The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-08

known can get away from him. But Sen.
ator Teller, not so peculiarly gifted in
either memory or experience, has to make
up by study. He is therefore one of the
busiest men in the Senate, for his hand is
IN all kinds of legislation and his head
must have all the information within his
reach before he suffers his hand to act.
Senator Mitchell, too, is very hard.
working man. He seldom listens to the
debates, but reads them all as means of
saving time. He sits next to Senator Plumb
and furnishes a marked contrast to him.
Plumb is boisterously busy all the time.
while Senator Mitchell sits quietly boning
In, always reading or writing when at his
desk. l have never seen Senator Mitchell
in an idling attitude at his desk and he
other senator's. He appears to settle all
questions for himself and by himself, and
to live upon hard work.
Senator Spooner is another notably hard
worker-one of those who work like sixty
when there is work to do and then rest
with equal diligence when they may. Com
ing from the Badger state, he suggests the
old simile OF working like badger Colonel
Ingersoll used to explain his own industry
by saying he hated work, but seeing there
was so much competition in the business
OF larceny and the like, he had to work for
q living. SO he always dove into it with all
his might in order that he might be through
Spooner seems to have the same kind Of
aversion to work and the same love of re-
suits. For every hour of lolling that he
does in the Senate chamber he works ten
hours with all his steam turned on.
The two Minnesota senators, Davis and
Washburn. are constant workers. Senator
Davis IS especially driven by the immense
amount of pension legislation that de-
mands his attention as chairman of tho
committee on pensions. He is systematic
worker and by this means manages to dis
pose of much in short time. Yethe is al
ways at work early in the morning. and
seldom leaves the capitol before &
o'clock in the afternoon. From this time
on, however, he refuses to do anything like
work
In his pleasant home on Massachusetts
avenue he loafs away his evenings, sur
rounded usually by coterie of friends i'm
mersed In tobacco smoke. Senator Davis
enjoys nothing better than sitting in his
own room with his coat of, tilted back i'm
his chair, gassing with familiar friends.
telling or listening to good stories, laugh
ing the evening away as If he had not
care on earth. The capitol, he says, is his
working place, and he will not let anybody
talk work to him at home in the evening.
A correspondent recently wished TO obtain
an interview with him, and called upon
him at his home in the evening. He was
shown into the little back room up stairs,
where he found the senator in his shirt
sleeves
Senator" said the correspondent, az
called to get your opinion on
Have cigar" Senator Davis inter
rupted him.
The correspondent took cigar from the
zinc-lined box and began again:
called to get your"
Have match" said the senator.
The journalist lighted his cigar and
made another attempt.
Senator, call"
'sI'm glad you did. like nothing better
than to have good fellows call and spend
the evening with me. Have another cigar"
That was as far as the interview went.
The senator would have talked with him
until midnight about Shakespeare as a law
yer or about anything else that had no
bearing on his daily labors, but he would
not even let his mind be called to work.
Senator Sherman almost reverses Senator
Davis's system. He does all his resting at
the capitol and most of his work in his
study at home. And he does not rest much
either, for he is q very attentive listener to
the debates and careful reader of the
newspapers. During the so-called morning
hour-from IL to 2 o'clock-he is usually
in his seat reading the morning papers and
watching with one eye, or with one ear, the
bills, etc, which are introduced at this
time. This Is his recreation-this and