New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-17
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
JEyFERsoNIAN SIMPLICITY NOTABLE FOR
ITS ABSENCE
THE NEW PORTUGUESE MINIsTER-How TIL
MALTBY HOUSE is UsED-TILLMAN
AND HIS CHANCES.

ment virtually put itself at her feet. she was
asked to wait in luxurious ROOM messengers
ran hither and thither to do her bidding ana the
authorities were only too delighted TO grant hel
requests As she expressed II afterward NO one
but the wife Of Cabinet officer could be treated
with such distinction. am sure they TOOK me ior
Mrs. Lamont" Mrs Lamont is too we'll known
at the Department for any such mistake 10 occur,
which fact the young woman was perfectly well
aware Of and, though she did not CONFESS as
much II was evident she attributed the stir she
created to her own personal attractions she IL
no connection of the Secretary OF War, but her
name IL Miles which may account for her oose-
uuious treatment. and goes to show that Ameri-
cans are not as democratic as they might be-
Indeed. one meets with many things in depart
mental life which do not SAVIOR OF Jenersonian
simplicity and leave much TO be desired IN TINS
direction Only the other day prominent New
York lawyer, tall OF body and large OF frame, had
occasion to use the elevator in the Navy Depart
ment The door was closed. and they mad begun
10 ascend. when the operator suddenly brought
the elevator TO the ground floor. threw open the
door and said:
"PIease step out sir Impossible to take you up
lust now"
The gentleman, thinking naturally that some
Thing was out of gear with the elevator, stepped
out and nearly ran into the arms OF the secretary
OF the Navy, with whom he exchanged greetings.
They chatted together for few moments when
the Secretary excused himself and stepped Into
the elevator, the door banged, and he was
rapidly carried upward.
why there seems to be nothing the matter
with the elevator" said the man from New-York.
There is nothing the matter with II. remarked
n messenger standing near
Then what in - did get out for?" asked
cantIan,on from Gotham. with violent en-
phasis. >,o,.,. % =. car r,ed IN
to be sure" responded the messenger
"Where are we at? Where IN the devil are we
at?' murmured the big man to himself. as he
toled upstairs.
The names OF Viscount and Viscountess Santo
rhyrso have recently been added to the official
Diplomatic list of the State Department. Niscount
Thyrso is the new Portuguese Minister, and sue
ceeds Senior Sequeira Thedim who died here
after brief illness in the early part OF last WIN
ter. Since the death Of Senior Thedim the lega-
ton has been IN charge Of Consul-Generai Luis
raveira whom the coming Of Viscount Tnyrso re-
lieves.
The present envoy from Portugal is a young
man to represent his country at so important
post as the United States but he entered the dip
1omat,c service when he was only eighteen, and as
eecretary of Legation at Madrid and at London.
from which post he was promoted to be Minister
here made reputation for wisdom and sagacl'y
in the management Of affairs He Is man stout
and broad in build. with a frank, open counte-
nance and genial manners Like his immediate
predecessor, Senior Thedim. the Viscount is an
excellent English scholar, which Is. no DOUBT
Dartly owing to his long residence In LONDON 10
/ speak English fiuenty is highly desirable &C
compshment for a diplomat resident IN WASH
angton, where French Is not so universally spoken
as at the European capitals, and where, IL one
mas not a command of English, an interpreter
must 30 frequently be employed. r,..-. .,.,.
In February OF this year Visconnt lnyrso C was
sul-General in London, Miss GaDrleH fhlihppa
D'Athouguia, a young woman or mucn ulsthcliVh
of presence and most charming personality, VINO
was practically brought up and educated in Lon
DON and is quite English in all her tastes Dur
ing her long stay in England she met many
Americans and anticipates much pleasure from
her life in the United States.
The Maltby House annex Of the United States
Senate is now pretty we'll established. 1t is now,
as started out to be. the headquarters OF Demo-
cratic Senators, though there are Few OF the
newer Republican Senators who have rooms
there The Maltby Building was intended for a
hotel. and was occupied rs such for week or
ten days. 1t was opened a few days before Pres-
dent Cleveands first Inauguration, and lasted for
week after. Then its lessee suddenly closed its
doors and left posterity to settle the bills for fur
niture and supplies. Most Of those who had fur
nished II took their furniture away and had
their pains for their trouble. For six years the
Maltby Building was occupied by echoes, though
one young lady was bold enough TO open the
parlors as dancing-school for children. 1t was
not long before she ascertained that 1t would not
pay as a dancing-school, and she took down her
sign In the second year Of President Harrison s
Administration there was movement started
by q number Of Democratic Senators for the pur-
chase Of the building, that they could get rooms
for their official at the expense of the Govern
rnent. The matter was urged upon Senator Nor
rill. who was on the Committee Public Build
ings and Grounds. and by him presented to sena-
tor Leland Stanford, of California. then chairman
OF that committee. There Is sort OF general
consent arrangement. and there has been for
thirty years. that as far as public buildings IN
Washington are concerned Senator Morrill, must
attend to It, and the Senate has always adopted
anything In that line which he suggests. Sena-
tore Stanford and Morrill, looked into the Maltby
Building, which adjoins the Capitol grounds on
the north, and in less than an hour had arranged
for Its purchase for Sl2oWo d though tne widoW
In two hours afterward the bill was drawn
and passed the Senate, the owner being compelled
to accept the sum Of $4,000 or keep the building
herself. She consented to the price In a written
paper. In few days the House concurred with
out protest. and the Maltby annex of the Senate
became fact. In a few weeks X was furnished,
and each Of the Democratic Senators received a
cutie of rooms. Afterward such quantity OF pub
lie documents was stored In the basement, over
$50 tons, that the foundations gave away, and the
building was condemned unsafe. The Senate
then hired other storerooms for its public docu-
ments. and spent considerable money In repairing
the damages to the building, 50 that It Is now
practically safe. Inside Of two years there was a
political change in the complexion OF things about
the Senate and the Republican Senators who go
kindly purchased the Maltby Building for the
Democratic Senators had to take rooms In the
Maitby annex themselves as the Democratic
Senators got possession OF the committees and
occupied the most desirable committee rooms In
the Senate end Of the Capitol proper. The
changes brought about last winter gave the better
committee rooms to Republican Senators again.