The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-11-22
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
The Weeks Doings at the Ma
tiOnal Capital
sour RrsrpENr vETERANa.

corner OF Fourteenth street and MasSachusetls
avenue fronting cat upon The beautiful circle
where the bronze statue Of Gen George IL
Thomas stands as a memorial OF the affection
IN which he was held by the Army Of the Cum
baEland. Here Gen. ScheucK is living with his
daughters, and spends much OF his time among
his books, but he finds time each bright Gay TO
stroll down 10 and along Peunsy lyaula avenue,
look ing as hale as few men do at GO years al
though he Is a full score Of years older. He
was in public life for almost half 8 century,
and was by no means a young man when Ec
left his scat in the National House Of Repre-
sentatires in 1861 to go 10 the field, where he
remained IN important positions until near The
end OF the war. IN aud about Dayton, o.,
which was Gen. Schencks boyhood home,
there were BALI dozen at least of the SChenck
brothers half a century or more ago, one OF
whom entered the Navy, and by distinguished
service gained the grade Of Rear Admiral; and
as each one married early in life, the conse-
ouence was that when the rebellion broke
upon the country the woods were fall Of
Schencks in aud about hat section. and all
wanted 10 get into the service. Many OF them
did. There was one who. besides the Admiral,
was already an officer IN the Navy, but he was
killed By a dreadful accident at Fort Federal
Hill Baltimore ia the Summer of 1863. When
tie first Ohio troops were raised ia April, 1851,
so many Of this family went into Sea. A. Med.
Cooks regiment that one or two companies
were almost fail OF SchcuCks. and it happened
that when the regiment came here TO Wash
jngt0n and went across the Potomac lt was as
signed to the brigade commanded by Gen.
Schenck. The lst Ohio men had been accus-
toned TO the good things Of this life in the
Buckeye State, and the consequence was that
many complaints about foraging came in from
the neighborhood. Those were Cancellation
days, and in accordance with orders Gen.
Schenck set about putting stop TO private
acquisitions for chickens, pigs and vegetables
and issued order that the first mau caught
should be tried by drnm-head court-martal
and no mercy would be shown the offender
Ii happened that in the first batch of prisoners
caught was a nephew. Gen. Sehenck had been
SO long away from home, IN Public life aud has
nepheWs and graad-nephcWs were so numerous,
that he did not personally know half Of them.
What's your name?" the General demand
ed of the first prisoner.
John Blank. sir, LIST Ohio"
Oh, said the General g didn't know but
that you might be one Of those id
ScheBcks."
1t happened that the buoyant younger
Schencks had distinguished themselves al
ready for having q hand IL almost every piece
Of mischief going on IN camp.
Then, TO the next one, Who are you?"
Well, General, Pm one Of those id
Schencks, LIST Ohio
There was q roar Of laughter from the crowd
Of officers standing by. in which the General
joined after ciaring fercely at his young kins-
man bali minute, while The youDgster stood
unmoEed.
GO 70 your quarters, ali Of you. confound
you; III attend TO your cases another time"
When they had gone he said grimly 10 his
officers:
/ was afraid to ask another question. for
fear all the rest were Schencks, and I didn't
want to begin killing OF the family by courts
martial"
The boys never heard another word about
the matter. Gen. Scheuek ia his bright
weather srrOlls is never disBleased when any
eOmrade Of old days hats him for chat or
joins him for the walk, be he ex-siatesmam, ex-
diplomat, eX-s0ldier, or any Ohio man. He is
as famous as a teller Of good stories rs Tom
10rWIn who died here while telling a story,
and is AS iuil Of interesting "reminiscences as an
orange Is fail Of Juice. of each Of the positions
IN life la which be is so well known. For a
newspaper man TO walk with him from Four
teenth street down the avenue to Seventh
street and back, would furnish stock matter
Tor Two weeks Of excellent woFk. When he
came back from has services as Minister 10
Great Britain, be was so broken down IN health
that Ter a long time his life hung trembling in
the balance and then, when all the physicians
had s8IennlF declared that the end was near,
he took 10 drinking buttermllk, and living ex-
ciusively upon that. and now seems 10 have
renewed his constitution and his life. He is
The most genial and entertaining of hosts, and
delights 90 entertaining his old comrades: but
you must make your congo before 10 p. m, fOI
he keeps good hours.
Very few people here in Washington think
know that Mr. William II. Brown who has
charge o. tie gardening in the public ground:
OF the District of Columbia, under Col John
h Wilson. Is 4 veteran army c0mrade. In 1851
ne became a Lieutenant Ia one of the Distric
Of Columbia regiments, and did excellent serv
ice for time, but ne was called away Ia l56;
70 become a typographical assistant in tn,
Engineer service, and served under Gen Henry
l. Abboit and Col. David c. Houston, of TIE
Corps OF Engineers, in the Southwest during tht
campaigns Of Gen. N. i. Banks. lie is nov
still less thau 80 years Of are. ] should think
but ms work in military and civil life ha
given hiia a reputation lar wider than hi
actual acquaintance, aud that few men attain
al his age. With boyisH tastes for the study o.
botany be turned 10 flower culture and land
scape gardening, aud at an early age 1856
came here 10 Washington 20 enter the puOlit
employ. has FIRST work was with the theI
newly organized Bureau Of Agriculture (uop
Department., and he laid out and iuaugurateG
the gardens in the Mall Just west of Thir,
street and lying along the line Of Missouri aus
Maryland avenues as far IS Four aud-a-h hal
street. in later years these gardens came un
Ger the charge Of the Superintendent OF Publi
Buildings and Grounds at TIE time the section
OF the Mail between Twelfth and Fourteenth
streets was assigned TO the Department Of Agri
culture, but Capt Brown remained in charge O
his Old-i.Iae work, which thenceforward wa
known as the PrupagaUing Gardens. Befor
the war, while Superintendent of the Agri
cultural Gardens, he succeeded In propagatiu
ano accimaiing the tea plant, and hundreds G
thousands Of these plants were sent 10 region
where they might be cultivated but the wa
came and destroyed the tea industry in thi
country. Visiting the new Propagating Gar
oens not long ago, Capt. Brown led me thrOug
the score or more Of long lighthouses and trie
10 make me know Of what ! was looking at; bu
he used Latin names for familiar plants. and
was afraid 20 ask questions However, If
ever catch him on shipb0apd / viii try to ge
even with him, for he may not be able to tel
the real difference between the fOre-truck an
the f0Te-peak-and there is as much as there
between the botanical and familiar names {
his pets.
Some things I did learn, however, and on
surprised me. In a broad space, filed som
inches deep with clear sand, in one of the hot
test Of tlIc lighthouses, were great number {
leaves o. those large, Eaudily -colored plants {
tropic growth that we all see each Summer !
the public PARKS and these were there for roo
ing. the leaf Of any plant thus treated wi
develop buds along the veins on the upper sid
and each bud will send down roots below int
the sand SO that in dividing aud transplan
ing these, each viii give new plant. Later
As Il