Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-28
CONGRESSIONAL GOSSIP.

Dur1ng the recent debate on the nayal
appropriation bill Representative Amos
Cummings became very earnest in his dis
cussion of the price Of armor plate carried
by the bill. He was saving the air with his
arms, as he usually does when in vigorous
debate and was making the rafters ring
with the echoes OF his voice. In the midst
Of his talk he was interrupted by Mr.. Hep
burn of Iowa.
May ask the gentleman a question:
queried Mr.. Hepburn.
Not now, not now" replied Mr.. Cum
mings. Wait until 1 finish;' and then he
added in a lower tone, you can ask ques-
tons and be id"
When he had concluded he turned to Mr..
Hepburn and said: Now come ahead with
your questions"
No. thank you," responded Mr.. Hepburn,
mot under the conditions imposed
Senator Wilson of Washington, who
leaves the Senate at the close Of the pres
ent session of Congress, is one of the most
popular members of that body, and during
the four years he has held q seat there has
obtained an enormous amount of legisla-
ton for the benefit of his state. Although
he has served in the House in three Con-
crosses and in the Senate, he is not quite
forty-nfne years of age.
Upon retiring from Congress Mr.. Wilson
will not practice law, as many of his
friends have anticipated, but he will go to
work to develop mining interests he will Sc
cure In his state. North of Spokane. his
home, large section of his state has been
opened for mining purposes during his term
in the Senate, end through his efforts, and
the opportunities there are boundless.
Mr.. Wilson was born in Charlottesville,
Indiana, his father being member of Con-
gress. and later minister to Venezuela.
where the present senator, then quite a
young man, accompanied him. 1t was his
mother who advised him later. when the
family had again got together at Craw-
louisville, to leave the old home and seek
a career in the west. She believed that
families, like plants, are benefited by a
change of soil and climate. When he ar
rived at Spokane Wash, there were 800
people living in the little town, and he
kane would some day have 25.OO0 inhab-
itants. Today there are 10000 people living
in the thriving young city, and 1t is grow
ing so rapidly that population of 100 900 is
looked forward to within few years, as it
is in the center Of rich mining and agricul-
tural district as extensive as Ohio and ILL.,
nois together.
Many members of the present House of
Representatives will bid farewell to Con-
gress on Saturday for at least two years.
They leave their regrets. Some regret the
loss of salary; some add to this regret for
the loss of clerk hire. Some feel most of
all the separation from their associates
and wouldn't care If it were not for that"
day look down upon than from the ladies'
galleries. Many and various are the rea-
sons for sadness at the parting. Hartman
OF Montana, one of the best liked men in
the House. has a regret that is entirely
unique. His retirement was voluntary in
support of principle and in response TO a
spirit Of generosity.
Il regret" he said the other day. in con-
VerSation with a friend, Il regret the loss
of many very pleasant associations. There
are many good fellows whom l meet every
day whom / shall miss, and 1 have other
regrets. But the fondest thought to my
memory cl1nging is the oyster. / must pay
him one more visit and a fond farewell. 1
regret that did not make his acquaintance
earlier and that l must give it up so soon.
l nave been familiar with the timed and
frozen oyster that finds its way into the re-
gion of the Rockies, and L have had several
years acquaintance with him at the hotels
and restaurants of Washington; but only
few months ago did 1 find him with the
impression of his native environments
c!inging around him. Until then | never
knew him. To go sit on the deck of an
oyster pungy, with fifty other oyster boats
clustered around you, the keen wind wills
ting through the rigging and the beautiful
Potomac stretching out before you, while
negro shucker, the genius of the oyster
wharf, sits before you with half bushel of
salt oysters between his knees and passes
them up to you one by one fresh ana cold
upon the half-shell-to do this is to banquet
with nature and to enjoy a feast that none
but the initiated can construct in their
ina gination."
Hartman is convert to the oyster He
comes from a region where good oysters
are scarce. Early this session a friend got
him to go down to the oyster wharf The
two sat for an hour on the cabin roof of
pungy with bottle of beer on one hand,
a plate of crackers on the other and a d.
minshing pile of oysters on the deck in
front of them. Since then the Montana
representative has been an habitue of the
oyster wharf. Once week when the oys-
tiers are good he walks from the Capitol to
the wharf. The shuckers line up when they
tom. They point out to him the boat
which may be found the saltiest and best
of the bivalves. His man Mitchell claims
him by right of discovery and drives all
other shuckers away. Mitchell says that
that little man from Congress certainly
do enjoy hisself,' and that he has the rec