Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-21

thoughts to with astonishing h persist
o'clock, and he has seldom been able to fin
ish that meal without interruption. From
then until he has gone to the Capitol he has
received callers in greater or less numbers.
He has generally gone to the Capitol about
10 o'clock At no time during the day has
he been able to. be alone in his room.
A Good Listener.
Members are constantly going in and out
of the room, one or two at time while he is
there. All have been able to tell him what
they wanted and to present such reasons in
support of their propositions as might sug-
gest themselves, and Mr.. Reed has listened
and talked but has consistently told them
nothing and fntimated to Them nothing.
Dingley and one,o two others he has sent
for from time' to time to consult with on
some particular point, but even in these con-
situations he has not committed himself
as to the assignments to be made He has
been more successful than has any other
ever been in keeping his intentions to him
self until ready to make the public an
l;ouncement
Meanwhile he has given attention to all
questions of party policy which have been
brought up. has presided over the House
during the sessions ard has found time to be
sociable with all who called on him merely
in a sociable spirit. The while he has been
measuring his men and arranging his work
in an orderly manner in his mind. During
about two days he did get some time to work
en- the committee list. But most of the actu-
al manual labor was done after 8 o'clock at
night.
At that hour he shut himself in his
room at the hotel with his clerk, and near
iy every night during the past week or
ten days he worked until o'clock in the
morning. Most of this time was taken up
in studying his men from the data before
him and trying to ascertain where they
would each fit best, and which of many
qualified for the same thing might have
the best claim on account Of fitness or
other consideration.
Appointing the Committees.
1t was not until after Monday of this
week that he had the committees blocked
out on paper in preliminary list. Then
began the serious work of shifting and
shutting them about until everything was
arranged as nearly right as could be. But
before he touched pen to paper he had
the principal questions settled in his mind,
and the blocking out of the committees
after that was rapid work.
He went at this work as is his habit in
preparing magazine articles or set speeches
the few he has prepared. In all his mag
azine work he has studied Up the subject
and thoroughly digested it before writing
anything. This done. he has written very
rapidly without again examining any of
his references depending on notes 20
any extent. He has made only two or
three set speeches In Congress, his talent
lying in an aptness for impromptu
speeches of five or ten minutes, which he
is ready with on any occasion
His principal tariff speech, which was
his greatest sustained effort he was PROP
ably two months preparing for. Another
set speech. that on the federal election
laws, he dictated in scarcely more time
than it 'ook him afterward to deliver it.
and it was not changed from the dictation.
He had prepared for this incidentally n
the performance of his duties member
of the House.