The National tribune., 1886-02-18
WASHINGTON GOSSIP,
The Weeks DOingS at the Ma
tiORal Capital.
A SPFCK OF WAR.


between Great Britain and our own State OF
Nebraska and it is all about dog. Senator
Van Wyck who bears half the burden of that
wild Western State in the Senate lives near the
building of the British Minister. MIR. l. B.
Lehman an attache of the Legation, keeps
large bulldog whose chief aim In life seems 10
he to howl for the purpose of annoying MIR. ' an
Wyck The latter has exhausted diplomatic
negotiations in the vain hope Of an amcable
adjustment of the matter so that the nuisance
might be abated. But Mr.. Lehman loves his
dog. and insists that as nature has given him
the dog-the ability to howl, the Constitution
of the United States gives him the right TO
howl So he has turned deaf ear TO all Mr.
Van Wyck's entreaties, and night after night
the dog keeps up the music. The Senator from
Nebraska was having an experience similar 10
that, last Winter, of Congressman Hewitt, of
New York, who was kept awake nights by a
dog belonging TO one Kaiser, a baker, until he
was driven well-nigh TO distraction, aud sought
relief by an appeal TO Congress.
Senator Van Wyck stood it as long as he
could. Then, remembering the fable of the old
man the bad boy and the apple-tree, in the
elementary spelling book of his boyhood days
he determined to quit throwing grass at Mr..
Lehman and his dog, and try what virtue there
was in stones. lie went to Police Headquarters
and entered formal complaint and asked for
protection He was told there was no law in
the District that would reach the case, and
self and putting bullet through the dog. Mr.
Van Wyck now spends his spare time in shoot
ing at a mark in the outskirts of the city, with
evident uiteTior designs on Lehman's dog
whenever nc shall have attained a sufficient de-
gree of skill in the use of his pop" 1t is re-
spectfuiy submitted that, if necessary, Con-
gress should take hold of the matter and
dress the indignitics suffered by the Senator
from Nebraska. Let no " blarsted" British
bull-pup make life a burden to a United States
Senator, if Secretary Whitney has to rig out
the TallapooSa and bring her up the Potomac
to she'll the British Legation.
DEATH or A NOTED POLITICIAN.
Hon John G. Thompson, of Ohio, who died
suddenly last week in Seattle, Washington
Territory. was one of the shrewdest and most
famous political managers in the country. For
many years he was Chairman of the Democratic
Central Committee of that State. When in the
heat of an important and exciting campaign he
seemed 10 be in his natural element, and was
at such times an inde(atigable worker. What
he did not know about pulling the wires
was scarcely worth learning. 1t was just after
very close election, when the returns indi-
Gated great doubt as 10 the result, that he sent
all over the State that famous dispatch to
"claim everything with confidence" At an
other time. when the State was carried by the
Republicans. the Democrats clCng to the anchor
OF hope up to midnight. Then Thompson gave
it up. In Wood County, mp in the Maumee
region. there were some adroit and ambitious
Democratic manipnlators, who sent dis
pasch spinning over the wires to Mr..
Thhnpson Would a thousand majority
in Wood County help US out?" The
County generally gave from 500 to 1000 Re-
publican majority. and though the promise of
thousand the other way seemed to Thompson
like special dispensation of Providence the
complexion of the returns told him that it
would do no good. So he telegraphed in reply:
ITS no use; Wood County can't save US this
time, This telegraphic correspondence
leaked out, and for years was favorite theme
for the sharp political paragraphers of the oppo
sition. Mr. Thompson was a steadfast friend of
Judge Thurman, and represented what the
young Democrats of Ohio were pleased TO term
the Mossback " element Of the party. A few
years ago the kids rallied their forces and
after heated contest succeeded in laying Mr..
Thompson Oh the shelf.
Mr. Thompson was well known in Washing
ton, having spent much of his time here during
the past 20 years. He was for some yearaSa
Member of Congress from the Columbus Dis
trict, and was afterward Sergeant-at Arms of
the House for six years, during three consecu-
tive Congresses. While devoting his time and
means literally to his party he did not fill his
own pocket. The incoming of Democratic
National Administration found him in actual
need. He came to Washington with very
strong backing and endeavored to secure
position at the head of Bureau or Division in
One of the Departments but without success.
At length he was offered a place as Special Land
Agent in Washington Territory and accepted it.
year ago he was stricken down by disease in
Washington and lay for several days at the
POINT of death. He never recovered from the
effects of this attack. Personally he was
aiguifed and courteous gentleman, and had
wide circle Of friends.
CONGRESSMAN COVERINGS LEG.
The other day Congressman Lowering, of
Massachusetts, nd of
chatting together when the former said: 81
hear them call you Colonel and / presume
you were III what we used to cali the rebel
army7"
"Yes, replied OFerrall; ~ was there, along
with the rest of the boys And. by the way, as
everybody seems to address you as Major
knowing you to be from Massachusetts,, l take
it you were in the Yankee army"
Right" said Lowering.
"To what arm of the service did you be-
long?"
"Cavalry."
SO did l." said the Virginia Colonel Were
you ever in the Shenandoah Valley?"
T" / was there with Sheridan" replied the
Major, land left one of my legs at Opequan.
I've missed it q good deal, too, these past 90
years"
Twas at Opequan," said Col. o'Ferrall, a and
my regiment was in the thickest of the fight
with your cavalry
"You're just the man I've been looking for"
said Maj. Lowering. a. | want you to go over
that battlefield with me- sometime, and help
me find my leg would like to take up what's
left Of it and bury it on the soil of Massachu-
sets. When the doctors sawed it off / had
them plant il aud mark the spot with board,
suitably inscribed. 1t is likely that this dis
appeared long ago, but l would like to go and
see, anyway. Now, if you will join me some
day, well take ride over that field and hunt
for it."
Col. O'Ferrall, who lives in the Valley, assured
him that he would be delighted to see him
there. and extended TO him cordial invitation
10 visit him. 1t was accepted, and next Sum-
mer there will be search for the sepulcher of
that leg.
A SPECIMEN SOLDIER"
A man named Moler, who was on the roll Of
the employees OF tae House of Representatives,
but was dismissed, mas ever since been distn-
guished for the vindictiyeness with which he
has pursued the crippled soldiers who form the
great majority Of the House employees. He
has industriously paraded himself as soldier,
and used his service for the country as basis
from which 10 attack the veterans Recently
the latter thought they would look up his rec
ord little. They found that he belonged to
90. ID, of the 10th Ohio, ope of the one-year
egiments raised in the last months Of the war
Mr.. Moler himself enlisted on the 9th of
March, 1865, and was discharged on the 18th of