New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-02
GOSSIP. AT THE CAPITAL.
TWO SENATORS AND A DOG.


MAJOR MARTIN AND HIS PECULIARIT1Es-A NE"
LINCOLN STORY" FARMER EDMUNDs AND
THE spEAKER-socIAL FEATURES OF
LIFE AT THE CAPITAL
washington, Feb. 1.-senator voorhees, and Senator
Vest are good friends and they have often been on
fishing and pleasure trips together. once they went
down to Hot Springs in Arkansas and while there
concluded to rough 1t" little. They got Two horses
and rode many miles away from the Springs 10 take
fish in one of the streams out in the wllds' lhey
lost their way when starting back to the Springs.
They wandered about until night overlook thefn'
"Look here, DAM said the Missourian' we are
long way from our boarding-place and there Is no
chance TO get back tonight. Suppose we go over 10
th, chin and sec II we can get supper lodging and
hroahtast Most OF these fellows who live down here
ORC Unsuitable even If their accommodations are not
great"
The Hoosier Senator consented, and In FEW mo-
ments the two lost statesmen were at the tnresnou OF
the Arkansas cabin. The head OF the family Vooh
them in but did not seem either surprised or pleased
when told who they were lie merely said that such
fare as he possessed they were welcome TO- ana Vat ITO
could offer pipes after supper, and that spare ped
in one corner Of the was at their disposal ABOUT
q O'Clock the light was blown out and the senators
hecan 10 dsrobe and soon were stretched out on inc
he'd The family occupied couple OF BEDS III the
other end Of the room The Senator'S chatted nan
hour or so and then agreed to cease conversation anu
90 TO Sleep Just they were about to drop 10 steep
bg dog that had crept under the couch occupied Dy
the Senators began TO scratch himself Vigorously
making that peculiar knocking sound on the hoor WIN
leg Joint when feas poster canine and II wants 10
rout them. Senator NesV toucne" ''o i
man and said:
aconfound that dog You are on the outside OF
the he'd. Dan reach over, get shoe and drlve inc
beast ont of here We cannot sleep II the dog Keeps
nm en- much fuss and will be full OF meas before
VIC know it'
Mr. voorhees, Just about to carry out the sugges
ton when the owner Of the cabin jumped to his feet and
exclaimed ,,., e.-..u
ucon+lemen von NAV or may not be United States
Senators. but whoever you are, you arc welcome TO
STAY here II you behave yourselves; but you can't
tech a hair on that dog That dog Is naiheu aiIer
GINS Garland, the greatest man In my opinion i'll Ar
kansas and think as much Of the dog almost as
do Of any Of my children
The Senators assured their host that "Gus Garland
could scratch 10 his hearts content as they "ouu
not modest him.
asked Major Martin If 1t were true that he Is
down on the Northern railroads." as was stated In
TIN Tribune week or two ago.
"YesS he said, "the railroads aren't near so &C
commodating in this part Of the country as tney are
down in Texas. l have known the conductor OF
Texas train 10 stop to allow lady TO gather bunch
Of wdhowers that had excited her fancy, and IL your
hat were 10 blow out Of the window they would stop
for you or 60 back you could pick 1t up. But inc
souless Northern corporations would have let you
lose the article In which you had invested your hard
earned savings. I remember one evening that
woman asked the conductor Of train in my state 10
stay at a certain place all night as she wanted 10
spend that much time with some friends, and she
AT han CHI
would have to wait twenty -four hours for train.
The conductor said he hated to be dsobligng to a
lady, but he didn't like to delay the other passengers
Finally he agreed 10 talk 1t over with them, and we
decided that If her friends would give us lodging ana
breakfast we wouldn't mind extra day spent on the
way The train waited half an hour while she got
of and consulted with her friends, and Just as we
were about TO the place she came and told us
that they had agreed TO the terms The fires In the
engine were banked and the train left the track
The next morning after comfortable night spent
in the farmhouse left the place twelve hours late
Talk about accommodating railroads! The Pennsyl
vania railroad or that Missouri line that treated me
so badly wouldn't have done that for yon"
Here is a characteristic story about President
Lincoln which, am assured has never gotten into
print.
"shortly after william Pitt Fessenden had been
appointed Secretary OF the Treasury TO succeed Chase
said my informant, Mr. Lincoln happened to meet the
latter; and upon an inquiry by the future Chief
Justice as to how matters looked generally, Mr..
Lincoln quietly remarked
$50, pretty well! pretty well The only thing
Is that I've had little trouble about the Cabinet,
but it's all happily settled now, Pm glad to say.
"'Why, how is that, SIr. Presidents quericd Chase
in earnest and sympathetic tones; Pm sure it could
not have been anything very serious
"No not at ALL not at all cried the President in his
CHEEKY way. 'You see he continued dropping his voice
little, and with a merry twinkle in his eye, although
am by no means extremist myself, still / have
always been devOured by an over-masterng anxiety
regarding the religious tenets and profession Of faith
held by the various members OF my official family
Now Fesscndcn Is quito recent addition TO the
Cabinet and I have been little undecided where
TO place him, in a religious point Of View
"'Wel Mr.. President timidly ventured Chase
Im glad you satisfied yourself upon such important
point.
ON, yes responded Lincoln, haven't the slightest
doubt upon the subject You see Fessenden is a
pretty evenly balanced man, but once in while he
gets zeal, hoppln mad, and then lie swears all
fired hard, just like Seward, that know, sure as
faith, that he's an EpiscOpallan.''
Congressman Paul Edmunds, Of Virginia. is a new
member. When the regular standing committees
CT the House werc being read from the clerks desk
In December he kept wondering where he would be
placed. Being Democrat no lad no right to expect
much, and, under ordinary circumstances, he would
not have been disappointed. Committee after conf
mittee had been announced and Mr.. Edmunds began
to think that he wasn't going to get any assignment
and that his had been lost in the shuttle. Finally
the clerk came to the Committee on Revision OF the
Laws. and the Of the member from the
Lynchburg District of Virginia read out the
bottom Of the list. He then listened attentively for
the balance of the committees hoping that he might
gAI, 81 IL
and requirements, Mr. Edmunds is lifelong farmer
by occupation, and says he doesn't know the first
udiments Of law. But he got nothing else, and
the members Of his delegation have been .elng with
him good deal by asking how many laws he has
revised up TO the present time.