The Washington critic., 1886-03-18
TOPICS 0E THE DAY.

During the first two weeks after Mr..
Cleveland's Inauguration, says the
Washington correspondent of the Jcr-
sey City Aygus, 1t was estimated that
fully five hundred presents were re-
ceived at the White House. Last week
package was received from an old
colored man in Faquier County, Va,
accompanied by badly written letter
thanking the President.in an affection.
ate manner for appointing Matthews,
the colored Democrat of Albany. to be
Recorder of Deeds. The package con.
tanned red flannel. ball with a string
attached to 1t, to be worn about the
neck, which is known among the super.
stitious negroes as the luck ball"
They say the wcarer of such q ball will
always be protected from evil spells
and malignant diseases. The old col.
orcd man said in his letter to the Presi.
dent that the ball was filled with bent
pins picked up by him during the period
between the new and the full moon,
and hairs plucked from the tail of let
black dog ut midnight. The President
INDUCED in n hearty laugh upon the
receipt of this novel present. Secretary
Lamar, to whom the "luck balr' was
shown, said they were worn by thou.
sands of negroes in the South, who
purchase them from voudoo doctors.
The "luck ball' Is now the property
of one of the colored attendants Of the
White House. Several days ago
another Presidential present was re-.
ceived at the express Office from
town in Michigan. This present was
contained in wooden box about three
feet square, in the top of which there
were several augur holes. The pres.
ence of the box became very obnoxious
to the express men as Il fearful olor
arose from 1t. They finally removed
the box to the back yard ani the lid
was pried open, disclosing the remains
of small Scotch terrier, with blue
ribbon and Cleveland and Hendricks
medallion about his neck. A letter re.
ceived at the White House about the
same time from the donor, stated that
the dog was born on the night of Clcve.
land election, and was q thoroughly
Democratic animak owe have named
him Grover" said the writer, "and rs
he is n first.class at-catcher we hope he
may reduce the large number Of rats left
in the White House by your Republican
predecessors after twenty -four years
occupation" The dog had evidently
been suffocated during his long jour.
ney in the box. Mr.. Jesse w. Carr,
formerly Of Portsmouth, Va, who is
now residing in this city, bought the
blue ribbon and medallion from the ex.
pressman for 81. Mr.. Carr said he
would wear the ribbon as watch
guard for luck. Another recent pres.
ent was quilted silk dressing gown
made of silk squares of many coors
The great majority of gifts, however,
are canes and books, hundreds Of
which come through the mail every
month. An employe of the Executive
Mansion said to the correspondent: "If
/ only had all the curiosities sent to the
President since his election / would
open the most successful dime museum
in the United States"
~
The wedding of Mr.. Addison Cam.
mack, the New York stock broker, and
Miss Hildreth was one of the quietest
affairs, says "Ruhamah" of the Globe.
Democrat. They had intended to have
the wedding on Wednesday, but the
clergyman demurred to reading the
marriage service on Ash Wednesday,
and 1t was done day earlier. Miss
Hildreth, although resident here, was
seen by many society people for the
first time at the recent charity ball.
The girls, who go to the germans and
count those who do not as quite out of
the world, are chagrined to learn that
a million dollar prize was won by a
| girl that they never heard of. The re-
lations between Washington society, as
such, and the residents and business
men of the city are rather curious, and
unless family has some shred of oili-
cial position or relationship, moth.
ing but great wealth, and then
unceasing endeavors and callousness to
rebuffs, will carry them up into the one
great charmed official circle of Wash
ington society. The Hildreths lived
here quietly, making no struggle to.
ward the social ring. and the gossips
are quite aghast that millionaire
bridegroom, with $40, 900 necklaces for
wedding gifts, should 60 past all the
debutantes and professional society
girls and pick out the charming girl
that he did. New Workers who have
been here since the news of the en-
gagement was about have been most
anxious to see or know of Miss Hill
dreth, but the veteran society people
could tell them nothing, and rather
discredited the story of Mr.. Cammack's $
marriage altogether.
~.
"John,." familiarly queried Phila.
delphia Nescs reporter of Sullivan, the
champion heavy weight, "there are
lots of people who are not fighters or
atheletes-men who are clerks or in
sedentary positions-who would like
to know Just how to condition them.
selves in the spring. What ought they
to do?" 'In the first place" answered
John, with good deal of sound hygl-
enic sense, "they ought to set apart
fifteen minutes to half an hour every
morning for exercise. More than half
of them lie in bed until the last mo
ment in the morning, then jump up,
dress in a hurry and 60 right to the
breakfast table and wonder why they
have no appetite and feel dull and stu
pid. The human stomach was not
made to be treated that way, A man
should, after getting up take a ten min.
utes' brisk walk, If possible, or. If that
is not convenient, use light pair of
dumb bells for three or four minutes, so
as to bring on slight perspiration.
Then he should rub himself dry with
coarse towel and after that take q
sponge or towel bath. Then after he
has rubbed himself dry, he should rub