The Washington critic., 1886-11-01
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

The first legislature in Georgia which
met after the ratification of the new
Constitution passed an act providing
that every five years there should be
paid to crippled eX Confcderates
towards the purchase of artificial limbs,
$40 for an arm lost below the elbow,
$50 If above; S15 for a leg lost below
the knee and s100 il above. The At
lanta Constitution says that the first
payment was made to several hundred
benefciaries under this act in 1880.
Another payment would not have
been due until 1885, but the law was
changed so as to reduce the terms from
five to three years, and in September,
1888, the number of those receiving
money for artificial limbs was much
larger than II had been before, owing
to the more general information on the
subject. Eight hundred and seventy.
five armless and legless eX-Confel ler-
ates received the benefits of this sec md
distribution, the total sum paid being
500 ,4l5. The time for another pay.
ment has now rolled round again, and
since the 20th of September there have
been received 6l7 applications, all of
which, except four, have been granted.
Since the last payment some OF the
brave old fellows have passed beyond
the reach of human bounty. Others
have removed from the State. 1t Is
not probable that the total number will
exceed eight hundred at this payment:
and the total amount paid out will be
about $4,000,
w.
Says the New York lV0rId'S Wash
ington correspondent: If the President
or any member of his family ever
meets with any serious accident 1t will
most likely occur in the vicinity of the
railroad tracks below the Sixth street
station of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
The President never goes through the
station. He always gets on and oil the
train below the station. The crossing
below the station is one of the most
dangerous in the city. There are many
tracks there and shunting engines are
constantly tearing up and down. Last
night when he came home from
the Bartholdi ceremonies he got
off below the station and went
across these tracks in the dark
to Sixth street, where his carriage was
waiting. Mrs. Cleveland was in the
carriage and was nearly frightened to
death by the plunging of the horses
The White House driver with difficulty
kept the powerful team from running
away. The horses nearly bolted twice
before the President was able to get
into the carriage. Suppose the team
had bofted down on to the track in
front of shunting engine The Presi.
dent when he leaves Washington never
sends word when he is coming down to
the train. He always comes at the
very last moment and invariably down
across these dangerous tracks. He
appears to have perfect horror of
going through the station where Gar
field was shot. His avoidance of the
public in Washington in every possible
way is one of the marked incidents OF
his life here.
%"A
An auction sale of about 400 bottles
of rare old wines from the cellars OF
Mrs. Harrison Gray Otis takes place in
Boston to-day, of which the Boston
Post makes this tantalzing mention
More than half Of the stock Is the
famous Boardman Madeira of 1920, and
suggests by its name that Mrs. Otis
family knew what was delicious in
wines, while the little lot of Madeira
bearing the name of Governor Brooks
has poitico social flavor which it Is
good to taste amid the aspcrities of the
present gubernatorial campaign. | fcal
that if Il man were TO sample these
bottles freely he would not care
whether Andrew or Ames were elected
The catalogue shows one case contain
ing fifteen bottles of the famous juno
Madeira, which goes back to 1S20-s
famous vintage which DR.. Holmes ha!
celebrated in the bankers dinner when
he makes his epicurean connolsseur
Remark that "Whitetop" was consdere
fine,
But swear the Juno" is the better wine.
Besides these Madelras, the fa
nous Duff Gordon, dating back
TO 1920. is represented in the sale
by trllo of niue bottles, just cnougl
10 open at birthdays aud weddings in
small family. Under date Of 1927 is
lot Of ten bottles Of Madeira which he
longcd to Isaac p. Davis, the typica
diner out of Boston of fifty years ago
and to whom. If am not mistaken
Daniel Webster dedicated Volume o
his speeches Other little lots of Nader
in the sale are John Tyler" 1915, an
the OILS "Platamore" brand 1851
Port which DR.. Johnson said was til
liquor for men, but which of late year
seems to be reserved for invalids,
represented by the Johnson, BordeauX
brand Of 1910,
a"a
In the Hoffman House on Thursday
says the New York IyiJRae, ColonC
Joseph L. Tobias Of Philadelphia, VIII
came to attend the unyeiling of tn
Bartholdi statue, remarked that ColonC
j. W, Forncy and himself gave NJ
Bartholdl the first dinner that he r,
ceived in this country. 1t was In i5tt
The sculptor had come over from ParI
TO arrange for placing part Of tn
statue on exhibition at the Centennii
Exposition AT that time he had onl
made large mould for the famous arr
aud torch. lie had letter of introduC
tion to Colonel Forney The Colon,
was exceedingly busy and sent 70
Colonel Tobias TO be relieved in pal
Of the task of entertaining Barthold
Colonel Tobias took him for drive I
Fairmount Park aud about the city an
then the three gentlemen met and 81
down to n dinner at which all the grea