The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-01-08


/ 4ncv %; Iiie lleHUty u th2 t@inoas
/ ola Sc and desks, for the information
! = n. who c0rns after him, cOliec-
ton Oh I'D snuff utns and snuff boxes
out of which hundreds of statesmen.
famous in their day and generation. but
now almost forgotten. have taken the
titillating powder.
There, also, he has many relics OF his
! senatorial career, such as piece OF tine
cane with which Preston Brooks assault
ed Charles Sumner, inkstands which
have been thrown by angry statesmen
at the heads of other statesmen, pen
holders and pens which have been used
in signing great bills, and fine lot OF
! old fashioned quilts. 1t was in Capt
Bassett's time that each house OF con-
gress employed an official penmaker'
whose duty it was to mend the goose
quilts used by senators and representa-
tives. Many Of the Legislators were ex.
ceedingly particular az to the degree OF
fexibility and breadth of point" of their
quilts. While some would use nothing
but "broad nibs," others required the
finest of fine points" and the penmak-
ers had no easy task in trying to suit the
different writers. There were also, as
Capt. Bassett pointed out to me the
other day, official sealers, who were in
trusted with the sealing of letters and
packages with red wax. The "station-
cry" used in both houses included pen
knives, scissors, razors, pocketbooks,
kid gloves, bottled perfumery and bears
grease, besides numerous other little
articles which the officials would pur-
chase "by request" whenever they went
to New York to get their supplies.
To the present day all of these articles,
the bears grease alone excepted, are
used by members of congress, and
charged to the government in their sta
tionery accounts, the only man now in
congress using bears grease on his hair
beng the venerable Mr.. Vaux, of Penn.
sylvania. Mr.. Vaux is also noted as be-
ing the only man in congress who ad-
heres to the old quill pen, which he cuts
for himself with neatness and skill. For
a number of sessions in the old days an
innocent beverage called swichell, COM
posed of molasses, ginger and water"
was largely consumed by the representa-
tives, and it was popularity supposed that
among its innocent ingredients were
good French brandy and Jamaica rum. 1t
was always charged in the appropriation
for stationery under the head OF "sirup."
Nowadays the statesmen manage to
get their lemonade at the public expense,
the beverage being provided by the Off
GERS of the two houses, but they do not
dare indulge in Intoxicating liquors pur
chased out of government funds. 1t is
not SO many years, however, since the
famous "hole in the wall" small room
near the senate chamber, and much fire.
quented by the bibulous statesmen of
that day, was running full blast, well
applied with all sorts of liquors, paid
)r in the appropriation bills as
lunches" Capt. Bassett remembers
those old days, and likes to talk about
them in private conversation, but he
would not like to have some Of the stories
which he tells of putting intoxicated SEN
ators to bed printed in the newspapers,
even at this late day.
Thomas B. Reed will be lonesome in
the next congress in more senses than
one Not only will most Of his heuten-
ants of the present house be conspicuous
by their absence, but he will be the only
ex-speaker on the floor. In the present
house there were three ex-speakers-
Randall, Carlisle and Banks. Randall
is dead. Carlisle has gone to the senate
and Banks will retire from public life at
the end of his present term. Mr.. Reed
will also bs the only man in the next
house who has been talked of for the
presidency. Carlisle has in quiet way
long been presidential quantity, but
he is gone. Randall was also candi-
date for the nomination of his party
Mckinley might have been nominated
for president two years ago but for his
manly loyalty to John Sherman.
Nathaniel p. Banks, some people may
remember, was nominated for the presi-
dency thirty four years ago. He was at
that time speaker Of the house, Native
American by election, a Wing by ante
cedents and Republican by utilization.
The regular American convention met
at Philadelphia in February, 1858, and
nominated Willard Fillmore for presi
dent. Some of the northern delegates
bolted the convention, and called another
convention to meet at New York in
June. After bitter contention between
those who wanted to indorse Fremont,
the candidate of the new Republican
party, and those who wanted Il straight
out ticket, the latter carried the day
and put up Banks as their candidate. AS
he had been delegate TO the conven-
ton which nominated Fremont he
promptly tclegraphed his declination of
the honor.
At the senate end of the Capitol we
find many presidential possibilities of
the past, and no one is wise enough to
say how many OF the future. The most
distinguished Of these. of course. is John
Sherman, who has been conspicuous
candidate s. fpse national conventions.
Senator Allisca has also been a promi-