The evening times., 1896-01-04

M Il. EUGENE COFFIN. one OF the clerks
IW at WIZARDS, has a well-known
musical gift. II announces itsef to
the eye OF the member or Congress
who comes in 10 write his name III the register
and to the reporter who scratinizes the
book for latest arrivals. The announce
nent of 1t appears at the top OF every page
IN the register in the form OF a line of
musical composition Sometimes II is orig
inal and at other times 1t is not, but 1t is
always appropriate TO the dag. Here are
Il few examples:
On the day after Christmas something
like sixty or seventy young women regis
tered at Wizards. having come u the city
on tourist excursion. Mr.. Coffin there
upon makes the gir.s presence the buruen
or his song for several days. December &c
he starts off with She was a daisy"
written in correct musical measure; De-
cernber 27, Wnere are yol going, my pretty
mald?' and follows IL win Whose little
girl are yoa?" and My sweetheart's the
man in the moon;'' and whe,fthe girls lea We
No one to love- and 'Good-bye, Dorothy"
The first leaf OF the register is ornamented
with few bars Of Waiting" During the
first few days or the Venezuelan mesa gc
excitement and the consequent war talk
the musical cierk becdme very patriotic
with Hail Columbia Three cheers for
the red, white, and blue -Checr, boys.
Cheer Yankee Doodle, and "America," :"
and winds up the oatbarst with Thou art
SO near, Hnd yet 50 far. feneZueia-' On
the last dnysor 1895 the leaf for that day
IN the registet has a few musical measures
from "Ttfrn on, Old Time" and on New
Years Day MIR. Colin became graveiy
serious With What shall the harvest be-
L semi.trupical climate" said Hugh
C. Wallace OF Washington State at
Chamberiips last evening. People who
had livethere said the temperature seldom
dropped rery low in the winter, and had no
idea OF such IA cold snap as this. Weather
oil this kind is unknown in Tacoma. which is
in a much higher latitude, OF course
There are Ut the various hotels 4 number
of visitors, besides Mr.. Wallace, who are
accustomed TO warmer weather than this
at home, and who are shiverinS with the
cold wave Arthur Bradshaw W OF Meriden.
Conn.,, who is ut the ShUrenam, said Iast
nignJ that when ne left home he expected
to leave the rugged New England climate
behind him. But he was dIsagreeabiy sur
prIsed when he arrived to find colder
weather than has been experienced in his
part Of New England tins winter. There
mas been some snow in Connecticut, he
said, and little sicighing, but for an out
and-out cod wave OF Arctic cha aracter he
should always think of Washington as en-
during that Kind.
MR.. WM. ORDWAY PARTRIDGE, one
W of the few American-born artists who
have submit, teGnuueis III The cOmPetI-
ton for the Sherman statue, takes almost as
much interest IN literature as he Goes In art.
He is a guest at the Cosmos Club. lie mas a
very readable article in the current Forum
on an art subject, IN whicn he gives some OF
his most characteristic views. In spea king
of it last evening Mr.. Partridge said:
SST AM impressed, as / suppose everyone
is,who has thought about IL with the
unity, The complete sisterhouu, be-
tween art and literature. l think anyone
who has a taste 1Or the strong, ponuerous
style OF tie great writers, VIII aunIire the
corresponding style IN statuary and Laint-
ing. 1t is a mistaken idea Tat art, in the
form of pictures ana statues, is something
merely ornamental, simpiy pretty. Fortu-
nately, however, IL is not an idea that
gains much ground among intelligent peo-
pie. 1 think the American people are
becoming more Interested i'll a distinctly
national art.
lit seems TO ME that it is high time we
ceased to copy Italian models, and to bor-
row from the French. We should become
independent in art, just as We have become
independent as a nation. Our forefathers
were independent, and declared it, from
the dire necessities of tie occasion. Just
so, think, We should become, as nation,
in the world of art"
w ILLIAM HARNESS, U. S. NJ, is
w stopping at tie Ebbltt, visiting the
city on leave for a few days. Major
G. s. Carpenter, OF the army, is q guest at
the Hotel Page,