Evening star., 1896-02-29
HEARD AT THE CAPITOL

q.
Ex-CongressmaneP Payson Of Illinois says
he is out Of poiitirss,r but when asked the
other day by friend whether he thought
the democrats OIL his state were for or
against silver, said: 81 believe that four out
of hve Illinois denoctats are for silver. and
it is the same way in Indiana Judge Pay
nois delegation tor the Chicago convention
would be for white metal man for Presi-
dent. y
* *
A job printing establishment of this city
is preparing to turn out between two and
three million copies Of Congressman Towne's
speech on the silver substitute. 1t is under
stood that the silver men consider it the
strongest speech made in either erd of the
CapltoI On the monetary question. The
printed speech is to be given widespread Cir
culation.
Speaking of the visit OF Governor Cu.ber-
son to the city, prominent Texan said to a
Star reporter: 1.-The Culberson family has
been more honored by the lone star state
than any family in it. Judge Culberson. you
know, is member Of Congress. and has
been for years. He can have anything he
wants In my state. He has two sons One
Is the governor of the state and the other
Is district attorney for the western district" "
Governor Culberson is not more than thirty
five years old, and is one Of the youngest
chief executives the state ever had.
X X X
"A party OF merry visitors were passing
through the Senate end Of the Capitol the
other day, when one began to whistle a low
tune
Don't whistle, please" said an attend
ant
lis this cathedral or the home Of Euro
pean potentate. that man can't draw his
breath hard without being called down.
asked the somewhat irate visitor, but the
attendant answered that he was enforcing
the rules
The rule forbidding smoking in the hall
OF the House Is violated by large number
OF the men who voted to make 1t. Door
keepers and pages request all persons not
so fortunate as to be Congressman to cease
smoking, but they never molest a member
When they see him indulging He can smoke
until he becomes black in the face. If he is
so disposed.
There's a queer little old woman who
haunts the Congressional Library. She
never asks for book but walks into the
aicove nearest the door and selects some
old book In leather binding with queer "f,s''
and SIS" and sits down to read. She doesn't
seem to care much about what she reads or
how she reads 1t. for she as often reads
backward as forward. She has soft white
hands. of almost childish size. though she Is
stout ard short, and she dresses in old-time
finery OF nearly forty years ago. Laces as
yellow as the pages of the book she rea DIS
fall around her hands from the sleeves of an
old linsey- -Woolsey dress, and the velvet in a
queer old sack she wears must have cost
$40 yard. AS she reads she sways back
and forth slightly, as though keeping time
to "still' rhythm. She seems to be the
connecting link between this and past era,
but she never was known to speak to any
body, or anybody to speak to her.
She was rice, sTeet-faced elderly wo-
man. who looked'as though she might have
been one Of the workers all her life. She
was attired plainly but neatly in a season.
beh!nd-the-times gown, with plain bands Of
slightly gray hair put smoothly back un-
der her altogethrr-too- large -for-the- fashion
bonnet. Beside her sat fine-looking.
snowy girl. attired sumptuously in the
latest fads of fashion, but wearing her
clothes with bad grace. Both were listening
to plain. smali-faced man on the floor
who was reading, in shrill falsetto, from
manuscript held in one hand. and awkward
ly trying to make gestures with the other
hand. Nobody wes listening Finally the
older woman turned to the younger, and
said almost pathetically: They don't seem
to pay much attention to pa. do they?''
And the girl said, Iith a toss of her giddy
young head: mo, indeed; he is mighty small
potatoes down here But We get the name
big at home" But the gentle wife only
looked panied and said, Daughter" in a
demonstrating kind of way, and leaned over
the gallery, absolutely the only person in
all that vast House who seemed to hear a
word the little man was saying
X * X
us that my coat you are getting into?"
asked c. P. Huntington of Dave LittIer. as
the two were getting ready to leave the
room Of the Senate committee on commerce
after the conclusion of the Pacific railroad
hearing the other day.
Not much" replied Mr.. Littler to the
multi ti-millionaire: 'its better coat than
you ever had on
THAT isn't true" interjected ex-Repre-
sentative Payson, who had come up for he
came very near getting away with mine the
other day.
After listening to this investigation, 1
Judge nothing is safe with such a man
about"
Speaker Reed is the most American Of
all the candidates for President" said one
Of his admirers. He seldom rides in a
carriage to the House, but walks or boards
SlFeeL CdF. ne may nave put ASIDE some
of his wit, but he is always courteous and
pleasant to friends he may meet anywhere.
did you ever notice that peculiar eleva-
tion of his right arm, or rather crook in
the elbow, when he is walking? Well. he
has had that habit ever since he was q
boy.
* X
Boston IL the best democratic city in
this country" said Representative Pat
terson the other day after his recent visit
to that town. "They run things on a gen.
timely democratic schedule up that way,
and can be depended on to stick to the
party every time" Mr.. Patterson thinks
there is no place like Boston. He bushes
more violently than usual when he is told
that his name is coupled with that Of Mr.
Olney as the proper team for the demo-
cratic nomination at Chicago.
A number Of Congressman were talking
the other day about the use of money
among the colored republicans Of the
south at national conventions The con-
yersation then turned to whether the re-
cip.ents of the money did what was wanted
Of them. 1t was agreed that in many in
stances men who received money to vote
a certain way often voted another, or did
as they pleased.
"Well, I know Of one plan that will al
ways bring them to time" said one of the