The Washington critic., 1890-03-20
THE CRITICS" CAMERA.
PICTURES OF MEN AND THINGS AT
THE NATIONS CAPITAL.
The sweet-scented Harbinger OF Spring
Senator Blair Makes Bad Break
"A Typical Colorado Millionaire -
GOrpeousness I'm the SettInp sum

GOrgeousness In the Setting sun,
Spring is here. This is authentic.
Trailing arbutus was being peddled
upon the streets this morning, and when
this modest and fragrant little blossom
is seen hereabouts the backbone of win
ter is pulyerized and the flannel shirt
season is not afar. Down East they
call the trailing arbutus the May flower,
and the people almost worship the
tiny pink and white blossoms. Nova
Scotia, one of the most prosperous
provinces of the Canadian dominion
the Acadia of Longfellow, nearly hun
dred years ago adopted 1t as its emblem,
and TO this day 1t figures upon the pro-
vincial escutcheon, with the motto
1--WE bloom amid the snow" The
trailing arbutus is one of the few
popular flowers that have successfully
dctied all attempts at cultivation.
You've got to take 1t as 1t grows or go
without it, and when you do get 1t you
have the most fragrant flower that
grows on the foot.stool. It never gets
down this way until winter is over, and
as an indication of warm weather it
knocks Greedy and the ground hog and
the almanacs higher than Gilderoys
kite.
Senator Blair, who is so earnest in his
endeavors to have the people of this
country educated at national expense,
is a college bred man, but he sometimes
makes little slips that would cause
stranger to think that he was in need of
the benefits which he claims are to be de-
rived from his own bill. A short time ago
he was spending an evening at resi-
dence on Washington Heights, and the
young women of the house were enter
tanning him with some old-fashioned
songs, to which he listened with rapt at
tention. Finally he became so enthusias-
tic over the vocal music as to offer to
contribute to the entertainment "Have
you got the words of Jesus, Lover of
My Soul?'" he asked; "Iused to be able
TO sing that flrst-rate, and wouldn't mind
trying it now." The young woman ad
dressed handed him copy of Gospel
Hymns, with the remark that he could
find in 1t his favorite song After run
ming his eye hurriedly over the index he
handed the book back with the remark
that II did not contain the hymn in
question. The young lady assured him
that he must he mistaken and offered
to find it for him. "Oh, no." ne re
piled, "I'm sure it's not there for I've
looked carefully all through the Gs."
Silhoueltist Sackett was standing in
front of Willard 8 Hotel the other after
noon conversing with group Of friends,
among whom was a CRITIC reporter
"Have you noticed" he said, chat
many of the coachmen of Washington
have a peculiar way of signalling as
they pass each other on the street?
Now, you Just watch for few minutes
and you will catch on" Sure enough
in less than five minutes two private
eQuipages with coachmen and footmen
passed, and the coachman of one gave
certain twitch to his whip which was
recognized and returned by the driver
of the other vehicle. At the same time
the footmen placed their left hands to
their left breasts but without any ap-
parent display. Beyond this there was
no recognition. These same signs were
gone through between half dozen
other cOachmen and footmen that
passed within period Of ten or fifteen
minutes.
Standing on L street, between Eighth
and Ninth streets, at about $3.50
O'Clock last evening, vas q group OF
gentlemen admiringly gazing at the
golden and purple-tinted clouds in the
West, ''That is sight we don't often
witness" said one observer; at is the
most beautiful, the most glorious sun
set have ever witnessed in Washing
ton, winter or summer" 'It looks
like great fire." said another. GLOW
I would like to see it portrayed upon
canvas" enthusiastically exclaimed Q
third man. 1t was phenomenal sun
set, sunset such as inspired the gifted
Samuel Sullivan Cox to write an ar
tcle that made his name famous from
one end of the land to the other, ant
caused him to be called Sunset Cox
"Did you ever notice. said one news
paper man to another last night, "hov
chance throws items in the way of {
reporter.
"I never thought of that" said tht
party spoken to.
"Well i will relate several Instance
that occurred to me, and tAey were al
when was in hotels. | Iecollect hay
ing arrived several years ago in Wash
ington at late hour at night from Bal
timore and stopped at the Tremon
House. Atabout II 80 o'clock, just be
fore retiring, crossed the street to sc
piece Of tobacco. Upon my return
observed group Of men in front of th,
clerks desk intently gazing at maj
living upon the floor. In the brief tim
in which ] had been away from the ho
tel boarder, who had charge of the Cit,
Postofice delivery wagons, while pro
ceeding to his room, was seized will
vertigo, fell over the balusters Of tn
stairway to the ground floor and sus
tanned injuries which resulted in hi
death several hours afterwards.
'"On another occasion, while in
hotel in Baltimore, / observed an un
usual commotion, and, following tn
clerk to one of the rooms, discoVere
that one of the regular boarders had, i
fit of melancholia, blown out hi
brains. / was at another time in hot(
when an elevator boy met with an aC
cident by falling to the bottom of tn
shaft and was instantly killed. A
these casualties occurred" added tn
narrator, lin time for me to repol
them to my paper, A JonahY No, IL
deed but l simply happen to have III
usually good luck.
plainly but neatly. dressed mar