The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-04-06
Gossip of
the Capital


Special to the Scranton Tribune.
Washington, April 5.-President McKin-
ley, in order to get a respite from his
duties, at the white house, and to avoid
the strain incidental to dealing with the
office-seekers, has decided to take vaca-
tion. He will take a run down the Poto-
mac river for a few days on the Revenue
Cutter Dolphin. In consequence of the
announcement of the presidents intended
vacation the white house has been
thronged during the past few days with
office-seekers and others who have faVors
to ask
Among the applicants for office who are
here is Major John NJ. Bittinger of St
Joseph, Mo. He is an applicant for the
Swiss mission, the position to which John
G.. A. Leishman, of the Carnegie COM
pany, aspires Major Bittinger was born
near Chambersburg, Franklin county,
Pa, and spent his boyhood days there.
When a young man he went to Missouri
and became active in the politics of that
state. His early teachings on the slav-
cry question had nodded him into a Re
publican of unusually strong convictions,
and he became party leader. He was
lieutenant of the late United States Sen
ator Blair, and after the election OF
President Lincoln in 1860, when the ques-
ton of federal patronage in Missouri
came up, Blair suggested to Mr.. Lin
postmaster at st. Joseph. The president
promptly appointed him, and his nomina-
ton which was sent to the senate on
April IL, 1861, was one of the three first
postmasterships sent to that body The
two others were Peter l.. Foy, who was
appointed postmaster at st. Louis, and
John ID. Strong, who was given SINH
lar position at Jacksonville, ILL., A few
days after Major Bittinger's nomination
was sent in the senate confirmed it, and
his commission was promptly forwarded.
When he presented ii to the retiring post
master that official, after hastily scan
ming it, discovered to the Majors chagrn
that it did not bear the signature of the
president, and therefore refused to trans
fer the office. jor Bittnger at once
came to Wash, ,ton and was cordially
| received by President Lincoln who imme-
diately signed the commission.
When Major Bttinger returned to st.
| Joseph and took charge OF the Office one
| of his first official acts was to run up on
| the buildings flagstaff the Stars and
| Stripes. The anti-Union sentiment there
was strong and the flag was torn down
| by Jeff Thompson, who afterwards be-
came famous as Confederate officer.
AS Thompson left the postOffce he car
| ried in his hand bugle. Bittinger, pis-
| tOl in hand, appeared at a window and
| was on the point of firing when Thomp
| son gave a shrill blast of the bugle. In
| stantly a hundred or more armed men,
| whom Thompson had organized. appear
ed. Had Bittinger fired it would have
| cost him his life. After the mob had
dispersed Bittinger replaced the flag
| and stood ready to defend 1t. A few
| days later a regiment of United States
| soldiers from the army post at Leaven-
| worth Kansas arrived at St. Joseph, and
there was no further effort to tear down
| the flag.
| Among the new Democratic members of
| the house is John S. Rhea, who succeeds
| DR.. Hunter, the Republican caucus nom
| inee for senator in Kentucky. Rhea has
| not been heard from since he came to
| congress, but he can make good deal
| of noise on very slight provocation. He
| is one of Kentucky's very boisterous sill
yer Democrats, and at the Chicago con-
| vention made the speech nominating Joe
, Blackburn for president Nobody in the
| convention hall took him or his speech
| seriously although he had been adver-
tised as an orator. In this speech he
| pledged Kentucky to the Democratic
| party by at least $4,000 majority, from
| which ii can be readily seen that he is
| as poor a prophet as he is an orator.
Rhea was candidate for congress and
through outrageous frauds secured the
certificate of election. His opponent, DIR.
| Hunter, is contestinG for the seat, and
contest to a successful ending. Rhea
threatens to break loose i'm the house at
any time. He has already given his al
legged wit a .chance in the congressional
directory, where he refers to his Pal
mer and Buckner opponent for congress
as the candidate of the aid Society,""
When Joseph Bailey, of Texas, the new
leader of the Democratic party in the
| house, first came to congress five years
ago he declared he would never wear q
dress suit under any circumstances He
| has kept his word. on Friday evening
| last he was invited with the other mem
bers of the ways and means committee
to dine with the president at the white
house. OF course, everybody wore the
conventional claw-hammer coat. Mr.
Bailey was not there. In she afternoon
preceding the dinner he called on Presi
| dent Mckinley and personally declined
the invitation. He said he knew that al
of the guests ,Sould wear dress suits
and that he would feel ont of place if III
were to attend wearing his long Prince
Albert. Mr.. Mckinley assured the younl
Texan that he would be welcome in "anN
old suit" Bailey and his refusal to weai
dress suit are being pretty generally
commented upon.
The Beau Brummell of the presen
house is James Hamilton Lewis, the new
| member from Washington. He was no
sworn in until Saturday last. He hat
been away from the city getting married
A local newspaper in describing Mr.
Lewis induction into Office, contained
the following rather unique account o
the ceremony: "Down the center aisl
came Mr.. Lewis gayly tripping, like tn
dear, sweet girls in 'Pinafore He wa
spotlessly and eXqusitely arrayed. From
pointed patent leather shoes TO CAREFUL!
parted auburn hair he was a thing o
beauty and, let us hope, a joy forever
His light trousers were carefully creased
J until they would cut paper, his Prime
Albert was smoothly pressed; there wa
! a white martingale around his neck, ant
underneath his vest and his shirt from
: was hidden beneath a puT- tie of rich AM
shiny blue silk. His dainty hands wer
! encased in a pair of bright yellow glove
I that shone upon the horizon like a noon
day sun. and his face was covered will
! | whskers of the same color. The new
! congressman from Washington will b.
} | famous for his whiskers II for nothing
| else"
Mr.. Lewis is only thirty-three year
, | of age and is said to be one of the bes
! | orators in the northwest.
Another very warm member is Franci
| Newlands, of Nevada. lie is the bes
y dressed man in the house, and he CA