New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-22
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
DoNGs OF PUBLIC MEN AND THEIR FAM1-



his hand and pad Of paper before him, and has
scarcely looked up except TO vote whom his namo was
called No amount Of excitement can disturb his
equanimty, divert him from his favofte occupation
Mr.. O'Nel is bachelor, and has been In Congress al
most long as his colleague Judge Kelley. During
his long term Of service he has never employed
private secretary stenographer and 10 IL his proud
est boast that he has answered every letter be mas
received with his own hand and has seldom al
lowed TO remain unanswered over night lie never
does, except where 1t is impossible TO obtain the In
formation called for and then no Is uneasy Is
hen with chicken until the load Is OF his mind
Another Of Mr.. o'Ners peouiarities is that no In
varably goes to Phadelphs Friday nights and spends
Saturday and Sunday calling upon the persons 10
whom he has written in the course Of the weeH 70 as
certain whether they have received bis letters and are
satisfied with tho information contained therein In
q little red book he keeps record Of all letters re-
ceived and mailed, with tho addresses OF his
correspondents Ho can at moments notice refer
to every communication that has passed between him
self and any Of his constituents during his entire Con-
gressiond career.
Mr. O'Neil is the only man in Congress who person
ally knows and call by name every voter In his as
trct. II he receives Q letter from person he does
not know the first act after bis arrival In Philadelphia
is to call upon that person and mako his acquaintance
Every family into his district Is at once
looked up, and every that moves away receives
q Godspeed from the Congressman Sometimes the
other Pennsylvania members try to play practical
Jokes upon their colleague. The other day one OF the
Pennsylvania members went to him, saying:
"Charley, have q letter from ono OF your con-
stituents asking me to send him some garden seeds.
He says no has written to you several times, but can
not got answers
"what's his namel"
Some fictitious name was given.
"Where does he live7'
Some address was named at random.
YolIC said
veteran. There IS such man In my district and
the house you name IS occupied by Peter Jones.
know him very well, and attended the wedding OK bis
| daughter last fall"
| Mr. Bowden, the member from Norfolk, Va, who
looks II he had Just stepped out Of Of the pict
ures by Du Maurier IN Punch" always carries under
his arm when he s going to from The Capitol, or Is
visiting the Departments, largo yellow leather port
folo In which he keeps his letters and other papers
for immediate reference This portfolio has been the
| object of much curiosity among Mr. Bdwden's col
leagues and Of thern who carry their documents
around In their pockets, inclined to make fun Of
him. But he has no difficulty In demonstrating that
It IS good scheme and much better than tho fashion
Of members of the English Parliament and barstes,
who carry their papers in green bag No ono else In
washington except the Cabinet officers carries port
folio. They have largo ones in which Official docu-
ments are carried between the White House and the
Department buildings. Some Of them ere ancient that
| which Is often under MI. Bayard's arm having
been In service ev since the time Of John Adams who
Is said to have imported It from England when he was
| Secretary Of State.
A ereat many good stories arc told about II. G..
Brokmeyer formerly Lieutenant Governor OF the State
Of Missouri, who is frequent visitor In washington
| Governor Brokmeyer comes here In the interest OF
pending legislation, his chief business for number OF
years having been tho duty Of looking after various
measures in Congress- OF in the Legislature Of Mis-
souri, Governor Brokmeyer is q tall, broad-shoul-
| dered man. whose complexion and hair suggest the
Indian type He used to preside over the sessions OF
tho Missouri State Senate in the most Informal man.
ner usually with the amber mouth-piece OF q meer-
schaum pipe between HIS lips. Some of the Senator'S
after discussing the matter among themselves, came
to the conclusion that the presiding officers demeanoI
was not sufficiently digned; so ono day one OF them
arose and called the attention Of the Senate to the
fact that the president smoking Mr. Brokmeyel
laid aside his pipe, and addressing the Senate said:
"The president is not smoking
@Well he was smoking said tho member, persist
ing. g..
~He has done a great many things in his time''
| said Mr. Brokmeyer, Z" but he is not smoking now
And having escaped censure on this little techni-
| caty he resumed his smoking within ten minutes.
From that time forth his attention was frequently
called 10 his infringement Of the rules, but he never
stopped smoking moro than ten or fifteen minutes az
time.
When Thomas T. Crittenden was to be inaugurated
as Governor of Missouri, the Senate Chamber was OF
course crowded with people. Mr. Brokmeyer was
| IN the chair AS the hour for the ceremony drew
near expectation among the spectators was at us
height Just as the hands Of the clock indicated the
| bonr. the doors Of tho Senate Chamber swung open
and a pompous d0orkeeper, In deep VOICE al
| nOunced
aMr. President, the Governor Of Missouri ap'
poaches!' ,., - ,..,,
| .. Oh. n,ece of paper on which he had been scrb-
bling ,,. an..,.
! what we're here for'
The roars Of laughter that greeted this announce
ent somewhat interfered with the solemnlty OK the
occasion.
Theirs were number of Indians at the State Capt."
40, Iogerson CITY. during Governor Brobmeyer's stay
| thrs Ono day some one informed the barkeepers at
hs hotoas that they must not sell any liquor TO tho
| Indians because there was Federal law against Ia
| That eyenins Governor Brokmeyer stroned INTO tho
| n.dsop House. There was new man Denlho inc
bar Governor Brokmeyer rested his elbows on inc
counter and called for some whisKey ana wafer Inc
looked closely at the dark skin and stragh'
black hair Of the stranger ior hiiNu'o' "-
his back on him said:
SEQ on now. You can't get anything here
aWhats the matter with yours said the Governor
rather warmly.
ave don't sell liquor TO Indians
Gyhy. you tam fool, I'm Dutchman,' SAID th'
Governor angrily
GPerhaps you're Dutch Indian, but, all the same
| ION can't get any liquor here" Ard he did not.
heard story the other day Of Mr. Conkllng which
| u,strates that he did not always treat newspaper
men unkndly There Is in Washington cripple wh'
earns meagre living by peddlins news among 'h
regular correspondents In the last Presidential cam
paiSn he saw Mr. Conkng at Chamberlirs ana aSAe'
him for an interview. Mr.. Conklng replied Win Ms
usual abruptness that no never permitted mmsen u
BE- interviewed that he was out OF politics. ana ~,
o',id Gov would he OF the slightest interest to th'
public. o., .s -,