Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-29
THE TOPICAL TALKER.

| No Wonder Speaker Reed Was Anxious
About His Vnlise-Americus Club Ban-
quet Echoes In Washington-Presiden
Harrison and gtime
sights and Contrasts In the Streets of the
| Capital.
| tFRoN STAFF CORRESPONDENT
| WAsHINGToN. April 2S.-speaker Tom
Reeds equanimity is famous. Hardly any
thing can shake it, but shaken 1t was. and
sorey, on Friday last just before the party of
statesmen, of whom Reed was one started for
Pittsburg to be present at the Americas Club
banquet. 1t was noticed by the Speakers fel-
low travellers aud the correspondents and
others who came down to the Baltimore and
Ohio depot to see goodly portion Of Washing
| toms brains depart. that Mr.. Reed of all the
party seemed uneasy and anxious about some-
thing. Mr.. Reed made no secret of his anxiety
and its cause His valise, left in the care of a
servant had not shown up. There might have
been mistake about the depot: his man might
have taken the valise to the Baltimore and Po-
tomac station, Mr.. Reed thought A news
paper man thereupon took a cab and dashed
away to the Baltimore and Potomac station,
corner of Sixth and B streets. Minutes few by
and still the valise came not. Mr.. Reed mopped
his face with large silk handkerchief, and
apostrophzed the stupidity of man. About a
minute before the train started the man and
the valise came on the scene, and calmness re-
turned to the group of statesmen-for every
one had been agitated-and MI. Reed put away
his handkerchief and his strong language.
What was in the valise Collars and cuffs
and a clean shirt, brush and comb and a
small vial of cold tea, merely? There is good
reason to believe that the able speech, which
you read in The DISPATCH on Sunday, was in
that valise. know that Mr.. Reed at first in
tended to speak as the moment prompted him
at the banquet table, but early last week he
grasped the Importance OF the occasion and
carefully prepared his speech in writing.
THE Americus Club banquet created no little
stir here among the politicians. both before
and after 1t occurred. The fact is that Western
Pennsylvania has seldom amounted to SO much
In the eyes of Washington observers as it does
now. And the speeches at the Americus ban
quet seem to have justified the expectations of
both Republicans and Democrats here. 1t is
all very well for Mr.. Reed to disavow any right
to speak for the party but Washington seems
to think that what the Speaker says goes in this
case as in most others.
WHATEVER its significance, it is a curious
fact that President Harrison does not oc-
ington You don't hear him talked about, you
don't see him, unless you seek him of course
and one of the oldest things is that his photo
graph is rarely to be seen in the store windows.
For instance this afternoon l examined the
gallery of public mems portraits in the windows
of Bell, the crack photographer on Pennsyl-
vania avenue. There were lots of portraits of
Mrs. Grover Cleveland-charming pictures
every one-a few of her husband; the faces of
most of the notable Senators-our own Matthew
Stanley prominently among them-aud Con-
gressmen were there; almost every member of
the Cabinet looked at you statuesquely. smil-
ingly or stupidity. as the case might be. but of
President Harrison not q portrait. cabinet
panel or carte-de-visite-not even tintype
did those ample windows contain.
Even more surprising was the absence of
Mrs. Harrison's face from that collection of
national notables. None of her household
figured there, and the cute countenance of the
illustrous Baby Mckee was greatly missed by
one fair Pittsburger who looked at Mr.. Bells
pictures this afternoon. I am told that there
has been quite run on Baby McKee's por-
traits; but the enthusiasm of his admirers ap-
pears to have died down.
RUT II the people of there United States
do not hunger for the counterfeit present
them who come to Washington-and their name
is legion-certainly show a keen desire to see as
much Of him and the inside of the W hite House
as they can. His public receptions on Mon
days have been attended by crowds, / am told, |
and it is within my own knowledge that per-
feet mob of excursionists, from New York and |
the East mainly, invaded the White House yes
terday. for, Sunday though 1t was portion of |
the Executive Mansion was open to the public |
from 10 till o'clock
When the President drove back from the |
morning service at the Church of the Covenant |
he doubtless observed a graceless amateur |
leveling his camera at the front |
1oor of the White House from the center of |
The lawn. The President and his family must |
have forgotten what the word privacy means |
BY this time. AS compensation, perhaps they |
have learned the meaning of several new
words. dare say.
WASHINGTON is looking her loveliest lust
now. The rain of last week brought out
he foliage as if by magic. In Sundays sum
ihine you could see the leaves unfolding, and
tote the grateful shade expand over the wide
venues. The White House is delicious
power of the liveliest green's. The air is laden
With the perfume of lilacs and magnolias in
he squares and parks, and the gardens are gay
With all the spring flowers. No city in the
world can compare with Washington in GER
ain aspects, especially in late April or early
Nay.
came on a sad contrast yesterday driving
through the fashionable northwestern side of
he city. In a street of beautiful houses many
# them snugly couched in dazzling lawns. and
il confronted by trees in new and nearly-full
eaf, there was one whose red brick walls were
,lackened with smoke whose scorched win
lows glared darkly like sightless eyes, and be-
ore whose steps dingy ITO let' sign hung.
t was the house where Secretary Tracy lost
wife and daughter by hideous mishap last
winter. No attempt at repair of the flames
avages have been made, and with its gloomy
ssociations it is likely to remain empty for
many day. Among such CHEEKY and color
ul sights it seemed doubly grim.
Talking of contrasts, a very odd one came
under my notice in the Secret Service rooms
D the Treasury building the other day. There
near the door of the ante-chamber in Chief
'eps headquarters glass case in which
epose, jumbled together, queer lot of
evolvers. dirks, knives and other lethal
7eapons, found upon the persons of captured
A murderous medley of ma
hines it is. On the morning Hooked at these
of lives ill-spent, beside the case a
ngle petal from red rose lay. How it came
here is more than can say, and my guide, a
eteran journalist, wouldn't hazard a guess
ither such delicate thing as a pink petal
rom the heart of rose could hardly come into
more violent contrast HEPBURN JOHNS.
FAR TOO BIG FOR HIS YEARS
-ouuQ MelIinger Is Fourteen, But He