The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-02-02

government employees must have some
sentiment in their lives, even if they have
to go to the theater for it. The theatrical
houses are nearly always crowded here. no
matter what the character of the entertain
ment. As for the millinery and haberdash-
cry, those trades thrive amazingly in
the Capital City, where there are SO many
men and women whose principal care in
life is to make certain that they are properly
and fashionably attired.
An Earnest Throng.
Adifferent lot of men are those that leave
the capitol between and in the afternoon
and move westward along the avenue.
These are the senators, the representatives,
the newspaper correspondents. AS rule,
they are as earnest as the column moving
in the opposite direction is careless The
statesmen walk down by pairs, trios and
quartets AS like as not they are discuss
ing the tariff or Hawaii. They are not as
well dressed as the department clerks.
You will see among the lawmakers 10
suits of clothes that do not fit where you
see one among the department people. The
statesmen are especially weak in gloves,
hats and neckwear. Little trouble with
gloves have they, because life is too earnest
or real to bother with such tri1es While
the statesmen from the north usually wear
good silk or derby hats, those from the
south still affect the planters style. the
soft slouch. 1t is the characteristic south
ern hat. and when accompanied by black
string neckties lying fat and stiff on ca
pacious shirt bosoms Of plain or white
frilled edges mistake as to the locality of
the wearer is impossible.
And the popularity of the southern states
man is his dislike for overcoats. Fully one
half of the senators and members from the
southern states do not own topcoats at all.
or if they do own them rarely put them on.
The very men who most need the protection
of such garments in this climate, because
coming from a region in which they are
not hardened by exposure, leave them of,
while the men from the north, who could
more safely Withstand exposure here, are
the more careful to wear warm, thick top
coats. One result of this characteristic
recklessness Of the southerners is that many
of them suffer with bad colds, while not
few of them have been stricken with la
grippe. One of them indeed, Senator Wal
thall of Mississippi, has felt constrained to
health due to an attack of this mysterious
and persistent malady.
Mark of the Southerner.
The southern men develop more striking
characteristics in dress, in speech and in
manner of living than their northern com
peers. You can nearly always distinguish
southern statesman by looking at him.
If you fail in this, you will easily right
yourself when he opens his mouth to speak.
The southerner has an infection and a pro
nunciation all his own. Moreover, if you
stop in the two big hotels which are situate
along the avenue about where the two
streams of humanity meet and mingle ev-
cry afternoon, you will find them full of
southern senators and representatives
Thirty or 40 years ago the National and
Metropolitan hotels were southern head
quarters, and such they remain to this day.
In each of these houses two or three score
of southern statesmen and their families
live. Corn pOne is served at every meal.
and the pOne wOman-an old slave-draws
a pretty good salary for doing nothing else
than making the coarse bread which every
true southron loves so we'll.
An Unclassified Crowd.
Just as the National and Metropolitan
hotels, on the avenue, are the southern
headquarters. SO is Willard's, farther west
on the same thoroughfare, the Illinois rem
devious In the lobby of this house the
Illinoisans meet every night to fight over
their battles and exchange stories of the
hard luck they have met with in the field
of Office hunting. The New Englanders
meet principally at the Shoreham, while if
you are looking for q New Yorker you may
save yourself trouble by going to the Ar
lipgtOn. As for the crowd which meets
every night at John Cham berain's, it defies
classification by states. 1t is drawn from
every part Of the Union. About midnight,