The Portland daily press., 1890-10-31
STREETS And CHILDREN.
walter WeIlman's Letter from the
National Capital.

~~~f~se@ts
correspondence of the Press.l
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29.-The street life
OF the Capital City is always interesting.
Just now distinctive feature of the
activity in our thoroughfares is the APP
pearance of the senate mail wagons with
big loads of senatorial household goods.
The statesmen have left the city for
their states and their districts, and being
for the most part economical persons
they have packed their household effects
in storage warehouses or the basement
of the Capitol in order to save rent. In
this the members of the senate have an
immense advantage over their friends Of
the house of representatives. It has be.
come one of the traditions of the senate
that when member of that aristocratic
body wants his household effects moved
from one house to another he has the
right to use senate wagons and senate
employees for that purpose.
Ii member Of the house were to do
such thing he would quickly find him.
self involved in a scandal. There is
nothing like tradition in Washington,
where one may do things he ought not
do and escape criticism, providing some
one has done the same things before him.
During the past two weeks three or four
of the big wagons which are Kept in the
senatorial stables at the expense of the
government have done nothing but cart
from house to house or from house to
cfo ffO,, Aha affanfc 90 -
senator's The basement of the Capitol
tho senate end of it's again Uttered
up with boxes and beds and pianos and
bundles of carpets and rugs, the prop
erty of senators who do not believe in
paying storage as long as space in the
Capitol of their country is free.
The population Of Washington is not
as large by three or four thousand as it
was week or two ago. The adjourn
ment of congress has taken away the
four hundred and odd members of the
two houses and their families, and two
or three thousand other persons who
have no business in Washington when
congress is not here. If all the members
of congress had families as large as those
of three or four statesmen whom could
name, the temporary population of the
capital would be small enough indeed
The largest family in the congressional
circle is that of Mr.. Bullock, of Florida
Mr.. Bullock has thirteen children, and
evidently has no superstition about the
i'll luck which some people suppose at
tends that number, for he has been heard
to say that while thirteen is large FAM
lily, he wouldn't sell one of his children
for million dollars. Mr.. Bullock's lit
tie family makes an interesting picture
when it assemblies in street car or
herdic, or appears in the members gal
lery Of the house to see what pa is doing
on the floor below
''Mr. Bullock has very nice and a
very interesting family" said Mr.. Hit,
of Illinois, one day while family matters
were under discussion in the house
cloak room, "but it would be considered
a small family over in Canada. Last
summer visited the Canadian parlia-
ment, and ! was told that there were
seven members of that body who had
more than fifteen children apiece, while
one member, whose name am sorry to
say ! have forgotten, was himself the
twenty fifth child of his parents.
Among the French Canadians, I am
told, families of fifteen, eighteen,
twenty or twenty-five are by no means
uncommon. They are hardy, thrifty
race, and they breed like rabbits"
The second largest family in the con-
gressional circle is that of Mr.. Rockwell,
of Massachusetts, There are eight little
Rockwells, ranging in years from fifteen
down to two. One of these little Rock
wells is boy of about seven, and men,
bers of congress are prone to ask him if he
has any brothers and sisters up at his
house. They like to hear the response
which is always forthcoming: "Yes, in
deed; I have brother for every day in
the week and a sister for Sunday"
Congressman "Billy" Mason, of Chi
cago, has very interesting family of
seven handsome and healthy children,
ranging in age from fifteen years to fif-
teen months. These seven spend nearly
half their time driving about the city.
Formerly Mr.. Mason kept sort of car
ryall, but he finally discarded this for a
closed carriage, saying that he wanted
something he could shut up, SO that
when the children were loaded in he
could go along without fear of ar
irving at his destination one or two
short. The congressman declares, with
all seriousness, that it is his habit on
going for a drive to check his progeny
in the carriage and then check them out
again, as shipping clerk checks off
parcels and boxes, to make sure that
none is missing.
Representative Frank Lawler, of Chi
cago, who is to leave the congressional
halls and become sheriff of the Worlds
Fair city, has six children. Mr.. Lawler
is at times little jealous of Mr.. Mason's
eloquence and his reputation as a story
telle., but that which most arouses his
envy is Mr.. Mason's family. Not that Mr.
Lawler does not think his family every
bit rs nice as Mr.. Mason's, but it is not
as large. "Ah, says Frank, when this
subject comes up, mason is still ahead
of me. What fellow he is, to be sure.
But would be ahead of him if / hadn't
had such bad luck. I've lost four al
ready. Think of how would have him
beaten if l only had those four!"
Miller, the new congressman from
South Carolina, who was seated by the
majority about week before the adj
journment of congress, has seven chill
dren. Hall of them, am told, are black
haired, brown eyed creatures, perfect
little mulattoes in color and appearance.
The others are white or pink skinned,
and have freckles and red hair. Mr..
Miller himself, though quite dark, has
but little negro blood in his veins, while
his wife is part African, part Caucasian
and part Indian. Miller is said to be q
very able man, and one of fine character.
Senator Ingalls, has one of the finest
families in Washington. He, too, has
seven children living, but has lost four.
The names which were given these
eleven suggest very strongly the New
England origin and sympathies of the
parents. The roster is as follows: ELS
worth, Ruth, Ethel, Ralph, Addison,
Constance, Sheffield, Faith, Marion, MI.
riel and Louise.
Few of the old men in congress have
such fine family circle as that which
Senator and Mrs. Evarts expect TO bring
together in the holidays. There are
nine children in ALL The eldest daugh.
ter, Hetty, is the wife Of Charles G. Bea
man, who was well known in Washing
ton during his younger days as the pri
vate secretary of Senator Charles Sum.
ner. He is now a member of his father
in-laws law firm in New York. Miss
Il, i. l. Col lalnan