The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-01-17
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

below weather is in Minnesota. l
made my first appearance before a
Washington public during the cold
snap in full Minnesota regalIa, rid
ing bicycle, and 1 caught the
house." l flatter myself and the buffa-
| 10 coat that we wore attracted more
attention than the president would
have done, riding in his carriage.
The "gallery gods" were delighted
and shouted. ''look at the bear on ole
bike" the ''coons" rolled their eyes
and the very dogs rolled their tails
and went yelping into the side
streets. l think some of them are
going yet by the way they started
out. 1t was fun alive. The pretty
girls, and Washington is full of them,
| looked at me and smiled, many OF
them doubtless thinking that a was an
ambassador from Greenland, or a
north pole explorer. The dear crea-
tures-and it is leap year at that. If
it keeps cold enough there's no telling
where I'll land. with that buffalo
coat. AS I passed group of young
men this morning they commenced
to sing: "Pnt me off at Buffalo," l
responded with a Stanza of the hymn.
s'In the north sea lived whale" and
thinking | was Jonah, they said no
| more.
| attended church last evening and
heard DR., Talmage preach. He took
his text from part OF the eighth
verse of the 47th chapter of Genesis.
"How old art thou ?" He introduced
his subject by stating that he never
put that question point blank to any
one, "because people ordinarily truth
full on other matters would generally
lie about their age" and he didn't
like to encourage, the habit. HIS dis
course was. of course, eloquent, ana
was hum on the proposition that re-
ligion fosters longevity by reason of
its being constant protest against
the excessive indulgences that eat
away the constitution and send men
and women to their graves before
their time. Talmage is pulpit &C
tor; his arms, legs aud body are living
parts of his sermons. His voice is
rather husky and he seems to labor
with it, but as L have heard him but
once, that condition may be the
effect of a cold. T may be poor
Judge but to my taste have listened
to sermons from Minnesota divines
that were superior to Talmage'S. one
in particular that l remember, by
Bishop Gilbert, in the little brick
hurch at Lake Crystal, several years
ago, to an audience of not over 70
people, seems, even at this distance OF
time to compare very favorably with
| the great Tamage's New Year eff
fort. And | have no doubt that here
in Washington there are several
others his equal in elOquence, and yet
vast multitudes go to hear him and
seats are sold in advance at 75ctS
each. Those who do not buy tickets
| beforehand, or are not the fortunate
pOSSeSSOrS Of friends among the pew
holders, go an hour before the open
ing of the church and fill up the side
walk and door way waiting to NIL up
the pews that may be left after the
seating of the holders, and the stand
ing room. The ushers are assisted by
corps of burly policemen in the
handling of the crowd. Such is fame.
1t seems more like going to popular
show than to divine worship. This
| feeling is rather accentuated when
the choir sings church words to grand
opera musc-you suppose they are
church words although you can not
pull them out of the avalanche OF
grand opera notes with which they
are mixed up,-hOwever, the music is
grand; it rolls out from the gallery at
the back of the auditorium like
waves from a great ocean of harmony.
Mr.. Frank E. Ward, the organist, and
| Mrs. w. L. Wilson the soprano, share
/ the honors of this great choir, for
especially conspicuous ability.
x**
Tonight Monday the great con-
vention hall skating rink, with what
is said to be the largest floor in the
world, will be thrown open to the
public and it promises to be the social
fad of the season. The ice is made
by artificial means, and the surround
ing rooms embrace every accOmmOda-
tion demanded by the fashionable
world. Skaters are in it by large
majority, il this year of our Lord,
1896.
Last Friday at high noon. [ sat in
the gallery and saw Gar Reed hit
his desk with big gavel and heard
his Yankee voice-"The house will be
in ORDER" resound through that his
toric hail. So much does his voice
resemble that of Guy Spaulding, that
it reminded me very forcibly of the
Artemus Ward of Mapleton, nomin
ating Peter Lloyd for treasurer in
the last county convention.
x*x
Speaking about Reed brings to mind
the fact that he is the most admired
man among the Democrats of any
Republican since Blaine's time. l
have noticed this particular fact with
much interest, and it is doubtless due
to his typical Amercanism. He is
without doubt, the only man in con-
gress whose shoulders are broad
enough TO fill the mantle of his illus
trous predecessor from Maine
Should he become President the stars
and stripes would be more respected
on the high seas, and American insti-
buttons and interests would be upheld
with firm and fearless hand.
x*x
The sanguinary clouds of universal
war hangs like a pail over the world
In the language of Mother Parting
ton, or some other humorist, England,
oh bnr 1,