The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-26


u Forms . Self Interested Social Comma
nifty In the National Capital.
A serious faced, somber CARRIED and high
hated procession IL one OF W~ashington's
interesting everyday sights. II occurs on
Pennsylvania avenue. IL Is tho solemn
march OF tho justices Of the supreme court
from tho capitol 70 their homes in the fash
ionable west end. AT 4 o'clock the court
adjourns. IL matters not IL counsel Is In
the middle Of an argument. The justices
sit where their eyes fall upon tho face Of
the marble clock over the door. As tho
long hand verged on ~ and the short hand
Is at 4, the chief justice stops the procccd-
ings and THAI the hour of al
journment baA arrived. There il only one
instance on record In 10 years when tho
session has been prolonged beyond the usu-
al hour. mat was when Mr.. Cleveland,
then ez-president, made his only appear
anoe before the court. Al 4 o'clock he had
not quite finished his argument. Chief
Justice Fuller interrupted with the usual
announcement.
II have but little more 70 say" replied
the ex-president, thumblng two or three
typewritten sheets. II would much prefer
to finish tonight, 10 that I can take q train
for New York"
With that Mr.. Cleveland proceeded. The
chief justice bowed, and the court sat IN
til 30 minutes past 4. 1t was a great in
novation.
Ton minutes after the adjournment
the members of the court are swinging
down the avenue at q five miles an hour
gait. Sometimes they are In pairs, some
times In threea, sometimes singly. Rarely
they are In q chatty mood and talk and
laugh. Oftsner they stride along with
their heads benz forward, each absorbed in
his own thoughts and p%reoccupied to that
degree that be may pass members of his
own family without recognition.
The supreme court circle forms a little
community of itself for social ends. 1t
has Its days and Its dinners. The esprit
do corps Is strong. IL embraces the fami-
lies, the private secretaries, the officers of
the court, and even extends TO employees
and servants. The supreme court page
for the court has o corps Of pages to go for
books and papers and to bring glasses of
water-feels that he Is an entirely differ
emit young person from the senate or house
page. Then there are the supreme court
messengers. Each justice has q messen-
ger. As soon as a new justice comes to
town he is called upon by the oolored man
who served his predecessor. The colored
man introduces himself and Immediately
assumes all Of those minor duties and cares
which come within tho province OF a well
trained messenger. To some new justice
IL Is q novel sensation TO have n messenger
take charge Of him. One Of these messen-
gers called upon = western appointee and
briefly announced:
II was the messenger Of the late Mr..
Justice So nd-so."
"Welli" asked the successor.
"I've come TO DO your messenger" said
the colored man.
II don't know that I need your serv-
Toes, replied the justice.
"Oh, yes, sir, sale the colored man,
''you do. Every member Of the cot has q
messenger. I'm yours"
Unabashed by the protest and the cool.
ness, the oolorsd man attached himself
without further explanation and entered
upon his duties. The service may seem
awkward at first, but the Justices soon find
that it Is pleasing. There is no case on
record Of . justice dispensing with his
messenger after the ice Is once broken.-
Lcslie's Weekly.