Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-14

| ven make her very like her sister who claims L
| have mind.
TALK WITH Prophecies.
! THE cyclone Will be here at 81 she re
marked, somewhat irrelevantly by way of in
| PRODUCTION.
Where did you get your information?'
asked lady, glancing nervously out at tn
"Oh, the Saviour, p" replied the seeress "R,
generally gives me direct warning of all grea
caiamities. l had day on Lincoln's assassina
ton and four hours on Garfeld's. The Johns
town flood told to me that same morning
You know, OF course, how to get such messages
Always stand under sycamore tree. Mrs. Car
ter, who claims to be the descendant OF Nathan
lei Green, says that her husband was staff OH
Ger under Gen. Banks. She is also more or les
Instantly related to Queen Victoria, Louis Napo
icon and James q. Blaine. Her principal bust
ness ID that OF national detective and her connec
ton with the Silcott case she refers to with par
ticular pride. Nothing says Mrs. Carter
pertaining to the department of justice is I'M
dertaken without my sanction While the dis
trict appropriations engage her best efforts SHE
lance She e discusses Ss the s silver tariff
and election bill with considera-
BILE cleverness and confesses to- the frequent
private talks which she enjoys with Harrison
the supreme judges and congressman. none o.
| whom make important decisions without con-
sulting her.
IN LOVE WITH CONGRESSMAN.
Among her tavorites in the house is ''Dovey
| of Delaware who is other than the tall
elegant and distinguished Mr.. Pennington Of
| Delaware. Mrs. Carter declares that ''Dovey'
is the author OF bill compelling her to marry,
| which bill she has had a hard time keeping back
~ have an adopted son in the senate re-
marked the national detective.
| mo, indeed, I'll not tell his name but he's
| young fellow, and looks exactly like an oys-
| ter; fat and slick like oyster. and no amount
| OF coaXlng could induce her to give his other
| name.
| With the exception of ':Dovey'' from Della
| ware, she holds congressman in light esteem,
| while senators. supreme judges, and even presi-
rDr.lnE Ia han hnr
chosen messengers and clerks, elected upon her
| recommendation and subject to instant dismtss-
al Against Superintendent Ellis she cherishes
an 1ll-concealed Spite occasioned, it is said, on
ms refusing her the privilege of sitting on his
| table. ''SOme day. y she said, with cheerful
smile, ''I' II clear him out, as 1 do the others
| when they bother me-
For years to come, as in the past, she will
| doubtless continue to hold her imaginary posi-
| tion OF trust and responsibility, and will I'M
| doubleday derive more solid comfort from her
| fancied power than does any woman
| from the actual thing.
| SHE CARRIED PRESIDENT JACKsoN's SNUFF BOX.
| Death removed not many months ago another
| habitue of newspaper offices and government
| departments. She was the widow of Gen. Ben
| jamin Ward Bennett of Pennsylvania hero of
| the Mexican war, who was breveted for his
| bravery and presented with gold snuff box, in
| which the freedom of New York City had been
| given to Andrew Jackson forty years before.
| This snuff box was always carried by the widow
| who fancfed that it somehow entitled her to
| financial support from New York City, and her
| failure to receive which income was among her
| many grievances. Mrs. Bennett, as usual, had
| pension claim, which shadow she patiently
pursued, and in some vague way she established
| supervisory interest over the Nicaragua
canal. She always the point of pro-
| ducing her maps and explaining the merits Of
her scheme. She was large, handsome
man, always extensively though somewhat
showily dressed. had fine face, beautiful dark
| hair and sparkling dark eyes, and while she
taxed the patience of busy men she was always
politely received. She had evidently been
society belle in her youth and woman accus-,
| in spite of her irrelevant assertions
and demands she approached editors
and officials with easy, half confidential,
half-disdainful manner, compelling from them
greater consideration than is generally accorded
such persons. She was always alone, always
pursuing her claim, yet like SO many persons
who have become obliyicus to realities she was
always cheerful and good humored, unless
Icused upon her pet hobby. When sudden
death ended her fruitIess quest. there were only
kindly words of remem brance spoken Of this
queer lady.
THE GHOST OF CLARA MORRIS AND SPEAKER REED.
The ghost of the little French woman whom
Speaker Reed drove from the capitol, is back
again in flesh and blood. She cannot bring her
store of photographs and souvenirs with her, but
she haunts the galleries and spends hours in the
ladies reception rooms. Aunt Claras thirty
years among politicians have not been without
effect. she has learned the fine art of dissimu-
lation. The other day Clara stopped member
in his passage across statuary hall and refer
ing as usual to her grievance proceeded TO
berate Speaker Reed. ''Scoundrel, brute and
bulldog were some OF the epithets hurled at
the man from Maine by her high pitched voice,
when turning suddenly she saw the speaker
How do YOU do Mr. Reed? hope you well
Mr.. Reed smiled and courtsied the erstwhile
c.ntankerous dame. while an ELUSIVE smile and
softened chances chased away the frowning
wrinkles and the forked lightning in her eyes.
CALIFORNIA BEAT.
Straddlebug, or Jack OF Clubs as he is pleas
anty designated by capitol habitues, combines
with his queerness additional gift for beating
his way he is an ex-Californian, which fact
fornians in official life 1t is said that this tall
lean, grizzly queer who haunts the senate and
supreme court corridors, succeeds almost daily
in securing something from California mem
Der, senator from Justice Field. So persist
emily does ne pursue the latter that it is said on
approaching the justice will put his hand in his
pocket and give him some money, saying:
''There, now; don't talk to me o-Gay.'' Sena-
tor Stanford, in moment of evaporation one
day, gave the man $40 gold piece, thinking to
ing as the senator opened his front door to enter
his carriage. his California brother up from
the door step and demanded another $50. 1t is
said that the gentleman who has acquired his
peculiar TITLE by reason of a most unlovely gait,
is married to crippled colored lady. and that
when he returns home without having earned
anything on the California account she beats
him with her crutch.
AN EDUCATED CRANK.
A more interesting character is the elderly,
stopping, grizzled and not over-cleanly prophet
who studies all the year round in the congress
sional library. This gentleman, who is grad
nate of Yale, master of languages and a most
scholarly man, has, he declares, been sent to
earth by the Lord to lead the colored people.
None other than a thorough biblical scholar
would find it profitable to open up a theological
discussion with him. and those who have heard
him deliver some of his Sunday night addresses
to the colored people declare them to be WON
derful sermons Every day at noon he leaves
the library; passing through the door he takes
up the position of Splinter. then walking
few steps, he suddenly leaps forward and runs
100 or 200 feet This he does for exercise, he
says. No one seems to know move than this of
his history, and his revenue is supposed to be
the small collections taken up by the colored
brethren.
LADY LOBBYISTS
are not so common in Washington rs they have
been in the past, but there are some and one of
them is as queer as the queerest. She is known
privately as ''Old Twenty Per Cent" She is
short stout, neatly dressed but vague old per-
son who was once clever and successful lob
byist. For many years she is said to have taken
claims and worked bills for 20 per cent profit
and now in her old age and lapse from service
she still hsunts her former workshop.
1.-The Poetess' is another harmless result of
genius misapplied. This old dame is no less
millinery than literary freak. She is the
typical old maid, prim of manner, and guant
angular in person and forbidding IN expression
Under q bonnet of extraordinary size, decorated
with remarkable combinations of gay velvet
ribbons and flowers is q sallow, sharp face
framed in long gray curls. When It il said the
poetess exceeds in thinness and angularity Mr..
Martin of Texas her attenuation may be imag-
ined. Where this woman of uncertain years,
o,,dr tod M vi