El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-01-26
WILL STIR THU SENATE
Personality of the New Member
From Illinois.
HE Is PICTURESQUE AND UNIQUE.

| Nevspaper Men Like to Have the Public
| Service EnIivened-Story of the Late Sec
| retary Gresham-PopuIarity of Senator
| Perkins of California.
| WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.-[Special. THE
election of William f. Mason as the new
| senator from Illinois gives great satlsfac-
| ton to public men, and especially to news
| papcr men here. Mr.. Mason formerly
served in congress as member from Chi
| cago, and he was one of the most pictur-
esaue and interesting men in the house.
He has not changed his ways and will be a
| valuable addition to the senate, where men
| of wit and humOr and quaintncSs are be-
| coming too rare. AS n story teller Mr.
Mason has few equals. During the COM
| ing year he will probably be the most talk
| ed of man in the senate. 1t will be dull
| dav in which Mr. Mason does not set afloat
a new tale, bright enough to be worthy
| of publication all over the country.
VIII Be Warmly Welcomed.
With all his wit and good nature and
| happy manners, Mr.. Mason is Il man of
much ability and force. AS congress-
man he was a fighter and some of the con-
| tests which he carried on upon the floor
were admirable examples of gcneralship
and nerve He once held the house up for
o
tactics That was in the old days, before
Gar Reed had adopted his present system
of sitting down upon everybody but HIM
self Mr. Mason can make an eloquent
speech and he cares so little for the pro
prietiCs that he is sure to stir the sCdatc old
senate up from its nodding as many times
as he has fingers and toes. 1t is needless
to saw that he will be warmly welcomed
back to Washington by members of the
ncvsraDCr profession, who sec in him
valuable adjunct to their task of instruct
ing and amusing the great public
One of the great needs of our public
service at the present time, from the news
paper standpoint, is Il greater number OF
men of interesting, personality. The crop
of actors on the national stage is running
more and moro to the commonplace. Pres
ident Cleveland is an interesting man, is
always doing the unexpected, and his con-
versation is studded with quaint express
sions: but, unfortunately, we newspaper
men are able to get at the president only
! through third persons. In the cabinet
there is not now a single man with what
might be termed a picturesque personality.
There are strong men and able men, but
not one who helps to make gossip and
story Judge Gresham--pcace to his ashes
was the last of these 1 can remember.
a JoIIier.
recall a story about Gresham and his
r private secretary that has never been pub
lhshed. This private secretary, keneSaw
NJ Lands, brother of Congressman Elect
Lands of Indiana. was more of a charlc-
ter than Judge Gresham himself. He
loved to jolly people and to invent the most
Ingenious stories to keep people from both
erinss the good naturCd secretary during
business hours. One day Chief Justice
Fuller called at the state department to see
f Secretary Gresham. More through the
force of habit than anything else Lands
at once proceeded to explain that the score
tary was not in.
..Hc lust left here with Secretary Car
Isle for the White House, - said the private
secretary eff you had come in five min
= utes earlier, you would have caught him;
don't believe they have reached the White
House yet"
, At that very moment Secretary Gresham
himself walked into the office from the
diplomatic room adjoining without his
coat or hat on and buttoning up his waist
coat tts was his wont on preparing to leave
| his office The chief justice greeted the
f secretary with some surprise and then
turned to speak to Lands, but the private
secretary was nowhere to be found. For
the first time in his life he had put his foot
in il and had taken refuge in sudden flight.
The sequel of this little story remains to
l be told. Not long afterward there was a
. reception at the White House. Lands was
doing the proper thing in high society.
3, The chief Justice came along and greeted
: the president. At that instant he espied
, Lands q few feet away. Mr.. Prcsi-
dent - said the chief justice, with merry
twinkle in his eye, do you know that
t young mani" Il do, very well, " replied
Mr.. Cleveland "Well, you want to look
out Tor him, - said Mr.. Fuller, for he is
the biggest liar that was ever turned loose
on the western rrairies. - With this shot
the chief justice passed on
{ OF course the chief justice didn't mean
? it. He was only turning the tables on a
practical Joker Mr. Fuller likes Lands
very well, and the young private secretary,
who is now a successful lawyer in Chi
cago, was also a favorite with President
: Cleveland, who laughed till his sides ached
when he heard the whole of the story.
spry Senator Perkins.
Senator Perkins, who has just been re-
elected in California, is ono of the most
- popular men in public life. Mr.. Perkins
: holds Il record here, and it is a quaint one.
In the Turkish bath rooms of the national
! capitol many prominent public men may
: often be found boiling and roasting them
selves into proper condition. L have had
Irnany state secrets whispered to lac in the
5 hotroom or amid the vapOrs of the steam
n room. A certain congressman from the
west has until recently held the record Of
Z being the quickest dresser O. all the men
:, who come to the bath FarlOrs. Within four
- minutes after rising from the cooling couch,
with nothing but Il sheet around him, and
entering his private room, he has been
t known to walk out completely attired from
= head to toe.
A few weeks ago ii CHANGED that this
congressman and Senator Perkins entered
their dressing rooms at the same instant.
One of the attendants, knowing both men,
= walked around and whispered to the SEN
, ntor that there was Il fellow across the way