The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-15
KANSAS AT WASHINGTON.
How the Members of the Congress
siona1 Delegation Live

Washington, Feb. 15.-The Kansas
congressman are a home-loving set.
They don't like hotel life, and, as a re-
suit, there are more happy domestic
hearths rejecting cheerful faces from
the Sunflower- state than can be claim
ed by almost any other delegation in
Washington.
The gentlemen who have come to the
national capital to look after Kansas
interests and Kansas welfare are as
hoSpitable as the state they hail from,
and when it comes to a question of
population they are not at all back
ward in exhibiting families of generous
western size. There's Congressman Pc
tiers with his nine children; Mr.. Botkin
with his five; Mr.. Vincent with six and
Mr.. Mccormick with four, not to men
ton the others.
Mrs. Peters, though she is one of the
brightest most talented of the many
clever women in the congressional cir
Gle does not figure much in society.
I haven't the time, with my Kansas
said, pointing to half dozen or
more of her nine boys and girls who
happened to be within sight. Mrs. Pc
ters is a graduate of Vassar and keeps
right up with the times. Her children
range in age all the way from the
youngest, Tom Reed, who is about 2,
up to Mason S. Peters, Jr-, an active,
enterpriSing young man of 20, who IS
attending the Columbian Law school
and will become an attorney in short
while.
rom Reed there SAID MI. PETERS,
as he pointed with pride, somewhat
tempered with anxiety, was named
after the speaker from Maine because
he's such tyrant and rules the house
with a rod of iron. After he gets older
we may name him something else, but
just at present Tom Reed seems to fit
him to perfection.
''Therel Look outi''
At this happy moment Tom Reed,
who had been watching his chance,
caught the cat by it's past, whirled her
around his head and threw the animal
snarling across the sitting room, where
she landed dangerously near a fine
vase in the corner. After this Tom
Reed was taken in hand and removed
from the room.
The Peters family live in a beautiful
home at lob L street, N. w.
jeremiah Simpson, probably the best
known of the Kansas contingent, is liv-
7 street, N. w. His wife and son are
at home on the farm at Medicine
Lodge.
You see, somebody had to stay there
to take care of the place and the cat
tie he said when asked about his
Washington life, 'aS she's a. sight bet
ter manager than I am and didn't hap
pen to be elected to the Seventh Kan
saS seat at last election, why she stay
ed at home. My son, who has an in
terest with me in the cattle business,
is tending to it. Mrs. Simpson isn't so
much taken to Washington life as she
was, anyway. She had four years of it
and it grew to be sort of an old story"
Mr.. Botkin and Mr.. RidgIey live I'M
| der the same roof at sos East Capital
street. Mr.. BOtkin is the landlord.
With his wife and children he keeps
house there and Mr.. Ridgley and his
wife rent a suite in their handsome res
| idence. Miss Alice Root, a niece of Mr..
Ridgley, acts as his assistant and ste
nogTapher.
Mr.. Vincent and his generous family
| occupy a pretty residence on New Jer-
| sey avenue, numbered 234 Mr.. Vim
| cents eldest daughter is of great as
| sistance to him in his correspondence.
! Congressman Broderick is a widower
| and has a suite at the Elsmere. His
| daughters, Misses Jennie and Fannie,
are spending the winter in Washington.
Miss Jennie acts as her fathers aman-
| uensis and bOokkeeper.
Mr. and Mrs: Curtis keep house at
| 1851 r street, N. w. and Mr.. and Mrs.
| Mccormick and their little brood have
a comfortable residence at $40 Sixth
| street N. E.
The Kansas senators, William A.
| Harris and Lucien Baker, are both
home-loving, home-staying gentlemen
and live, respectively, at 1915 Thir-
teenth street N. w. and 1929 Nineteenth