Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-04
CRUMBS FROM THE CORRIDOR.
A Lack of Spirits, Animal and Liquid, in
the Present Legislature-Party Disci-
pline-A Great Pipe Line CONSTRUCTOR
FROM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Ureat Wrlter.
fFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT
HARRISBURG, February Accountability is
the distinguishing feature of only a minority
of the present Pennsylvania Legislature. A
whole month has passed away since the mem.
bers first arrived here, and only one big cham.
payne supper is on record. 1t was given by
Hon. John Stegmaier in honor of the Clam.
bake Club, of Wilkesbarre, who were his
guests for two days. On this occasion so quarts
of champagne and one quart of beer were dis.
posed of by the club and the other guests.
Such events were of frequent occurrence dur.
ing the session of two years ago. but prohibi.
ton was made so strong an issue In the last
campaign that the gentlemen who love to daily
with the sparkling wine are many less in num-
Der than they were two years agone.
why exclaimed one gentleman, talking
about the matter, "Jim Russ alone cleared slS,-
900 last session. He'll do well to max his ex-
penses this one"
Lieutenant Governor Davies is a big man
and a live man. He doesn't think the sessions
of the present Legislature have had sufficient
vim in them. ~ think" he said, that when
the members take sides and talk warmly on
the subjects that come before them the legis-
lation is apt to be better. When mems minds
become warmed by the exercise of discussion
and thought they do better work"
Party discipline at its best was seen during
Thursday nights session of the House, when
the inter-municipal bill was on second reading.
The third-class cities were clamoring for the
passage OF the bill, and nearly all of them were
satisfied with it in the form in which it came
from the committee. Chairman Andrews sat
in his seat we'll to the front, and set an ex-
ample of silence to his party over which he
kept a protecting eye as the bill progressed
section by section to the finish. Amendment
after amendment was voted Town with only
brief debate, until at last Mr.. Fow, of Phila-
dclphia, who led the opposition, turned around
to his little band of supporters and exclaimed:
"Oh, what's the use boys; they're bound to
swallow it whole, without pepper or salt"
Some of the constitutional points raised by
Mr.. Fow we're of a decidedly interesting char
acter, and some of his amendments were so
good that a legal gentleman, who represents
one of the interested cities, afterward re-
marked:
ut was very hard work to kill them some
times. but it had to be done. If we began
to amend there is no telling where the thing
would stop"
Chairman Andrews smiled like an angel of
peace when it was all over and received con-
CALCULATIONS modestly.
K*x
The Legislature is likely to pass some general
act for the incorporation of street railways this
session. 1t has two measures to consider in
stead of the Objectionable one just negatived
by the City Passenger Railways Committee.
Such legislation is badly needed, as, there being
no act now under which a new company can
operate, the smaller cities, as they grow in pop
~ulation, are unable to have this improvement.
'In Oil City" said Representative Hays, I'VE
have had all the necessary arrangements made
for a street railway for some time, but we can't
60 ahead until the Legislature gives US an in
corporation act"
Hon. Alfred W. Smiley, emb from
Clarion, stood some years ago on the border of
an international reputation, but does not regret
that he went no further. He was selected by
the Gladstone Government to prepare the way
for the British troops with water from Suakim
through 200 miles of desert sands, but while
awaiting orders in New York, Khartoum fell
before the forces of FL Mahdi, the gallant
Gordon was slaughtered, General Wolseley re-
tired from the Soudan country and the war
ended. Few men are better known in the oil
country than Mr.. Smiley, and few watch legis-
iation more carefully. When at homo he is a
division superintendent of the United Pipe
Line Company, and his connection with this
particular branch of the oil business dates back
to 1855, when he was one of the promoters of
the first successful pipe line ever operated
the Pithole and Miller Farm Line. 1t was his
reputation in this branch of business that led
to his selection for the dangerous and difficult
task of constructing a pipe line to transport
water through an African desert, filled with
~fanatical Moslem Arabs. Mr., Smiley is As
years old, dresses plainly, is dark complex
toned, has a firm, determined expression even
when his face is lighted, as it nearly always is,
by a genial smile: is remarkably stoop Shout
dered and wears a ~ hat.
One of the most interesting figures of Harris
burg is that always busy and ever cheerful cor
respondent for half the papers of the United
States, William Rodearmel, the veteran of the
newspaper corps at the State capital. During
a long series of years of hard writing Mr..
Rodearmel has originated a chirography Pc
culiarly his own, which would make the COM
p~ositors who toiled on Horace Greeley's manu-
script in times gone by weep. The other day,
when a gentleman handed him a page of manu-
script with a request for some information con-
corning it, he exclaimed:
whats thisP Oh, pshawI I can't read that.
That's something 1 wrote yesterday"
1t is perhaps a base and ungenerouS SANDER,
though, that a gentleman who had lost his
check on a Chinese laundry secured his clothes
without the slightest difficulty on presenting a
note from Rodearmel.
Mr.. Rodearmel now does nearly all his work
with a typewriter, and does it well.
SIMPSON.