The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-13
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
THE FORTUNATE MAJ. BURKE AND
HIS REMARKABLE CAREER.
Tho Ha8dsomest Hand In the United
states, and How IL Was Secured by an
Artist--some Information Regarding
tho Post Once department.
Special Correspondence.

leans Times Democrat. has made a new
strike. Early last year he secured control
Of large tract of thickly timbercd lands
near Birmingham, Ala, and organized
syndicate 70 buy it. lie laid out town,
and on April H. 1897, held his first auc-
ton sale Of lots The only house on the
place was little frame hut. which served
as his office. and the streets which had
been cut through the woods were filled
with fallen timber. Nevertheless, the
sale Of lots Of that day realized $4,000
The town was then called Besscmcr and
this money was used in part to improve
it. The big hotel that Maj Burke had
constructed adjoining the exposition
grounds al New Orleans. and which he'd
cost him an enormous sum of money, was
taken down. moved "a this town and re
constructed on an elaborate scale. Two
other big hotels were built, blocks Of
brick buildings were put M iron furnaces
were constructed, and nj the present time
the amount invested in furnaces and roll
ing mills is 81 900, 000 The town IS in the
best iron region of the Birmingham dis
trict, four railroads have been surveyed
into the city. and three of these run trains
regularly. The town has now $50 brick
buildings. and it is within five miles of
coal ana near TO limestone. Mai. BWke's
land has jumped from nothing to fabulous
prices. and it is said that he can sit down,
fold his arms and within few years he
will be worth $lOOO0.OOO.
~
Mai Burke career reads like romance,
and he has had as many ups and downs as
any man in the country. He is tall,
thin. handsome man. about 30 years of
age, well educated IN the school of active
life. and full Of energy When the war
broke out be was working on a railroad in
Texas, and one Of his first enterprises was
wagon factory which he established
there lie failed at this, and after tho
war was over went to New Orleans, and
here be first worked as o stone cutter in
marble yard. He soon went back 20 rail
reading. and after short time lccame the
general freight agent Of the Jackson rail
road lie was "A member of the volunteer
fire department. and it was through this
that he stepped into politics. He has
been a number Of times state treasurer
and state tax collector, and in the various
national conventions he has ta6cnJ prOmi-
ncnt part. He was at The head Of the
Louisiana delegation at the convention
which nominated Gen Hancock, and he
was a strong supporter Of Cleveland at
Chicago. 1t is now eight years ago since
he bought Tho New Orleans Democrat,
and he afterward purchased The New
Orleans Times. and made The Times
Democrat the best paper OF the Gulf states.
he has run northern paper in a southern
city, and he has brought the same brains
INTO it that he used In business.
II was Maj Burke who organized the
New Orleans exposition, and who made it
success in every way but financially.
He worked night and day at this, and
lost, am told, nearly fortune in il. lie
was bound TO have a good exposition if
he didn't have fort ne, and he had II.
Mai Burke lives very nicely in New Or
leans. lie has q beautiful house. built
after the fashionable style Of architecture
of that city, on ore of the best streets,
and its large parlors are elegantly fur
nishod lie is a very hospitablc man. and
he is n strong friend Of Gen Diaz Of
Mexico He has done, perhaps, as much
for Few Orleans as any man connected
with that city. and he is too active q man
to let his fortune rust What lie will DO
with his SO, 600 coo il is impossible 10
conjecture, but in AL probability il will
form lhe foundation for some dazzling
scheme. and it may he that he will carry
out the idea Of establishing a southern
paper in New York. of which lie thought
seriously, am told, some years ago
Perhaps the most beautiful hand in any
Of the paintings Of the United States IS
that depicted in the portrait of Martha
Washington in the East room Of the
White House. 1t is almost angelic in its
beauty Plump and aristocratic. with
tapering fingers and of most delicate
flesh tint, il is remarked upon by all Wis
itors, and the wonder of the artists is as
to whether it is an IDEAL creation or
wheth her it was copied from life. spoke
Of this hand today to Professor f. A. An
drews. the painter of the portrait. and he
told me that it was an exact representa-
ton Of the hand Of Miss Austine Snesd
the lady correspondent, who died within
the last few days at Washington. Miss
Sncad was not beautiful as TO her feat
uTcS, Dul SIG Htu u iitSt btdutiiui manu-
and when Andrews painted the picture he
got her TO pose for this part of it,
and thus preserved the counterfeit pre-
sentiment of her hand forever The
model for this Martha Washington was,
he tells me, sewing girl, who had d
beautiful figure, and who was Of about
Martha Washington height. The COS
tune was a magnificent Centennial dress
gotten mp by one of the richest ladies Of
New York for one Of the Centennial par.
ties of 1876 and loaned to Mr.. Andrews
for use in this painting.
Mr. Andrews portrait Of Dolly Madison
is now well under way. One OF the soci
ETY. girls of Washington is acting as model
for It. She is beautiful girl, with an
exquisite form. He has had an elegant
dress. made after the style Of those
which Dolly Madison wore, constructed
for the young lady to wear during the
posings, and he goes into ecstasies over
the beauty of Dolly Madison. He has had
a good chance to study this most beauii-
full of our presidents wives of the past.
All of her portraits possessed by her fam
ily have been accessible to him. and he
has had conversations with a number Of
roorIo ,ybo Enay Mrs. Madison He will