St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-24
CARLISLE CHEws GUM.
Statesmen Substitute 1t for the
Obnoxious Tobacco---Few Cigars
Sold

Statesmen Substitute 1t for the
Obnoxious Tobacco---Few Cigars
Sold.
Speaker Carlisle chews gum.
He keeps little package of Ko-Ko
Tulu on his desk when he is presiding
over the house. For number of years
he has been an inveterate tobacco
chewer. The chewing of this weed to
such an extent involves ali amount of
eXDectoratiOn that might be incOn-
venient to the pages and officers of the
house who sit around below him. For
this reason MIR. Carlisle refrains from
the use of tobacco, while occupying the
chair, He has got to be almost as in
veterate chewer Of the delicately fla
vored elastic paste. Gum chewing and
chewing of caramels, according to the
Philadelphia Telegraph, is becoming al
most as common among statesmen as
with school girls and debutants in
Washington society.
On one side of the main door of the
mouse in the corridor is q little stand
where newspapers, cigars, tobacco,
gum and candy are sold in small quanti-
Ties. Az any moment during the prog
feSS OF the session from one to half q
dozen members may be seen about this
stand stuffing little paper packages
into their c0attail pockets. asked the
vender to-day what it was the members
bought SO much of. He said mostly
gum and earamels. Members neither
smoke nor chew tobacco as much as
formerly.
Mr.. Kelley and Mr.. Buchanan are
largely responsible for this tobacco re-
form. By constant and open protest
Mr. Kelley has made it very embar-
rassing for fellow member to under
take the task of vitiating the atmos-
phere OF the house with tobacco smoke;
and Mr.. Buchanan checked by formal
resolution, which was afterward con-
sidered and reported on by committee,
the habit, once very common, of spit
ting in the air ducts that open up
through the floor.
Comparatively few cigars are now
sold to members at the capitol stands,
and many members have abandoned the
habit OF chewing tobacco. The vender
told me that he used to sell more tobacco
than anything else. Now it hardly pays
to keep it on hand. Instead of il he
sells about $50 sticks of gum and ten
pounds of caramels to the members of
the house each day. Tom Reed, the
Republican leader, chewS gum, when
he is not chewing at the ear of the
Democratic party. He sits and works
his jaw upon this elastic cushion while
listening to Mr.. Mills or Mr.. Breekin-
ridge. When he gets up to reply he
stuffs the gum IN the back part of his
jaw with his tongue. and draws gall
from its sweetened flavor.
Mr.. Springer has broken himself of
the habit of talking all the time by
Keeping piece of gum in his mouth.
An effort is being made, in REFORM
atOry way, to induce Mr.. Buchanan and
MIR. Taulbee to chew gum. 1t has
worked well upon others besides Mr..
Springer.
Mr.. Cox is said to chew little now,
but his silence Is always regretted.
MIR. Johnson, of Indiana, soothes his
nerves by the use of gum. He has had
about three attacks of nervous excite
ment over the bloody shirt since he con-
tracted the gum-chewing habit.
MIR. Bliss is said to have contracted
the habit from constant association
with the young ladies of Washington.
He cheWs about as much as any man i'll
the house. Senator Hoar chews gum
and occasionally reads light romance.
Next to Mr.. Reed and Mr.. Bliss, Tars.
ney, of Michigan. is the greatest gum
chewer in the house.