Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-02-15
WASHINGTON LETTER
ESPECIAL CoRRESPoSpENcE. |

Sargent came to this city from Pal.
myra, \. Y. just after the war. When
the rebellion broke ont She was IN
fairly comfortable circumstances, with
seven children-six boys and one girl
to brighten her home. The boys
were all stricken with tho war fever
and went to the front. Not one re.
turned to the old home. Through
the influence of friendly congress
man Mrs. Sargent was assigned to
minor position in the navy Depart
ment. She held the place for many
years, until the little CIR! grew up t.
womunhood and entered the service OF
the government. Then the mother
took n much-nee,led rest. The old
lady WAS accustomed To- 20 down town
every day through the shopping "'s-
trict. One afternoon, about three
months ago, while crossing Twelfth
street, she would have been trampled
under the feet of runaway horse,
had not an athletic middle-aged gen.
tlemnn sprung to her rescue. 1t
was narrow escape. The gentleman
assisted Mrs. Sargent to her home, be.
came acquainted with the daughter,
and intimacy ripened into love. Here
comes the strangest part Of the story.
Edmund Jackson is the name OF the
hero. He is Southerner and vet
eran of the war. While talking over
old scenes one evening he told of Il
dying boy in blue who fell before
the charge of the victorious Confed-
crates, and who gave into his charge "A
locket to be sent to his mother in the
North. Mr. Jackson had endeayored
to locate the mother without success.
and had kept the trinket ms keep
sake. Here it is, said he, and as he
opened the case Mrs. Sargent beheld
her own picture. The soldier will
keep the trinket, for last week DR..
Talmage made + lmund Jackson and
Nellie Sargent man and wife
4 WESTERN SoLoN Wolcott
OF Colorado is always doing ineXpli-
cable things. Nobody ever knows ex-
actly where to find him until he sees
nouncement of his purposes, and then
he is very mnch in evidence. cit is
curious" said one of his republican
colleagues to me, "that Wolcutt never
turns up on the comnon-sense side OF
any question. He is Il chrOnc tan
gent chaser, and as irresponsible as II
boy, but 1 cannot, for the life of me,
see why it is that he never by any
chance hits it right. Iou think it
might happen occasionally by acci-
cident. But somehow, it never does.
That is little rough, and good
deal exaggerated, but there is enough
truth in it to give it point
1t is n fact that Wolcott is almost
invariably IN the minority. 1t seems
to chafe him to act with the greater
number. When his party is in the
majority he bolts, and either comes
ont boldly on the other side, or else
takes middle position, that exasper
atcs his own people and satisfies
nobody else. Wolcott loves to flock
alone. He has the gamblers passion
for taking chances, and although he
usually puts his money on the wrong
color, he returns to the game again
aud again, with never tagging zes.
How Ir AFFECTS THEM-As mucl
attention seems TO be given ut Wash.
ington to the effect of the recent
senatorial silver caucuses upon the for.
tunes of several presidential candi-
dates, as upon tue business interests
Of the country. and from the poll
tician's standpoint the former is evil
IDENTIFY the matter of chief concern.
What difference does it make to those
gentry. ii the finances Of the country
are kept in turmoil, and the whole
business community held over an
abyss of uncertainty until weary to
death with the strain, SO long as they
gum q state for their man in conven-
ton, or strengthen their own forces
against the next time they seek re-
election.
UNIFORM DIVORCE LAws-Repre.
sentative Gillett Of Springfield will
make an earnest effort to secure con
sideration in the House for his bill
prohibiting the granting of divorces
in any of the territories to persons
who have not been residents for one
year of the territory in which the di-
vorce is granted. He has already con-
suited with delegate Flynn of Okla
homn, who seems disposed to cordially
support the bill, and intends to con.
suit the other territorial delegates.
Mr.. Gillett believes that this measure
will pave the way to some extent tow
ard his broader proposition for
constitutional amendment giving to
Congress the power to pass uniform
laws on the Sill bject of divorce.
Two MARINE MATTERS Commits.
sioner of Navigation Chamberlain and
II. r. Freeman of Boston and repre-
sentative Low of New York were be.
fore the House committees on mer.
chant marine and fisheries in opposi.
ton to the proposition to repeal the
law providing penal punishment for
violation of contract as it applies to
seamen. They insisted that this law
was necessary in order to hold seamen
to their contracts. Representative
Cummings of New York spoke in
opposition to the proposition to abol-
ish compulsory coastwise pilotngo.
This closed the hearings on these sub.
jects.
PRESSURE AGAINST GEN. Franklin
Strong pressure is being brought to
bear on the House military committee
to prevent the reappointmcnt of Maj.
Gen. Franklin of Connecticut rs n
member of the board of managers OF
national soldiers homes, of which he
is president. There is strong opposi-
ton to the reappointment of Gen.
Franklin, the charge against him
being that he is too old and autocratic.
"A number of gentlemen are desirous
of securing places on the board.