derives therefrom afford
him more than comfortable income.
Talking of the manner in which Judge Davis
made his fortune reminds me Of another very Iich
man well known in Washingto refer to the
venerable ". W Corcoran. II va under the Dem
ocratic Administration Of james X. Polk that lac
first began 10 acquire national reputation a.
capitalist. Having made a goodly sum of money bv
conlracis for army shoes during the + srda Indian
wars about the year 1886, Mr. COrcOlan determned
loan of 81 900 600 of which the Government was
then in need II was pretty daiIng thing 10 do hut
Mr. CorcOran equal to the occasion. Looking
arOund for partner, he found George ". Riggs.
who then owned a sriall country bank some here
III Mary land. Mr.. Riggs was a bright smart man.
knowiug a great many moneyed people. and the two
took the entire loan and unlOaded II upon their
friends Army and Navy people aud hose who had
pensions principally. Ten millions OF dollars IN
1~4l, OF about two years bc'Og the waI with Mex
icO would certainly be equivalent to four times that
sum III these days Of immense fortuLes but
the man who sets himself TO make a fortune
does not always count the cost. OF course the
the two bankers. Another very lucky hlf Was
made by Nh. COrcOran soon afterWard He i gen
eraiy DpO ed have mad sonnet hing do with the
lncuQng of tlc Texas state debts ~ the Treaty. of
Guadalupe Hldag0 made with Mexico after leXas
entered the Union. 1hc iOnds of that State We're
Inn. rIt,.il ffl