The Washington critic., 1888-04-21
TOPICS OF THE DAY.
A Leaf from the journalistic Expert.
eRCe of Senator Plumb.
oTHE FATHER OF THE HOUSE."
a Diplomatic Baby--Mr, whitney's
Business Hobits-A Senator'S
Seven Children.

Post, Senator Preston Il. Plumb was
an editor. That was good many years
ago-in 1867, as the files of the Kan
sas Ne,os, published at Emporia, indi-
cate. Here are three items from the
third number of the Ne,cs Guly 4,
1850, and they are in the Senator's
best literary vein:
we have population enough TO warrant
the establishment of a sem.weekly mail, but
the Postofllce Department docs not see ut TO
accommodate usf"
Cannot school be started this summer
There are quito number Of children In this
vicinity, and we have several good teachers
who would prove competent TO the task,
Something ought to be done"
Mr. storrs has purchased the hotel from
the town company, and intends furnishing II
handsomely and enlargipg II by adding 81
feet for kitchen purposes aud the erection of
handsome veranda on the north and east
sides Of the building. We say, success tJ
him, for his enterprise and energy deserve it.
From these early literary contribu-
tions ii will be seen that even when
he was a callow country editor the
distinguished Kansas Senator bent
every energy to the furtherance Of
the public good His recognition of
Mr.. Storrs's enterprise in adding q
veranda 10 his hotel illustrates, too
his business sagacity as well as the
goodness of his heart.
~
In view Of the fact that ii has been
ascertained that ex-Congressman At
kips of Tennessee, the presen worthy
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, in
tends to resign his present position in
order to become candidate for the
United States Senate to succeed SEN
ator Harris, there is a very wide
spread feeling among public men here,
says Colonel Ayres in the Kansas
City Times, that Assistant Commits
sioner Upshnw ought to be and doubt
less will be promoted to the Commits
sionership Of the Indian Bureau
General Upshaw has proved himself
TO be q very efficient officer and
owing TO the absence of Commits
sioner Atkins, caused by the long
and fatal Illness of his wife,
has borne the larger proportion
of the burden and discharged the
onerous duties of acting Commits
sioner with high credit to both the
service and himself. No better or
i1OlO oClCillOh NOhlu llC
made, since General Upshaw has con-
tributed valuable assistance IN bring
ing the affairs of the Indian Bureau,
which in previous administrations
were made more than questionable to
the highest standard Of integrity, dis
cipline and usefulness.
s"#
Young Dalzell of Pittsburg did not
shout louder or clap harder among the
excited Republicans in the House on
Thursday when the deadlock was
broken than did that fine 74-year-old
William d. Kelley of Philadelphia.
Standing by his old desk, says Mac
farland in his Philadelphia Record
Specialize desk that the House al
ways assigns him by courtesy--he
lifted up his voice and yelled like the
youngest of all that yelling crowd
yelled as though he enjoyed it, as |
have no doubt he did. Then, when
it was all over, he quietly
followed the beautiful basket Of
roses which friend had placed
ON his desk in honor of his birthday
up to the Riggs House, where more
congratulations were waiting for him,
walking with the seeming sturdiness
of youth. He looks so young, too.
There is very little gray, either, in
his abundant hair or in his trim
beard. And his voice--that mag
nilicent voice" to which he once said
he owed together with "the favor of
ProNidence') his success in life
seems good as new. / asked him how
lie felt at "a. Gas young as ever"
he said; "and when | do not l shall
not want to stay" ! asked him how
tar.back his recollection ran and he
said: 81 remember being lifted ont of
a stage in my nurses arms in Cam.
den on my way TO the funeral of my
father, who had fallen dead in the
street the day before. | was
then 3 years old. People have
doubted that story, but my mother
and my old nurse always agreed that
| described the scene accurately, and
they had no doubt that it was genuine
recollection" Later in the converse
ton he spoke of his early liking foi
the theatre and Of the acquaintance
he had while a mere boy with actors.
cone Of them was here the other
day" he soid, Edward $. Connor,
and lie said to me as We sat together
in the gallery Of the House: William,
if you are the Father OF the House !
am the Father of the Stage lie is
81 now, and was on the stage rs baby
in the old South Street Theatre be
fore was born"
~
Says n Washington letter judge
Lamar has fully entered upon the du
ties and privileges of his office, one o
which, he says, is to work like pack
horse. He not only hears cases il
court, but, like other members, ht
carries cases home with him and rumi
mates on them between food and sleep
But his health was never better, ant
he likes his occupation. lie does no
regard the industrial activity of thu
South with special complaisance
Said he, in answer TO question
'1here is increased activity in manu-
faciures, and "A few astonishing
towns and cities h9ye arisen
but / am not quite certail
that the South, as whole,
making advancement doubt II th
young white men of the South hay
any more energy or thrift than thei
fathers had, while fear the black
are going from bad TO worse. Ther
has been no progress in agricultur
since the war-in proportion to th
population II has, perhaps, declined
/ have a little farm Of 400 acres, bu
il has scarcely paid expenses since th
war"
~
The diplomatic baby Of special il
ferest to Americans, says a Washinl
ten special to the New York sWq,
the Swedish American daughter {
the Swedish Minister, born last Sci
tember at Newport. The little l. ouis
A. Ro,,touaI,;n11 ,e 41,a fiat aud q al