The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-06
MARKHAM'S KEY.
An Incident of Our Next Governors Res
ideuce at Washington.

An Incident of Our Next Governors Res
idence at Washington.
The recent nomination for Governor of
California of the Hon. Il. II. Markham has
given considerable satisfaction to a number
OF his old associates and friends here, who
seem to still retain lively friendship fol
the stalwart and handsome Congressman
from the Golden State. Personally | wish
him every success IN his canvass, if only on
account of an Incident of his sOjOurn among
us as an NJ. c., related to me the other day
by the editor of local weekly, but which
am sure has never been heretofore pub
lished OF course it is nothing new for a
Calf ornan TO do a generous act, but there
are very different ways Of being generous,
and the following little episode reveals
the true tnWardnesS' of the man better
than volume of political speeches could:
1t appears that Mr.. Markham stopped at
the Arlington, on Vermont avenue, AMI 1t
was his custom, rain or shine, to walk from
that house to the Capitol every morning.
constitutional of say nile and half. He
always took the same route, which was
along the most unfreQueDted streetS-a
habit, by the way, also peculiar to Mr..
Blaine.
Oue bitter winter morning my friend, the
editor, was Flooding through heavy fall
of snow along one of the streets in The
poorer quarters of the town when he OBJ
served the tall form of the California MEN,
Der a short distance ahead. The street was
almost deserted and the feathery snow
prevented tie footsteps of either from
being heard. As the editor reached
corner round which Mr.. MARKHAM had
turned, he saw that the latter had paused
anu was gazing traHSnXed by scene on the
other side OF the way. i woman of about
80, attired in the weeds of widow, was
sobbing upon the shoulder of little child,
who S;rove N VAIN to comfort her. Three
other small children, with wet eyes and
wOe-5egone fares, stared wisifully at the
closed door OF A lite One-Story frame house,
evidently their la,e home, ~ 4 meager array
OF CoNeS, clothing and utensils piled on the
pavement too plainly showed. the poor
family had just Ueen turned into the street
by some pitiess landlord.
The California delegate strobe rapidly
across the street. and without speaking a
word 10 the woman began fumblln5 around
TIE iOck OF tue door.
You can't open it, mister" said the eldest
child, COY OF ten, whose little breast
5" ell ed with manly ind guaLfoni the man
locked us ont and went away"
the member seized the boys hand and
drew him along, the astonished child run
ming to keep up with the BIZ mans long
strides. AT the corner he wa, released, AMI
trotting back aS1in, said
Mamma, that big gentleman says the
door isn't locked at all-be saw thu key in
the keyhole.' And then, as he ran up the
steps, he called out: "Why, il isn't the key
at alI-it's only a piece of paper"
And the poor woman UNFINISHED and
Strengthened out hundred-dollar green
back.
But the "big gentleman had vanished
doubtless cheri,hIng that eYer-4ain delusion
OF the politician, that for once he had es-
capped the all-obseryins eye of the press
Washington letter TO Cleveland Ohio EX-
press,