The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-03-30

q AN@
PRESS GALLERY STORY TELLERs.
''next Tuesday" or next Thursday" there
was always one place where hilarity reigned
This was the little smoking room back OF
the reporters gallery of the house.
Visitors looking from any other gallery
see only the desks and seats rising in the
gallery above the speaker and do not know
that behind the doors through which they
see the reporters come and go there is a
very large and cornmodious room, with tel
ephones, telegraph, long tables and every
convenience for writing. East of this room
is a coy little den, with easy chairs and a
big, old fashioned fireplace, where in cool
weather fire of hard wood gives an amaz-
ing air of comfort-and Uncle Sam pays for
the wood.
Waiting For Something to Be Done.
Here is where we take our ease, and dur
ing the dull days aforesaid there was really
nothing to be done and no chance of any
fellow getting scoop" on any other, and
So as aforesaid, hilarity reigned. The great
pressure was to get near the chair occupied
by Bill Sterrett Of the Dallas and Calves
ton News-Sterrett the inimitable, the pc
culiar and indescribable character of the
press gang. The group was complete when
Al Lewis Of the Chicago Times sat on one
side of him and H. L. Merrick of the Wash
fngton Post on the other, punctuating hi.
stories with humorous comment.
Sterrett has been here many years, and
yet to those who have known him longest
he is as fresh in interest as ever He is lit
orally full of quaint conceits, and IL he could
write as he talks, or, to put it in more COM
plimentary phrase, if he could convey bis
general manner and tone in printed words,
he would be the funniest of all humorous
writers. With this he unites characters
tics seldom found with quaint humor He
has the perfect confidence of all the leaders
of his party, and every Texas politician
places great reliance upon his Judgment.
He is also a great lover of open air sports. a
leading member of the South Mountain
Fishing club and welcome fellow on all
excursions.
Interesting Characters.
Another interesting character, though
one would hardly suspect it who sees him
at work, is Alfred J. Stofer of the Rich
mond Dispatch, who came here from St.
of American negro character by instinct,
and his songs and stories in darky dialect
are irresistibly funny He plays the banjo,
Is a member of the Gridiron club and is al.
ways in demand. Incidentally it may be
added that he took tolerably prominent
bart in the so called Hill movement in Vir-
gipia IS against the administration. but
little things of that sort don't count in the
smoking room aforeNid.
Mr.. Lewis, above mentioned, although
humorous in private, is as a rule quite the
reverse in his writing and is unapproach-
able in his line. 1t is scarcely an exaggera-
lion to say that he deals out blood and Wit
riol in the columns of The Times. His !
comparisons are at once outre and fitting, |
and his description of congressional scenes |
is as country editors say, alone worth the |
price of subscription. He came here, / be |
lieve. from Kansas City. AT any rate. when |
be wants to illustrate by what we do at |
home" his scenes are generally laid in that /
heighborhood.
Partial to Dominos.
Soon after congress adiourns every after
noon there is a scene of quite a different /
kind at 1347 Pennsylvania avenue. or. a.
we say. lust around the corner from News /
paper row"-that is, at the Press club.
Many of the boys-in fact, all those who |
have no home ties-take their dinner there.
and then the regular evening begins, and, |
Strange to say. the big game is dominos. |
Whether it is because this game makes so
little draft upon the intellect. and is there
fore rest, or for some other cause, know
not, but every table has It's domino group,
prominent among them John Miller of the
Star, president of the Press
club, and j. Durham, clerk of the commit
tee.
Another prominent writer sometimes seen
II the domino tables is Colonel w. l.. Hin
man, author of what many of the boys call
the best story of the war, entitled Corporal
81 Klegg and His Pard." When there is
regular evening at the club, Fanciulli takes
nis seat at the piano. and any one who may
De called upon joins with vocal music. Fan
.iulli. leader of the Marine band, is an as
lcciate member of the club, as are many
'ther artists of Washington, several con-
yresSmen, Sergeant-at-arms Bright and
'ther officials. One of the best singers. if
lot the best in the club. is Jim Allison of
he New York World, who is, IN the broad
ST ana best sense of the word, an all around
nan IN every respect-socially, unsteady
nd reportorially, TO coin word. He has
fine tenor voice. is rather modest and re-
iring until called out, can write on any
urrent subject and do it we'll but is par
icularly well posted on foreign affairs. |
Ust at present, however, he is devoting !
most OF his labor TO tariff and finance-in (,
act, there really is not much else 10 do. /.
All Are Not Jocular.
Another marked character and truly all
round man is Major Seldom y. Clark of
he New York Tribune, who mas won dis
motion in many lines. He served under
General tnow Secretary Gresham and won
lis title hy the hardest kind of hard knocks.
n Journalism be is best known as a writer
u political and economic subjects, warm
mend CT the late Sam Randall studentof
congressional history and full of ready prec-
dents. But In the club be is known as a
~ humorist. with an immense reserve
orce OF social vivacity, good story teller I
nj genial, approachable gentleman. I
blink he can come as near talking easily on
ny subject, from the siege of Atlanta 10
he variationsin the wool tariff, as any man
d Washington
Another quaint character Is O'Brien