The Washington critic., 1886-05-18
w WASHINGTON CRITIC
WASHINGTON, MAY IL, 1885.
TOPICS OF THE DAY.


spondent, are Barnes of Georgia and
Hiestand of Pennsylvania, the first
Democratic lawyer, the second Re-
publican editor. Both dress with o
pitchfork and buy all their clothes at
second hand stores. In this respect
they differ from Ex-Governor Long Of
Massachusetts, who wears hand-me.
down suits, but they are clean, and
wrinkle from the flimsiness of the ma
terial and not from creasing of age.
Hiestand Is jolly fellow, but he has
an uncouth way of setting up his feet
on his desk in the way of screen.
Barnes Is fatter than Falslafr His flesh
is manifest obstacle to comfortable
locomolion. But he rcfutes the Shaks.
perean adage that "a fat paunch makes
a lean pate" for he is one of the ablest
men in the body. Perhaps his indis-
position to button all the buttons and
Carlylean fondness for old clothes
comes from the annoyance of motion.
x*~
The same correspondent says there
were placed in one OF the booths Just
outside the entrance door of the House
from the main corridor, the other day,
what appeared to be neat editions of
the works of Dickens and Hawthorne.
The books stood In row with the
alleged titles printed in the usual style.
The favorite Hawthorne work was
"The Tanglcwood Tales" possibly
misprint, as the sequel will show, for
''The Tanglefoot Tales" The peril
nent work selected from the Dickens
series was "Our Mutual Friend" An
examination of these works of fiction
revealed a whisky bottle inside, differing
In this respect from the book bound
in calf with tail inside" The upper
edge of the pretended books opened to
admit the protrusion of the "mutual
friend" which is propelled by spring
in the lower edge. The clerk in the
booth said the members had already
exhausted several editions. Several
have ordered the binding of special
works in this style at the Government
Printing Office, offering to furnish the
bottle. "The Cornhill Magazine" has
been pre-. empted by one member rs the
name for his flask of fiction. "History
of Kentucky" and 1.-The Reign of
Bourbons" are also listed. The newly
introduced device will probably be
adopted by all Congressional funeral
committees.
There is only one rich man among
the hundred and odd preachers in
Chicago, says the "Club Mans Cos.
siper" of the Chicago Mail, and this is
the Rev. DR.. Ryder. the eloquent Uni
versalist divine who only few years
ago retired from the pulpit. He made
all his money outside of his profession.
In set of rich men living on the south
side, in the vicinity of his old church,
DR.. Ryder has always been a great
favorite, and they showed their pre-
ference in practical way. When an
investment could be made profitably in
the city railway stock the eloquent
Universalist was put into that stock.
Local brokers all say that the
doctor has head for financier-
ing himself. He has been one Of
the most active traders in local
securities and real estate, and one of
the most successful. He is believed to
be worth $3.50, 900, part of it invested
in Wabash avenue real estate, but most
of 1t in streetcar stock. There was
one recent investment by him which
was disastrous. When John II. Hoxie
was unloading his Consumers gas
stock the Rev. DR.. Ryder was one of
the gentlemen to whom he gave the
pointers to buy-and to buy quick.
The doctor bought 1000 shares and
sunk $4,000 in it.
Said Mr.. Rosewater of the Omaha
Bee to carp" Of the Cleveland Leader:
II sent out the first official dispatch of
the emancipation proclamation. 1t
was sent out on the evening of Jan
uary /, 1868. ! attended the Presi-
dents New Year reception that day,
and though this move was expected by
the people, it excited no comment. The
colored people about Washington
made no celebration whatever, and no
one appreciated the magnitude of the
act. The picture of Lincoln signing
this proclamation, which hangs in the
Capitol, and which cost $25, 900, Is all
bosh. There was no such scene as Is
there represented. Lincoln made the
proclamation as war measure, and
it related to the slaves only in the
heart of the rebel country. After the
battle Of Bull Run Lincoln had said
that he would emancipate the slaves
in one hundred days If the war was not
stopped. In his message to Congress
just before this proclamation he pro
posed gradual emancipation in thirty
seven years. lie made the move solely
as u war measure, and no one consid
cred 1t as amounting to much"
Nv
Governor Swineford is enthusiastic
about the natural resources of Alaska,
and is sure that it would spring into
Statehood in few years If placed ON a
footing with the other Territories.
When Secretary Seward insisted on
purchasing the country from Russia
people thought the United States had
purchased barren, valueless tract of
land. Now any corporation would
gladly give the purchase price for the
cod fisheries alone. The amount paid
TO Russia was 81, zoo, 900, of which the
Government has got back $5, 200, 900 in
revenues already. The Alaska Sea-
Company pays $4,000 year for its
privileges and $55.000 for the rent OF
Two small islands, or about A. per cent
interest on the purchase money. They
are allowed to kill only 100000 seais
yearly, so each seals cost them 50. .G2t
Besides the fur trade and the fisheries
Alaska is becoming the greatest
gold producing country in the world
On Douglas Island, which is from foul