The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-12
CAPITAL CHAT.
Painting the Surrender at
Appomattox.
Lineoin's Inaugurstiou RscaIled-A wild
Outburst Of Patriotic Feeling Oysters on
the sheii-Appstits Of . Young Lady
From the Pacific Slope.


the sheii-Appstits Of Young Lady
From the Pacific SLOPE.
WASHINGTON. Feb. il.--[spccial. tom
Mast, the famous cartoonist Of years gone
by, is In the city, engaged In painting a
picture Of the surrender of Lee at Apo
mattox to go into tho public library at
General Grants old homc--Galcna, Ills.
1t Is considered rather queer work for Mr..
Mast to be engaged In, as his talents have
been more particularly directed to produc-
tions In the field Of fancy. He is. how
sver, clever painter and Is going at this
task with commondablc caro- and painstak-
ing. He has searched high and low for
facts concerning the dctailso of the momor-
a5le sccnc and has hunted up all tho men
still alive who witnessed the surrender.
OF those there are only three. Mr.. Mast
has hunted In vain for tho house In which
Lee and Grant met to arrange terms of
c,pitulation. After the war that house
was bought by spoculators and carried TO
snis city 60 be set up as n museum, but it
has disappeared, and Mr.. Mast has not
been able TO find H.
Sword and Pencil.
In his visits TO the capitol Mr. Mast has
met great many of tho older statesmen,
who remember when his pencil was one
OF tho greatest powers In our politics. Cen
eral Grant once said of Mast that two
things had made him president OF the
United States-Sheridan's sword and
Nast's pencil. Few Of the old senators
who fell under Nast's caustic pencil would
believe when introduced to short thick
Jet, middle aged man. that he was the
Mast who welded such tremendous power
90 or 25 years ago. Mast made his repu-
tation before he was 90 and is still COM
paratively young.
In conversation tho other day at tho
capitol Mr.. Mast spoke of his visit TO
Washington on the occasion of Lincoln's
Inauguration. lit was ono Of the most
impressive scenes 1 ever witnessed, he
said You will remember that ut that
moment there was a hush of fear through
out tho country. No ono was nblo to fore
see what the new administration was
leading the country TO. We did not know
whether it was TO bo war or peace, disso-
luton or union. This fear porvadcd the
Capital City that day. l sat in window
OF Willard's hotel and watched tho inau-
gural procession fllo down. tho aycaue
The silence was oppressive. 1t was moro
like funeral procession. Every one ap.
peared 70 bc hushcd and nwcd by tho crisis
that was hanging oyer tho country, and
cf which this was tho antcclimax. 1t
seemed TO me at one moment that should
have To open my mouth and let out cry
In order to relieve my pontup feelings.
Something CT the sarno thought must have
boon In other minds, for suddenly a man
In the great SILENT staring crowd, n man
with powerful lungs and sweet voice,
struck up The Star Spangled Bannor.
In an instant the multitude had joined In
tho chorus. A thousand heavy hearts
sought relief in song, n wavo OF cnthusi-
asIn and patriotic fcrvor swept along the
avenue, and verse after verse rolled forth
with all the majesty Of a mighty choir.
Men waved their hats; women Haunted
aags; others shook tho hands of their near
ncighbors; smiles, and here and thcrc tears,
camo to the faces of the people on tho
street below me. From that moment
never had any doubt Of the stand which
tho people would take on tho question of
war, should it como TO war. IL was the
first wild outhurst of that patriotic feeling
had ever witnessed, and the scene was
ono which will lingcr with me to my dy-
ing day"
Our Standing Army.
Colonel Corbin of the adjutant generals
Office tells me that tho United States army
is now the best equipped army In the
world. OF course 1t does not compare
with European armies in magnitude, for
on the other side of tho Atlantic they
keep brlgades where we are satisfied with
companies, but in small guns and fold
pieces, in clothing and other accouter-
mcnts, the United States blue coats nre
thoroughly up to date. They have the
best the world affords Just think OF
our light brocohloading rifles for artillery
use" said Colonel Corbin. "Ata distance
of flvo miles we arc with them able to hit
n barn. and it need not bc very largo
barn at that. in tho days Of the war we
thought ourselves lucky II with the kind
OF ieldpicccs wo had then we were able to
hit a hill or small mountain ut n distance
of ono mile. SO IL is with our small arms
too. With tho Kraggo Jorgcnsen or Nor
weglan rifles, which wo have now adopted
for the army, our good marksmcn arc able
to hit barrel at distance OF a mile.
Think Of that will you'll Is not that get
ting, the art Of war down to fine polntr'
Senator White OF California, being
young, rich and gifted, is exceedingly pop
ular among tho ladies. Whenever visitors
from the Pacific coast come TO Washing
ton and go to the capitol to SEQ tho sights,
they arc suro 10 send their cards Co Mr..
White, ana tho senator is quito as sure 10
do the honors TO his callers I'm roynl style.
After look about tho csritol hc invaria-
bly concludes with nico luncheon at tho
senate restaurant. a few Lnys ago tho
senator had in tow n party OF pretty young
women from San Francisco To MAKO &c
the moro interesting for them he asked
two or three senators 20 join them. and it
proved very congenial party. Whom the
waiter appeared TO take the orders, one Of
tho young women said sho had heard -
much Of the virtues Of Washington oysters
that sho would like 70 try few on the
half shell. Very good" said tho senator,
and how many will you havcs" "Oh,
guess couple of hundred" replied the
young lady, whcrcupon the colored waiter
nearly had flt, and tho senators present
were oonyulscd with laughter which they
stroyc In vain to suppress.
She Ate Two Dozen.