The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-21
A LETTER ABOUT EXES.
WASHINGTON HAS CHARMS THAT
HOLD THEM FAST.
It Is Especially Fascinating to the Ladies'
and to Men Who Like society-Infor-
unaticn Regarding 1Ien Who Were For
mcrIy High in Pubic Life.
Special Correspondence

| WASHINGTON, My l.-On the floor of
the senate the other day saw no fewer
than sax ex-senators, hats in hand, chat
ting with friends and viewing the scenes
Of their former triuriphs or disappoint-
ments. These were Warner Miller, of
New York; Thomas j. CIingman, OF
South Carolina; Joseph E. Mcdonald, of
Indiana; Blanche K. Bruce, Of Missis-
sippi; Omar D. Conger, of Michigan, and
Augustus Fl. Garland, Of Arkansas. The
presence Of such large number of for
mer senator's reminded me that one Of
the odd phases OF life in Washington is the
plentifulness Of "exes." We see "exes"
riding by in their carriages, or begging
dimes on the street corner. They sit OPP
posite Us at dinner, or hang about the
barrooEns waiting for an invitation to
step up and take something.
The ''eEe6" are everywhere, Of al ages
and colors and previous conditions of
official seryitude-all excepting the pres
idency. We have no ex-presidents resi-
! dent here, though we have any number
Of men who escaped that great Office by
! the sidn Of their teeth, and not OF their
own desire, but owing to circumstances
over which they had no control. No
| former presidents are here, but there are
| eX-cabinet officers, ex-senators. ex-con-
! gTesSnen, ex-conmissionars and ex-gOv-
erlors galore: and as for former wearers
Il the judicial er1nine and those who once
issued martial communicative Judges"
| and generals" and "colonels" and ma
j0rs name is simply legion.
Hen VINO live in the national capital
for time as servants Of the people do
not like to go away. They are fascinat-
ed by the lazy lUxuriousness Of the life,
the beauty of the city and the social OPP
portunities here presented. That form
Of society which is expressed chiefly in
good dinners and large, fertile punch
bowls most enthralls the men, while the
snowy afternoon and evening receptions,
the teas and the endless round of dress
parades known as calling bind the wom-
en- fast in their tolls. What! Leave
Washington and go again to the from
tier:" exclaimed the pretty wife of an
army officer at one OF Mrs. Oates famous
receptions last week. why, if that 10
to be my fate declare shall commit
suicide. Rather than go to the frontier
and leave dear, dear Washington l viii
cut my throat" The pretty woman
meant every word of it, too, and she
made shiyeTs run round the room by
drawing fruit knife suggestively close
to the white skin of her neck. Then she
seized a glass of punch, quaffed it with
laugh, and what had passed for bit of
comedy in the minds of the spectators
came to an end. But it was not all COM
edy with the dashing woman, and her
poor husband, the army officer, is out
hustliug night and day for the influence
which may enable him to secure that
boon Of bOonS IN the service-waiting or
ders at Washington.
"a curious commentary on this fasci-
nation of Washington life" said Repre-
sentative Hit, who is one of the brilliant
coversatiOnalists of the capital, was af-
forded by the surrender OF Gen. Lee at
APPROXIMATION. was then living in the
National hotel, which at the close Of the |
war was the fashionable hotel of the city.
The house was filed with army officers !
and their wives, and when the news
came from Appomattox and the people /
in the streets began to shout and cheer
and fiaunt their flags with JOY [ stepped |
up to the parlors to see how happy the
ladies were. Imagine my surprise to |
find three or four of them in tears, and |
the others looking very sad and solemn. /
What is the matter? | asked one Of /
them. Have you not heard that Gen. !
Lee has surrendered to Gen. Grant,
Yes she replied, half crying, and that /
is Just the trouble. We know this means /
the end of the war, and that we must /
leave Washington and so away to the /.
country to live again and then this wo- /
man, like several of her sisters, burst /
into tears. / actually believe" conclud- |
ed Mr.. Hit, ''that half of these gay /
devotees of society would have been /
glad to have the war continued a couple /
Of years longer that they might have re- |
NAMED in the whirl of Washington soci-
ETY."
With both men and women fond Of .
Washington life it is not surprising that /
do congregate. A man once famous and /
powerful, whom many people thought .
might himself become president OF the /
United States. now walks or drives the .
streets of " ashington unknown to nearly /
all who see him. He is q handsome /
man, with iron gray hair, fine profile, /
an intellectual face. His name is Bout
v,-eIl 81 ayzy,-ar POrltve11' he iS called !
by the few who know him-and he was /
secretary of the treasury under President /
Grant. He was then q social as we'll as /
a political leader, and was seen almost /
daily at receptions and teas. Now he .
eschevvs all such frivolitieS. and, ike the
average man Of experience and sense,
confines his social exploits TO ne stretch
ing of his legs under the mahogany
where there is plenty Of good wine and
good company.
Plenty of other "exes' of the cabinet
nay be seen on the streets of Washing
ton. William 4. Richardson, who sue
ceeded Mr.. Boutwell, in the treasury,
lives in one of the handsOmeSt houses IN
Washington. where he is chief justice OF
the court Of claims. Ez-SecretaTy Of
War Belllnap Is one OF the best known
men IN the city Of Washington. He !
grows rourder and iollier and more red
in the face rs the years 90 b., and the
circle OF his friends appears 10 be contln-
ually widening He Is a gasUonome, a
wit and s story teller. he makes ten or
fifteen thousand dollars a year as !, claim
n r.---r ,--3 sr-v1- 81 h hos q fr-nlv .