The Washington critic., 1888-01-11
TOPICS OF THE DAY.
Peculiar Characteristics of Ken
tuCky'S Senior Senator.
CARRIAGES ON THE AVENUE.
MIR. Elmcr's Physical breakdown
A War "Reminiscences.


the strong attachment existing be-
tween this burly, ruggedly honest,
level headed Scotchman and the
KentuclSians. Mr.. Beclt's chief bril-
lance lies in his tremendous industry.
lie is as grim and stern as any
Scotchman ever was on Sabbath
day. Free and easy sociability is an
Inconsistency that he commits only
on due provocation; he never seeks
it. The social doings Of the Capital
that get into the newspapers are as
far from him as they are from
u Rocky Mountain shepherd. Looking
out of his window one New Years
Day, after his family had exhausted
every appeal to his sense of social
obligg IONS, the Senator said: There
goes Se,iator This and Senator That.
Huh Yes, and there's Senator So
and-so. OF course they are calling
just as | am asked to do, but not one
of them ever lets himself think that
the Senate will meet again. When
the gayel falls ut night they are
through with all thought of public
business. The consequence is that
when the Senate is III session they
don't know anything to think about.
What do the people ever get from
them, I'd like to knowW Then the
dutiful Scotch Kentuckian went.
ahead, tearing through reference
books and jabbing his pen into the
writing paper before him now and
then by way of making notes. He Is
unlike the Kentuckians in almost all
things. He doesn't oven live among
them any longer, except in q sort of
fiction. He really divides his time
between Washington clearinghouse
and Bladensburg, and makes only an
occasional visit TO the State he repre-
sents so conscientiously and well on
all political and governmental ques-
tions.
#%#
Perhaps the most elegant of the car
riages seen on the Avenue so far this
session, says J. S. S. in the Courier
Journal, are the two new Victorias Of
the two Senators from California
Hearst knows that Senator Stanford
has everything al fat, and therefore
he has taken the senior Senator as his
model, and has produced on the Ave
nue. q carriage identically the same as
Stanford's Victoria. No one could
find an equal t, Senator Stanford Is
family carriage-a landau-because
that is unique. Senator Hearst has
not tried to duplicate that, or is salts
he'd with having Victoria like Stan
ford's; but, unlike the latter, Senator
Hearst has got the most elaborate har-
ness procurable, all bediZened with
gold and silver chains, ,monograms, etc.
His coachman sits alone in fine livery,
and neither looks to the right nor the
left as he drives the Senator dashing
up the Avenue. Senator Stanford has
been using his Victoria good deal
this fail. 1t has most striking appear
ance on the Avenue, because the
coachman and footman are in deep
mourning, while the horses are black
and the harness q deep sombre hue.
This is the European style for n family
in mourning. It's eminently elegant
and distinctiyely proper. Senator
Stanford does not seem to have reeov-
cred from the great loss of his son,
who died in Florence some years ago,
and still maintains the outward signs
of mourning for the loved one. But
For the real old Democratic style, one
has to look to old Joe Browns
(of Georgia) turnout. Though he is
worth millions and can afford as fine
a carriage as Hearst or Stanford either,
he prefers an old family hack, with
sheepish-looking horses and shabbily-
dressed coachmen. Mrs. Brown gen
orally accompanies the old gray-haired
and gray-bearded Senator to the Cap
itol when he drives down, and on
Saturday afternoons they are often
seen jogging quietly along toward
their home.
a*s
Says New York Press reporter
Richard A. Elmer, who was Assist
ant Postmaster-General under Mr.
James, is thought to be dying. He is
at his home in West Twentieth street
New York. The physicians ascribe
his illness to kidney complaint, but
the truth is that General Elmer has
sacrificed himself on the same altar
that meant death to Daniel Map"ing
/ was talking with him mon. or SC
ago, when he drifted through the
groups in the Fifth Avenue Hotel
and he remarked that nc was hard al
work on his scheme for colonizing
the lower peninsula Of California
The syndicate of which he is the heat
controls q Mexican concession OF
several millions of acres down there
1t is the largest land syndicate
in the world. Last spring Genera
Elmer went abroad and raised So, 900,
600 for the work, and am told tha
he got together rs much more on thii
side Of the Atlantic. Then he assigned
himself the laborious task of develop
ing the property, and, despite doctors
warning, worked himself out. 1t may
be that he will pull through his presen
attack, but chances would be mucl
more in his favor if he had husbande(
his strength. 1t is less than a montl
since he became member of th'
Chamber of Commerce, and he has al
interest in some of the Packer Goa
properties in Pennsylvania.
~,
General Alexander related the fol
lowing to the Atlanta Constitution A
the battle of Manassas he was fight
ing near farm house which he dis
covered to be the house of Mr.. Levi
McCabe, a relative of his wife. BE
fore the battle was over the hous
was literally riddled and the farm
ruined. General Alexander neve
saw Mr. McCabe again until at Apo
mattoX. While lighting there hi
artillery was near II farm house
which he found out to be the hom
Of Mr.. McCabe. lie met that gentle
man few moments later, and h
said HATV homo nt NTnunssng Wn