The Washington critic., 1888-10-08
TOPICS OF THE DAY.
Who is Colonel Swords the Bold
Better on Harrison?
NOT MUCH JEWELRY IN CONGRESS-
MT. handall's Condition-Remini iniscenoes
of Harriet Lane Johnston,
All About Col. Swords.

All About Col. Swords.
Says the Chicago Herald: Col. II. L.
Swords, who is at present making him
self quite conspicuous in the corridors
of the Hoffman House. New York. by
Offering to bet 81 900 on tho success
of Ben. Harrison. is well known in Chi
cago and Des Moines He is son-in-
law of d. f. Allen. who came here from
Iowa and tried to corner corn along in
the seventies. At the time Mr. Allen
was also president of the Cook County
National Bank. Corn. however, was
stubborn, and the grain instead Of GO
ing up, took tumble, and Allen. the
Cook County Bank and many others
foundered in the storm that followed.
When Col. Swords was married b. f.
Allen was a director of the Northwest
ern Railroad. and the bridal tour was
made in Mr. Aliens private car Sub
sequently Col. Swords. who was not q
man Of wealth, obtained q position as a
special Treasury agent being assigned
to the Internal Revenue Bureau. He
was appointed under President Grant,
and held the place until Grover
Cleveland deposed him for offensive
partisanship. Subsequently MIR. An
tisdel appointed the gentleman as
o solicitor for business for the Amer
ican Express Company, at salary of
$3.50 a month. This place he held for
some time, when he removed to Des
Moines, where he became the local agent
of the American Express Company. This
place he resigned TO work in the inter-
est of William B Allison for the Re-
publican nomination for President. Col.
Swords conducted the headquarters at
the Grand Pacific Hotel during the Re
publican convention, recci wing liberal
pay for his services. He Is not man
of means, but it is generally supposed
that the money he is Offering to bet IL
the property of Senator Allison, who is
very wealthy man.
Mrs. sheridan's Finances.
A Washington letter to the Boston
Transcript says: The idle talk about
Mrs. Sheridan's poverty, coming from
people who ought to know better, must
annoy her extren ely, for she is a woman
of great dignity and integrity and while
1t is hard to predict in these days, when
every public mans family, no matter how
well on, turns beggar and accepts aims
from people poorer than itself, yet it will
surprise people ii Mrs. Sheridan permits
subscription list to be passed around for
her. Gen. Sheridan had house given
him in Washington that cost the givers
$4,000, and is probably. worth more
now He also had a fine house in Chi
estate there, and his pay as Lieutenant
General was certainly $1,000 q year,
with allowances for quarters, fuel, for
age, mileage. etc, equal to $13,5OO,
which Gen. Sheridan received. 1t GER
tainly was this last amount after Gen.
Sheridan was made General of the Army,
and this, with no house rent to pay since
the Chicago riots in the 70's, was enough
for him to live and save on. Besides,
his widow has the copyright of his book,
which will undoubtedly amount to u
large sum, so it will be seen that the
Sheridans are comfortably provided for.
Mr.. Randalps Convalesoence.
The best proof of Mr. Randalrs real
-convalescenoe, says the New York SUMS
Washington correspondent, is that his
daughter, Mrs. Lancaster, is in Washing
ton going about as usual, and this week
has charge of stall at fair given in
aid of ST. Joseph's Church. Mr.. Ran
dall's children are singularly devoted to
him, and during the critical period of
his illness neither Mrs Lancaster nor
her sister, Miss Randall, could be per-
suaded to leave their father. AS for
Sam Randall. jr., a ,red-haired,s obstinate
boy, he had to be kept out of the way
by his sisters, so determined was he to
investigate the case for himself. Mr..
Randall is in constant intercourse with
his committee, and although he will GER
tainly not be seen in Congress until
December, he is not half so badly OIL
as some of the newspapers accounts in
dictate.
Rain Water as Cosmetic.
" The best thing in the world for the
complexion" says Amelie RivesIChanler,
in Yesterdays World, is rain. / have
q passion for getting on long coat a
cap and pair of top boots not rubber,
and roaming off by myself in q rain
storm. l don't carry an umbrella.
Just let the soft, warm rain spattcr my
face and hair and pit-a-pat about my
neck and ears. If / can't go out in the
storm hang out the window face up and
catch all the drops L can in my open eyes
and mouth. l am not monomanlac
on the subject of soap and water. If l
have my bath in the morning, l don't
wash my face any more the rest OF the
day. All my old handlSerchiefs are saved
for face-cloths, with which l dry-clean
or cream my face. / never use towel
soaps. ] like, instead, to battle in glycer-
inc diluted with rose water and perfumed
with altar of roses. / never powder II l
can have the shine rained OIL"
A Gifted woman's Sorrow.
There is staying at the St. James Ho-
tel, says the New York World, woman
who attracts instant and absorbing at
tention She is tall and imposing-look-
ing, with a perfectly moulded figure
and wreath of white hair combed back
from shapely forehead. Her full,
round face is handsome rather than
beautiful, tho more feminine adjective
failing to describe the strong lines of
character which define every lineament.
For her years, which must be we'll within
the fifties, she presents remarkable
type of feminine attractiveness Always
by her side is Miss May S. Kennedy, a
girl of possibly twenty summers who
is the personification of filial devotion.
The elder woman is famous Harriet
Lane-rath2r she is Mrs. Johnston now
who was mistress of the White House
during Buchanan's entire Presidential
term. She is confessedly the most bril-
liant woman who ever reigned in the
Executive Mansion Added to her phys
ical gifts, when presiding over her
uncles household, was the possession
of rare tact and remarkable pow
ers OF conversation. Soon after the
bachelor President had retired from Of
fee and she had abdicated the throne
from which she had held such graceful
sway, Harriet Lane married Henry II.
Johnston, Baltimore banker. Terri
BILE domestic sorrow has been her lot in
life for many years. Two manipulating
boys were the pride of her life In
fammatory rheumatism, which attacked
the heart, seized them both. One died
at Wheatland,' the Buchanan home
stead in Lancaster County, PA. The