The Washington critic., 1889-03-09
:currISG, LEEcmNo AND SHAVING DONE HER
THOMAS wILHousE.

."'.'.'..'....,...'...., ..,.,,.............,......
II the day be fine and not very brisk the
visitor will as likely as not find an old
negro standing with arms akimbo in the
door His hair is long, curly and white as
snow, while his complexion is of that olive
tint that betrays a mixture of Caucasian
blood with the African. His coat is Of blue,
with big brass buttons, and altogether he
looks as If he had just stepped from the
canvas of some old colonial picture. He
will talk to you IN the soft, musical voice
with which these children of the sunny
South are gifted, and tell you Of barbering
in the old days, before the fashion of wear
ing beard came into vogue and men wore
powdered hair and wigs with great clusters
of curls. He also likes to tell about how
much cupping he once did, and, with
mournful shake of his head, how little he
does now. There is little jar on shelf
close by the window, and in 1t are half
dozen leeches curled up in the mud. If
you ask him If he has much call for them
now he will answer in the negative. The
good old days, when men blackened and
bruised each others eyes In enforcing their
arguments, arg gone, and now Uncle Tom
doesn't watch with his practiced eye the
gradual decrease Of swelled optic as the
leech gets In his work, The shop and its
proprietor make up an odd lot. aud are
well worth a visit.
~
There are more mysterious people living
IN this town than in any place of its size in
the country. You meet well-dressed peo-
pie everywhere, people who slways have a
little spending money, clean linen and
good suit of clothes, but who are "wlthout
visible means of support The loafer
about the corridors of the Washington
hotels is picturesque also, in his respecta-
BILE slothfulness, and furnishes delightful
study in place which abounds with them.
lie is generally man of some education,
can converse well on almost any subject,
and is informed on current events, but no
one can tell you where he came from, what
he has ever done or what he intends to do.
His ambition seems to be killed, II he ever
had any, and he spends his days In idleness
from which II would seem impossible to
rouse him. He Is poser, too, in more ways
than one, for he delights to get his we'll
clad limbs in attitudes that would delight
the soul of an artist Nothing disturbs the
tranquility of his mind except a crush such
as that on Inauguration day, when he gem
orally moves his quarters to some quieter
place,
80
Colonel John q. Calhoun, the recently
elected president of the Southern Society of
New York, is well known in this city, where
he has number of relatives. His father
was the son Of the great South Carolina
statesman OF the same name and was one of
the largest Shareholders In the South. OF
course the war ruined him, and when II was
all over he and his son gathered the shat
tered remnants of their fortune together
and went to the Metropolis to remain there.
They succeeded fairly well, and now they
are both powers in New York social and
political life, Every one calls the bluff,
hearty, good-looking young fellow
"Colonel," but he really has no claim to
the title, as he was too young to partici-
patein the late disturbance.
SO
Hon. Fred Douglass was conspicuous
figure at the White House yesterday after
noon. unconsciously he excited some in
dignation among the callers. The Presi-
dent had descended to the first floor TO re-
eeiye the throng, but had steadily refused TO
shake hands until the distinguished colored
lecturer came along, who induced the Presi-
dent to break his rule aud take his hand.
Immediately mumurs went up on all sides,
Mr., Douglass was regarded with great in-
terest by the strangers present, One of
group remarked as he passed them; "There
goes Fred Douglass!n The latter turned
with dignihed mlen and said impressiyelyi
"Gentlemen call me Frederick Douglass;
rowdes call me what they please.n The
silence that dropped could have been cut
with meat-ax.