The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1891-02-09
LOCAL TALKS.
what Persons, Prominent aud Other.
wise, Find tn Interest Them.

what Persons, Prominent and other
wise. Find to Interest Them.
Lieutenant Amiss-Thcre Is one man
on my force who deserves great
deal Of credit When he was ap.
pointed several years ago he was as poor
as n church mouse, but the first thing he
did was to buy little home, paying
nearly twice as much every month as he
would have had to pay for rent. You
have heard OF people living close, but ]
never knew Of any one living closer than
he did. But last week he made his last
payment on his home and he is as happy
as u king. He celebrated the event by
getting a tcn-ccnt shave and smoking u
good cigar.
Joseph Shaw--There resides in Wash
iugton lawyer who few years ago re-
tired from the profession in which his
name was power. The legal light In his
youthful days lost his hair, the result of
long spell Of illness, and from those
days to the present time his head has been
adorned by wigs, veritablc works Of art
from the slillful hands of noted theat-
rcal costumer of New York. say wigs,
because as the years rolled on the glossy
black was replaced by dignificd iron gray,
which is the color he wears now. The
wig looks so natural that only his init
hair.
Ono day the attorney was defending Il
man who was accused of attempting tn
steal a pair of trousers from a hook IN
front of secondhand store while he was
pretending to make q purchase. The
shop-keepcr was placed on the stand and
identified the prisoner as the man who
attempted to snatch the goods, stating fur
ther that he was sure il was the man be-
cause he noticed at the time that the thief
wore wig. 80 you know wig when
you see one?' asked the lawyer.
''Surcly, sir, replied the witness.
Docs his Honor wear wig2"
"NO,n
"Do any Of the jury wear them?"
"No.n
"Do wear one?"
The witness smiled at the idea of man
possessing such a magnificent suit of gray
hair asking so absurd question, and
answered with more than usual cm-
phasis:
Positively not, SIR"
"You prevaricate!' yelled the disciple
of Blackstone, yanking the mass of arti-
fetal hair from his head and exposing q
pate smooth and shiny as a waxed floor.
The spectators roarcd and the defendant
was acquitted.
]. II. Solomon--Very few people know
that jewellers dummy clocks-I mean sign
clocks-nearly all point to the same time.
Eight ont of ten of them give the time as
seventeen minutes after eight. After the
death of President Lincoln the Jewellers
Association decided that all dummy
clocks should be set at the exact time he
died, and this has been done so generally
that you seldom see one that Is not sew
enteen minutes after eight.
Officer Acton-A group of men were
gathered in the depot last evening talking
of the uncertainty of the tenure of life
| possessed by travelling men. The talk
drifted to railroad trainmen and the risks
of life and limb that they daily en-
countered. | joined in and demonstrated
why il was that accidents resulting in in
| jures to trainmen had decreased in the
| past few years. The mode of dspatching
and handling trains Is becoming more aud
more perfect every year, and the terrible
accidents which were formerly so frequent
are now avoided.
| In these days more time, attention,
study and new devices are resor.ed to by
those who control the railways. 1t has
been long while now since have been
around this depot, and invariably when
one accident occurs to an employee two OIL
more are almost sure to follow. They
seem to come not singiy, but inbattaliolls
There seems to be strange fatality which
| surrounds some neighborhood men. Some
work for years in the same capacity, sub.
ject TO the same dangers, and yet escape
with but slight, if any, bodily injuries
while other fellow workmen equally as
careful, but less fortunate, and having haf
far less service, are many times the sui
ferers of severe injuries. To me it is ;
wonder, almost u miracle, that these men
who face as many dangers as so!die
does upon the battlefield, are not fount
among the wounded oftener than they
are.
Robert Johnson--I have been at tn,
White House some time and have {
chance to study the members OF the Cabi
net. Mr.. Wanamaker never comes il
without pleasant smile and kind saluta
ton to the men. He appears to be Away
in good humor and scattcrs sunshine. Mr.
Blaine mods good morning or good even
ing and passes on. 1t looks strange, bu
Secretary Rusk seldom speaks to the sub
ordinates. suppose that is the Western
style he has. Secretary Tracy is pleasant
but has little to say. There has been
great change in him since his terrible
CIiliction.
1t would be hard to find more genia
gentleman than Secretary Proctor II
is second Lincoln. The Secretary OF thu
Interior, Mr.. Noble, appears all business
and few are the words he speaks Will
going and coming from the Cabinet meet
ings. Mr.. Window never passed in thes
doors without pleasant word to whoeve
was ON duty.
w. NJ. s. Hopkins-Fifty-seve year
ago to-day was born in Georgetown ant
] have lived here ever since. Eyerybod.
in Washington comes. very. near KNOWN
"Old Hop was thinking this after
noon that was one of the five Twin
jurymen that for thirty-one days DELHI
Grated over verdict when General Dai
Sckles was tried for the murder of Philil
Barton Key.
hardly ever go past the National He
tel that do not think of the nights tina
We passed there while we were trying t
arrive at conclusion. have seen Ger
eral Sickles several times since and he a
ways stopped and spoke to me and re
yiyed some recollections in connctio