Evening star., 1895-06-08

TONS OF FoRTY-sIX YEARS MENiBERsIiIP
| TR!Cr OF COLUMBIA AND REsTDENcE N
THIS CITY. with Biographical Sketches of Many
| Md, LID. President of the Medical Society
OF the District of Columbia, 1877. 1894 and 1895
| This is not an autobiography. 1t is an
| interesting succession of impressions and
| experiences, dealing with men and women
| who contributed much to the history of the
city and with places and people and things
| which, while not conspicuous, are neces-
sarily sketched to round out the story
which Dr. Busey tells so well. Especially
valuable are the "reminiscences which have
to do with Abraham Lincoln, with whom
| the doctor was a fellow -boarder in one of
| those peculiarly Washngtonfan establish
| nentS which gave to the national capital
| the temporary title of THE City of Board
Ing Houses" OF the great Lincoln, who
| was then member of Congress, Dr. Busey
says:
Finally. at the suggestion of my friend
and classmate, DR.. w. H. Saunders, who
| died in Nicaragua during the last and dis
astrous invasion of that country by Walker
the freebooter, and not entirely free from
the hope that might attain success with
out going too far away from the young
lady to whom l have already referred /
took the office on A street southeast now
included In the eastern part of the Capitol
vacated by DR.. Francis NJ. Gunnell. who
mad week before passed the medical ex-
amlning board for the navy, at the head Of
the list. and took my meals at boarding
house kept by Mrs. .Sprigg, occupying seat
at the table nearly opposite Abraham Lin
coin. whom soon learned to know and aG-
mire for his simple and transformations
manners, kindheartedness and amusing
jokes, anecdotes and witticisms. When
about to tell an anecdote during a meal he
would lay down his knife and fork place
his elbows upon the table. rest his face be-
tween his hands and begin with the words
that reminds me, and proceed Eyery-
body prepared for the explosions sure to
follow. 1 recall with vivid pleasure the
scene of merriment at the dinner after his
first speech in the House of Representa-
tives. occasioned by the description, by
himself and others of the congressional
mess of the uproar in the House during Its
delivery.
had rarely referred to the fact of having
boarded in the same house with Mr.. Lin
coin. until 1 read a statement in one of the
daily papers to the effect that a dilIsent
| search made by the Memorial Association
of the District of Columbia had failed to
locate the house in which he had resided
during his service in Congress; and, more
| recently. having declined an invitation to
make an address at the memorial meeting
held April IA, 1S94-the twenty-ninth ami
versary of his death-in which I was re-
Quested to set forth such facts circum-
stances and "reminiscences of Congressman
Lincoln as l might recall, it has seemed
not only eminently proper. but incumbent
upon me, to comply far with that re-
quest to record in some permanent form
the brief details of that association.
THE house was the fourth of row of
houses known as Carroll Row." situated
on the east side of 1st street east between
A street south and East Capitol street,
the south house of the row being at the
corner of 1st and A streets south. The
location is now better known as the west
font of one of the squares C29) upon
which the new library is being built. The
corner house was occupied by Gen. Duff
Green and family, who took their meals
at the Sprigg boarding house; the next
by William L. Mccormick and family, and
the third by John H. Houston and family
The two houses north of the Sprigg We're
boarding houses, then a stonecutters yard
and the three-story brick house at the cor
ner of 1st street east and East Capitol
street. with a shop on the ground floor and
cutter, completed the west front of the
square
There was large number of boarders
at the Sprgg house, among whom may be
named, besides Mr.. Lincoln, Messrs. Nc
Ilvaine, Dick, Blanchard and Pollock, men,
bers Of the House of Representatives from
Pennsylvania, and Ttompkins, NJ. c., from
Mississippi. the Green family, Nathan Sar-
gent-better known as oliver Oldschoor-
Edmund French private citizen, and my
self. All the members of the House of
Representatives were wings. The Wilmot
proviso was the topic of frequent conversa-
ton, ard the occasion Of very many angry
controversies. Dick, who represented the
Lancaster district in Pennsylvania, after
ward represented by Thaddeus Stevens,
was very offensive man in manner and
conversation, and seemed to take special
pleasure in ventilating his opinions and
provoking unpleasant discussions with the
democrats and scme of the wings. espe-
cially Thompkins, who hold adverse opin-
ions on the Wilmot proviso. Nathan Sar-
gent was also radical, but was so inter-
ested in the success of the wings and the
election Of Zachary Taylor that he re-
strained himself and followed Mr.. Lin
coin, who may have been radical as
either of these gentlemen, but was so dis
Greet in giving expression to his convic-
tions on the slavery question as to avoid
giving offense to anybody. and was so con-
cilatory as to create the impression, even
among the pro-slavery advocates. that he
did not wish to introduce or discuss sub
jects that would provoke controversy.
When such conversation would threaten
angry or even unpleasant contention he
would interrupt it by interposing some
anecdote thus diverting it into a hearty
| laugh, and so completely disarrange the
tenor of the discussion that the. parties
engaged would either separate in good
| humor or continue conversation free from