The times., 1899-12-24
SEEN AND HEARD AT THE CAPITOL

Judge W. P. Springer. former Repre-
ser tative, and until receatiy Judge OF the
Federal Court in the Indian Territory. has
returned to Washington. where he viii en-
gage in the practice OF law He has been
made general attorney for the Cherokee
Nation and viii represent the same before
Congress and the departments A Times
reporter ran across Judge Springer at the
Capitol yesterday
Il am out Of politics. said he and am
now engaged in law practice entirely. Ny
term as Judge for the Indian Territory eN-
piTed last week and my successor has quail
flied. During my Ave years residence in
the Territory I formed many very pleasant
friendships and viii ever cherish fond
memories of the place and people. with
whom | became identified 70 a great extent.
The Indian Territory is making great .
strides toward advanced civilization, and .
the Indians themselves are completely civ {
ilized anc in all ways equal to their white 1
neighbOrs. While in the Territory ] did .
all in my power to further good govern
ment, and in my district, comprising the 1
Cherokee, Greek, and Seminole Nations I I
established in every town OF 200 inhabitants 4
municipal government. participated in by /
both Indians and whites. A system OF free /
schools has also been established in the .
various towns, supported by local taxation. /
In most sections OF the Territory the In
dian government and Jurisdiction has been
supplanted by United States coRtrOl en-
tirsly. The Indians are being gradually
trained or fitted for complete citizenship
under the laws Of the United States, and ir
is safe TO say that there viii be no truer
or more enlightened citizens in the country
than these people. Il is a fact that there is I
less crime among the Five Tribes than can
be found in most any part of America and
the government in the Territory. municipal
and otherwise, is exceedingly good and
productive of good results.
To the average lawyer. first appear
ance in the Supreme Q lrt is in the nature
Of a severe ordeal ~ as he viii. the
timid attorney cannot help being badly
frightened. when he arises to address The
! august tribunal. One prominent lawyer,
who was for many years intimately con-
nected with the court says that in his ex-
I peTienCe. numbers of attorneys we'll adj
yanced in years and the practice of law,
have been known to utterly break down
in their argument.
Representative Cushman, of Washing
I ton. IS building UP a reputation as
! humQrist. His maiden speech in the House
/ a few days ago was replete with epigrams
+ and bright scintillations of wit. His
/ predecessor. James Hamilton Lewis
/ was epigrammatic, too, but he had more
! OF satire and caustiC irony in mis- words
{ than humOr Mr.. Cushman although he
/ cCnvulsed the House during his speech.
/ expressed himself as disappointed with his
I first effort He had, he said intended 70
/ wax more serious. but. from force Of habit
on the stump, he drifted occasionally into
vein of pure, campaign wit.
Former senator Pugh is seen occasionally
I at the Capitol he had a long and honor
able career in the Senate. and was a mem
Der Of the Judiciary Committee for many
I wears. Mr. Pugh looks much the same a s
he did when in the Senate. and though
near TO the three score and ten mark, dis
/ plays much Of his pristine yigor and
] sprightliness.
Among the visitors in the Capital is a
well known Memphis politician who gen
orally makes it point to be in Washing
ton at this season of the year. He has
fund Of interesting gossip and anecdotes,
among them being a laughable incident in
which q prominent Tennessee judge was
concerned. The judge at one tine in his
career had the misfortune to shoot a citi-
I zen, and thereby gained a reputation as
handy man with gun. While the incident
was sJlll fresh in the minds OF the public
an important case came before him One
of me lawyers interested was a One-legged
man who used q crutCh. The case had at
tracted considerable attention, and the
courtroom was crowded 10 hear the law
yeTs make their arguments.
After the other counsel had concluded,
the man with the crutch got up TO plead.
Some feeling had been engeHdeTed in the
case and all eyes were on the lawyer as he
. proceeded 10 argue his point. He was in
tcrrupted by the judge, who failed 10 catch
something he said Just as he repeated it
the judge, in d quick. jerky manner. reach
ed back to his rear pocket for his handker-
chief and the lawyer went one way and
his crutch the other. 1t took the sheriff
over ten minutes TO pull him from under
the table and convince him that the Judge
was not trying TO shoot him.
E 1t is said that when Senator Dspew is
desirous of ridGing himself OF some bore
or other. seeking impertinent favors. he
relates story of what occurred in his
r railroad Office during his absence on va
e cation There was a colored porter on
guard at Mr Depew's door, when a pom
rous individual approached and the fol-
b lowing conversation ensued.
Il want TO see Chauncey Depew. said
the liJtle man.
You CANT san He's gone to Europe,
] sab
! well. then: III see his secretary.
9 "Sorry san: but Mistah DuvaI he's done
d gone TO Europe.
Then I'll see Cornelius Vanderbilt"
y Hes in Newport sab.
T. Well is w K. Vanderbilt in?'
y ''No, sah. He's done gone to Newport
% too.
o That so? Then Til see the vice pres
, ident of the road.
Hes in Albany, sab.
How about the second vice PRESIDENT p
q He's down TO Long Branch, sab
d rs The superintendent in2'
G Hes out inspectionin' de road. sah.'
r How about General Passenger kgent
- Daniels3"
He went away 20 Cape May. dis mawn-
p in"
~ who in thunder is running the road
a anyway shouted the little man, getting
! very red in the face
well. I tell you boss. replied the eb-
o ony attendant dis yere road jes rUI:
% ! hitself sab: an dere hahn nobody need
ed 'roun TO look after things but me
.. National Legislators are said to be inler-
n esting themselves this season in the matter
.r of family t1ees. and geHeaIogy promises to
I. become a Congressional fad The story is
e told that a certain Western Representa-
tive managed to discover that one OF his
ll maternal ancestors was knighted in the six
Is teeuth century and this whetted his desire
{, to follow out his line, He finally ran head
~ foremost against an obstacle and had &c
g resort TO Gen. It. G. AinswOrth, OF
p,.gv5 and Pension IIiVilir1