Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-09-03

ber of congress who passed her stand
was called out by the little old French
lady.
She was very effusive, and kissed the
hands, instead of shaking them, of her
friends. This was slightly embarrassing
at first to those of the more conserva-
tive gentlemen who made our laws in
those days, but in time every one be-
came accustomed to her ways and no
one thought anything of her demonstra-
tions.
She became warmly attached to Capt.
Bassett, the gentle guardian of the de-
corum of the senate, who was even then
an elderly man. Every morning before
the meeting of the senate she would
leave her stand and proceed in her pc
culiarly characteristic walk (some peo-
pie irreverently called it a waddle) to
the senate chamber; and, going up to
the venerable announcer of messages
from the president, present him with
little package of candy done up in the
shape of cornucopia. The captain is
particularly fond of candy, as a matter
of fact, and then, too, it renders his
ter of the main aisle and calls the at
tention of the presiding officer to the
fact that the president of the United
States, by his private secretary, has some
thing to say to the members of the
highest legislative body of America.
These little visits and the accompany
ing gift were always looked forward to
by Capt. Bassett and, should anything
occur to prevent the little French wom-
an from keeping her appointment with
him, he would send a page to her stand
to learn the reason of her absence. He
has always been friend to and taken
an interest in Clara Morris from the day
of her appearance in the senate gallery.
That she is eccentric he admits, but he
is very non-committal when questioned
as to his views concerning her mental
capacity. That she is smart in a busi-
ness way and saving to a degree, is made
apparent by the fact that since her resi-
dence here she has purchased several
houses on capitol hill and other prop
erty in various portions of the city.
For many years she maintained her
stand and her popularity in the ante
ary hall. Other stands sprung into ex-
istence in all parts of the building, one
in her immediate vicinity; but she lost
none of her patronage by this competi-
ton. Secure in the thought that no one
could deprive her of her stand she grew
complacent and made little additions
in the nature of her stock. All went
well until two years ago when Tom
Reed was elected speaker of the house.
His attention was called to the fact
that numerous lunch stands thrived in
the great white building and were any,
thing but an ornament to the interior.
| After due consideration he decided that
the pastry and other stands, like the
'heathen Chinese" and the trade dollar,
must go. Expostulation and interces.
sion by the friends of Clara Morris were
alike of no avail, as the speaker felt
that he could not discriminate. So she
was informed that she must take her
goods and chattels to another market,
and one fine morning everything was
cleared out and the corridors and re.
cesses permitted to resume their orig
inal unobstructed uses as public high
ways.
Since her eviction the old French
woman has wandered around like lost
soul, at last bringing up in the marble
room of the senate, where she daily sit
and explains to curious visitors that "Zii
is de marble room and Eat" pointing to q
life-size painting of Blaine's most pow
erful opponent, sis re picture of Rosco'
Conkling." SMITH ID. FRY.