Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-22
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SOME WASHINGTON GOSSIP
THE APPROACHING MARRIAGE OF
JUSTICE GRAY.
How the Leading People of the Capital
Are Afflicted with Gossip-How a Cor
respondent Was Received by a Victim.
Congressman Mason's Reputation.
Especial correspondence

is soon to be married to daughter of the
late Justice Matthews, lives in an odd, big
house In the fashionable part Of the city.
Here he has kept bachelors hall for more
than a year. This house partakes of the
characteristics Of its owner 1t is massive, a
little extraordinary in some of its arrange
ments, devoid Of ostentation, and comforta-
bic and hospitable. Though standing on
corner in a fashionable quarter of the city, it
puzzles the passer by to tell whether it is a
residence, an apartment house, a church or
an Office block. There is not bit of yard or
porch, nor even front door with steps. At
the rear of the house is narrow hallway,
and inside this the street door with it's bell and
hall lantern There is something English
about it, and well trained English servant
opens the door in response to ones ring To
enter the house five or six steps must be as
cended, and within the door is a short hall
communicating with all the rooms on the
lower floor OF these there are but three,
but they are of generous proportions. The
parlor is half as big as the great east room of
the White House. The dining room adjoin-
ing, and separated by portieres simply, is one
of the largest dining rooms In Washington
a square English room, with a great open
fireplace and plenty of cathedral glass to
throw soft rays down on service and diners.
An odd feature of both parlor and dining
room is sort Of bulls eye of plate glass, on
which figures are artistically carved. AS the
light streams through, seeming the more
powerful because u the subdued rays admit
ted by the other openings, the figures stand
out like silhouettes. don't remember what
the figures were, nor did go up stairs, where,
l understand, the library is in which Justice
Gray works every morning till the early cock
crows.
Justice Gray is himself very interesting
man. There Is plenty Of dignity in his COM
position, but he has for month been unable
10 speak, even by mere Inference, Of his
approaching nuptials without having a
smile of inexpreSsible and almost boyish
pride and delight playing on his fat face. He
appears to exemplify the adage that love at
sixty is pretty much the same as love at
twenty, only more so. The justice is rather
proud Of his house, too, which he designed
himself down to its smallest details When he
built it he expected TO pass all the remainder
of his life In single blessedness, but this is a
phase of the human career over which the
determination seems to exercise as little power
in the case of a great justice as with the
humblest and most impressionable Of men.
The house is not well adapted TO family life,
and in all probability a mistress will quickly
make it look much less like bachelors quar-
tiers.
The Justice Is four inches moro than six
feet tail, weighs fully 225 pounds, and has
hearty, easy manners. | called on him one
day; and though he had never seen me, and
did not even know my name, was amused
and pleased at the manner in which he came
down stairs to find me. Unless l am mis-
taken he came two steps at a time, and after
he had entered the huge parlor in which l
was seated, somewhat obscurely on account
of the great size of the room and the dim,
summer curtained coal light, he raced
around TO find me as if | were his
oldest and best friend whom he had
not seen for a dozen years. There
was the very soul of hospitality and good,
manly spirit in this very activity, SO much
in contrast with the manner Of some Wash
ington snobs, official and unofficial, who walk
into their own parlors to meeta stranger call
er as if they we're doing something very disa-
greeable, You know. Justice Gray acts and
talks and looks like man who eats heartily
and often, who thinks clearly, and who looks
on life with neither the strabismus of vanity
nor the irritating shortsightedneSs of selfish
ness. He is the sort of man that makes
good husband, even if he is 81 years old
Justice Gray's handshake is peculiar unto
himself. Probably there is not another one
in Washington ike 1t. He is so wide and tall
and giant like that one is almost afraid TO
trust ones hand in his, fearing the squeeze OF
a BrobdiGnag. But Justice Gray's hand
shake is one of the most gentle Imaginable.
He puts his elbow tight against his ribs di-
rectly under his right shoulder, plants his
wrist against his waistcoat at the top button
in 'front.' and extends his hand TO you exactly
a hands length. 1t is a big, fat, friendly
hand, but to grasp you must reach well up
and shake 1t, or rather, squeeze il, while il
remains on its foundations Your squeeze the
powerful hand returns, but ever so gently,
and almost unconsciously, that is, without
reasoning about it at all, you conclude this
handshake was privilege graciously extend
ed you rather than the typical American
meet-half-way and neutrality-suspicious.
fellows salutation. And it is a privilege, for
this soft, stationary hand is the hand of an
honest and brainy man who is happy in the
anticipation OF an early wedding with
charming girl.
to meet that | am tempted, simply for con-
trast, to tell of my call one day on Wash
ingtonian vino has not quite Justice Gray's
brains, but has about fifty times as much
money The servant seated me in the hall
and bore my card away rather gingerly, as if
he were afraid there might be some contami-
nation in the touch of it. Presently the mas
ter of the hoase walked into the hall, fifty
feet from me. and there stopped and looked
in my direction. He then walked few PAGES
toward me, and again paused briefly for
survey of the humble visitor. Twice more
was this process repeated, with the
exception thas each succeeding advance
was made at a pace somewhat slower
than its forerunner. At last my host
stood about twenty feet from me, stared
at me again. as if reassuring himself were a
human and not some wild animal, and then
exclaimed in q tone which fairly vibrated
with hauteur;
''Well, what do you wanti'
l was, naturally, dumfounded, but man
aged TO gasp out:
lis this Mr. BlankF
YES What do you wantT'
This in q tone more naughty than before. |
Repressing the first wicked thought that en- |
tered my mind, which was to reply that I |
wanted nothing 50 much as a chance to meet |
him outside where could pummei his head |
in the hope OF teaching him some manners,
! initiated his haughtiness of manner and |
said:
First of all, sir, desire an opportunity of |
making Your acquaintance
The gentleman WINGED at this. and, taking |
the hint, walked slowly toward me. met /
him half way, supplemented my card with
word sor two of self introduction and prof |