New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-01
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
PERSONAL. POLITICAL AND ANEcDorAL.
SECRETARY LAMAR-BLACKBURN's LOST oPPoR-
Trinity

and in some cases probably his generosity mas peeh
abused An incident which illustrates both MS goo"
nature and the persistence and ingenuity OF the woman
with claim" occurred recently. II appears that iady
in reduced circumstances who holds claim against tho
Government succeeded several years I'm presenting
her case to Mr.. lamar, whose ready sympathes were
aroused In her behalf He tried long and faithfully 10
have the claim adjusted and paid but was unable 10
certain obstacles and became discouraged.
Not 80 the claimant, who dogged his footsteps anu
sought his presence almost daily. At last both MS
gantry and patience became exhausted and he began
to evade his fair tOrmentor When she called he was
always out" and II No her In the street ne lodged
around the nearest corner For time he was success
full but day not long ago he was fairly caught.
Riding downtown In a cab he espei the CLAIMANT
who stood at the curbstone francay waving her par
asol as a signal for the driver to stop Mr.. Lamar
quickly turned his head, leaned out OF the opposite
window, signalled to the driver and cried:
"Dont stop, driver. for mercys sake! Don't stop,
say, drive on!"
Alasl The driver was deaf misunderstood. for he
calmly refined his horse up at the curb The claimant
understood the situation perfectly and there was
"Ah, fairly caught this time Mr.. Secretary iairly
caught at last" .
conceal his yexation but gallantry trumphed ana ne
lifted his hat with courty grace AZ he remarked with the
aAh; madam good morning. good morning I am nd DE-
about to y Sa
have not been inquire about the progress Of that
venent to call soon. am Fastening to meet engage
ment, so good morning. madam, good morning.
or course informant would not pretend tnat ne nad
quoted Mr. Lamars language literally The main point,
he sad that the Secretary escaped" rctreaed with
flying c0l0rs," so 10 speak.
hear that Solicitor McCue, OF the Treasury Depart
ment has become dissatisfied with official life and that
he probably will resign within few months. His
Office, although of considerable Importance, does
confer high rank upon the incumbent or give him
any great degree of precedence In official society
at the National Capital On occasions 1T Official core
mony the Solicitor take his place very near the tail
Of the procession do not suppose that this fact has
troubled Judge McCue very deeply but it may baye had
some influence In forming his reported determination 10
retire weighty reason, however is that he finds
the duties Of the Office irksome because they DO not
occupy enough OF his time afford full scope for the
exercise Of his energies His sense OF official respons
bility ties him down to daily attendance in small once
and the discharge OF duties when are ciey matters VI
routine fancy, too, that Judge McCue never mas re-
covered from the disappointment caused by bis failure
to eneye s BY iGr the last But
whatever may have been his dlsapponments judge NC
compensations Soon after he came mere ms attenon
drawn to oppor unities for taVoraDe IN
real estate and Informed that the result mas peeh
extremely satisfactory to him in pecuniary SENSE
Ibeard rather interesting though somewhat apocry-
pha anecdote other day in connection with Senator
Backburns rrst for Congress. BLACKBURN, so
the story goes happened to be passing through Owen
tom the country OF owen County, the occasion or
the hanging of a noted criminal As o hanging is
rather exceptional episode in the State of Kentucky the
candidate for Congressional hOnors concluded ne would
remain in the pace few hours and witness tue
"eyent" The gallows was erected in the public square,
so that no citizen however humble should lose the op
portunty OF seeing the unusual spectacle II was in
fact, gala day, such the history OF Owenton had
seldom recorded The Sheriff, In spirit of true Ken
lucky hospitality invited Blackburn Of the dis
tngushed guests present to occupy seat on the gal
lows Blackburn did so. After the prelninaries had
been arranged the Sheriff consulted his watch and dis
covered that IL not quite II o'clock the hour liked
for the execution. Turning to the prisoner be said:
You minutes yet TO live. Is there anything
you desire to say IA the meantime "
The prisoner sullenly replied there was not;
At this instant Blackburn sprang from MS seat and
III the gentleman will allow me his remaining ten
for your SURFACES. II elected to Congress-"
Here the prisoner mpatently exclaimed
Yes, SIR" replied Blackburn politely
With an expression OF intense disgust on his face the
We won't stand on few minutes more or less" said
e tine % nae 70
speeches on the other Flip the trap ana let me 60
The good Datured Sheriff obgingy Tipped the trap
and the next instant the desperate swung into eternity
while Blackburn clambered down the gallows exclaim
ing that he had lost the greatest opportunity
of his life.
For years it been the privilege Of the pages in tho
Capitol make quite lot OF pocket money each session
In collecting autographs The pages of the Senate. for
instance will collect the signatures Of all the Senator'S
I'm an album turn the book to some yOungser in
the House, gets the Congrcssmcns mes, then to
one the pages in the Supreme Court for the auto
graphs of the Justices and finally to the riding pages of
lhe Senate who constantly going between the Cap
to the White House. and the several departments and
rha latta got he N
of the President the Cabinet and the other prominent
officials For snch collection the boy who starts the
book received whatever he could get out OF his Gus
TONER trusting his sharpness and the latters
generosity When he gets his money-snd $io Is the
u.ual price -he settles with the other who have
hoo him. such terms as they were willing to
make The ga terms Of settlement have been 80
to the contractor So u. House page. 50 to the boy
who gets the Pres 'sht and c,.- :. and 81 TO the
youth in the Supreme Court $500
But the example OF the trades unions has reached
Capitol and an equal division of profits Is now de-
manded by the bows took an album when had been
sent me by friend in the West to one OF the Senate
pages the other day. and asked him to get the auto
graphs of the statesmen for he had done before
had formerly paid him $40 for such job but he IN
formed that the boys had organized union and mad
advanced the price to $l5 He said that the Kids In
tho House kicked because the Senate boys were making
more money than they, and had struck; so 1t became
necessary to organize and have stated card of rates.
Don't you see,' he said. people who want auto
graphs somehow always come to the Senate first. We
have got $5 for getting the nam es OF zen
aors and have given tho kids in the House only ~
for getting 325 when they happened to catch on
to job they got the So of course and gave us two for
the Senator'S autographs but for one book they
get we get dozen ana they kicked about It, so we had
to pay them as much as we got ourselves Iney
won't touch a book less $5. There was kid In the
House who cut under them, and got some names not
long ago 49, when the other boys found 1t out
they got hold Of book and out the leaves They
boycotted him, don't you see !"
Justice Harlan tells story OF man who came to his
house night entire stranger sent in his card and
when the Judge down buntly told him that he pro-
posed to make fortune for both himself and the Judge
IL the latter would furnish him information about
certain decision pending, and was expected to
affect stocks The proposed to furnish the capital
and do the trading He willing, moreover, to divide