The Washington critic., 1890-02-23
CAPITOL TIPS.

1 NC hll VI htllltu WHICH pel-
vaded every corner of the Senate chamber |
for the past two weeks suddenly disap-
pesred Thursday, and Senators who have
not sat in the chamber after . O'Clock for
many days were again in their seats.
senator Blair was directly responsible for |
the departed gloomiuess. lie brought II
in with him on The 9TH inst. IL was packed !
mp tightly in bundle of papers which
contained his speech on his pet Education
bill The instant he opened these papers
to begin his speech, the gloom rolled out
of them like the smoke from the funnel of
locomotive. II overspread the galleries
and almost instantly they were deserted.
BY degrees it flied the chamber until IL
pcrvaded every inch Of IL. OF those on the
iloor the Senators were the first to be
affected by it; then the pages and attaches
came under its influence, and during the
days that Senator Blair spoke on the
bin the chamber represented a deserted
theatre with the Senator as an actor re-
hearsng his part.
The Senator always begins his speech pre-
cisely at o'clock. During the first day Of II
he was listened to with attention. The second
days speech caused many of the Senators
TO leave the chamber On the third day
more left when he commenced, and on the
fourth, and during the other days of his
Senators remained during its delivery.
The address was too much for even staid
old Senator Evarts, Senators Sherman and
Chandler were often so deeply affected by
it as TO cause them to hurriedly leave the
chamber. Senator Hampton listened to the
speech with patience for several days, but
finally he. too, followed his associates out
of the chamber.
1t was one of the funniest sights imagl-
nablc to see the exodus from the chamber
the instant Senator Blair commenced his
speech. One Senator after another left his
scat and stepped softly until outside. The
reporters deserted their gallery In body,
aud no matter how crowded the visitors
galleries were they, too, were soon deserted.
The Senator evidently noticed the startling
impression his speech was making, for he
cut II so that he was able to finish IL two
days sooner than he had expected to at
first.
The address was one of the longest ever
delivered. 1t took the Senator fifteen days
to go through it, and those days were the
most trying that some of the Senators had
ever experienced. Mr.. Blair, however,
seemed to be in his element while speaking
and when he concluded he sat down with
an air Of satisfaction, and the listening SEN
ators looked unutterable thanks at him for
not continuing his speech through the en-
tire session, as many expected he would,
Judging from the pile of manuscript and
notes he kept continually on the dosk be-
fore him.
With the last word of the Senator's
speech disappeared the melancholy that
had come with it, and now more than
half dozen Senators can be seen in the
chamber after . O'Clock.
\ weary looking old man haunted the
corridors about the Senate all day Friday.
When the adjournment was taken, he but
ton-holed Northern Senator who seemed
to know him, and after few minutes con
versation the latter drew forth bill and
some silver from his pocket and handed the
greenback to the old man. The latter took
| It, but continued to gaze at the silver in the
| Senator's hand.
"There is only ninety-iive cents there
says the Senator noticing the old man
| gaze. ~ have given you all the money
had but this, and need at least this much
to buy some lunch and opay my fare back
| to the hotel.
The old man looked at the $40 bill which
had been given him, and then back at the
silver in the Senator's hand, and said: "But
| ! need allthe money can get.'
He GOT the silver and the Senator went
without his lunch and walked back to his
hotel
-
She pointed to the Dase that had been
erected as the pedestal of statue on the
green northwest of the Capitol until the
gaze of half dozen OF her female compan-
ions became riveted upon it. Then, with q
majestic wave of her hand, which caused
people coming down the Capitol steps tc
stop and gaze at her, she said: "That little
tower''-the base is about fifteen feet high
''is where they pump wind into the base
ment of the Capitol for the poor men who
work there
dozen people who overheard her ex
planation snickered, and a bad young mar
remarked that If her explanation was true
it would not be a bad idea for some of the
silent Congressman and Senators to make
occasional visits to the basement in ordel
that they might initiate their lungs will
enough wind to make their voices heard a
least once during session.
Congressman Frank Lawler of Chicago
tells good story about himself, which will
bear repetition. He rushed into the lobb,
on Friday, his face beaming with pleasur,
and large bundle of letters in his hand
The first man he met was The CRITIC re
porter
"Well, I've got them pulled at last Ii
said, between breaths Eyes, I've beel
twenty years having ii done, and now it i
all over.n
He was asked to explain himself.
Don't you know about it? / though
everybody knew it. Teeth, ! mean, teeth
have been trying to get them pulled sine
the Chicago fire in 1871 When first mad
the attempt in Chicago the dentists twee
zers were on one of my back teeth whel
the fire broke out, and he abandoned th
job. The ire together with the fright tn
dentist gave me- cured me for awhile, bu
the aches returned, aud after the fire wen
to another dentist. | sat back in the chair
but the Doctor looked sick. In fact re
marked 1t to him. He said, Yes, ! do fee
tnfe unwell, you had better postpone til
job until Tomorrow That night the den
tist died. This gave me another scare an
my teeth didn't pain me again for fully
year. When they did begin to jump pro
ceeded to another dentist. This time
managed 10 have one pulled, and postpone
having the others pulled until the next day
Oh the following day the dentist had sol
out his establishment on the duiet and lei
town. | let the job go until came to Wast
ington the first time and stepped into a
Office and had a new dentist begin on m
again. After tugging away at back toot
for a while he concluded that larger pal
of pineers WAS necessary, and he left N
aching jaw In that condition until he foun
a larger pair of irons. said: 'You ar
new in business, are you not?'
"'Well, rather he answered. d wOrke
in the Public Printing Office, but foun
that it didn't pay and went into the DENTS
try business
III left that fellow in short order, an
started in the last time with a ggst-clas
dentist and now everything is All right,
and with pleasant laugh the brainy Coz
gressman and the poor mans friend hui
ried on TO tell somebody else of his goo
fortune.
One of the familiar figures in the lobbit
is a tall, niee-looking young gentleman