The National tribune., 1900-01-11
, CHAT OF THE CORRIDORS.

The year opens very auspiciously for
| the veteran Gen. Grout, Representative
| from Vermont. He is reported to have
cleaned Hp $4,000 in very warm cash in his
deals last Summer; his health is greatly
| improved, and the chances are regarded as
| bright that he will be elected Senator from
Vermont.
There are good many people deeply
| interested in whether the Ecpuhlicar
Senate will allow Richard Bright TO remain
| Srrgeaiit-at-Arms. Bright is a son of
| thai jesse d. Bright, Senator from Indiana,
who: WAS expelled in 1861 for treason.
| Bright is a strong Democrat, but 'he knows
| Senators" as some one has expressed it,
and has SO far managed to maintain his
position. He did it through the last Con-
| Qress, th0ugh the Senate was then Repubi-
can. but not so strongly as now. He is 2
| shTewd, intriguing. managing man. and
| knows how to pull wires with the most in
| fuentiai men Of both parties. He is the
| dominant factor in the control of the Capitol
| employees, who are under a triumvirate, con-
SiSting of the SergeautS-at-ATmSo of the
Senate and House and the Architect OF
/ the Capitol. One of the objections alleged
| against Capt. Russell, Sergeant-at-Arms
of the House in the last Congress. WIS that
| he was not strong enough to contend with
Bright, and let him rule things and control
| the greater part Of the appointments.
Bright is asserted TO have enough of the
! older Republican Senators fixed" so that
| they will help the Democratic Senators in
retaining him. For 'xa nple, Senator
| Allison is said to have II appointees.
where his natural ratio, with the present
| Republican membership of the Senate
would lie but six. Naturally, he does
not want to give up half of his appoint
ments to new Senators, which might result
if the Senate corps be reorganized. Sena-
tor Gear is said to have been similarly
favored by the astute Bright, and other
older Senators the same way. There are a
number of Republican candidates for
Sergeant-at-Arms,a and among them one or
| two comrades, but so far the Republican
| caucus has not agreed upon a successor
to Bright Senator Allison put forward
| Alonzo Stewart, Il young clerk, but this
was claimed to be merely a straw CON
| didacy, intended to prevent the caucus
from agreeing.
Col. Isaac r. Dunkelberger. Of Los
| Angeles, Cal, is III the city seeking tC
secure the passage OF bill to put him or
the Retired List with the rank OF Captain
He enlisted in April, 1861, in the 1st Pa
and became First Sergeant, but received
a commission in the Regular cavalry, and
at the fight at T'revillian Station was
Il Captain in the 1st L. S. Cav, and in
command Of that portion of his regiment
which was fighting dismounted He re
ccived severe wound through the shoul
der. from which he still suffers. He was
I hrevctted Major for galantry at 1'revilIian
and IieiItenant-Colonel for gallant anC
meritoriouS service during the war. Ii
1870 he was examined for retirement, anC
the Board offered him retirement with tho
rank of Captain. but lie insisted that ht
was entitled 10 retirement at higher rank
on account of the command he held whet
he received his disabling wound. This
the Board would not admit, and he was
honorably discharged. He was for eigh
years Postmaster OF Los Angeles.
! There is n good deal OF quiet chuckling
in the Pension Bureau over the miShaI
that icfeli the Commissioners plans when
the GAR. Pension Committee surprised
him hy that earl rly-morning visit last No
veInbcr, and the request to see the last &c
cases re eected the day before. There was
some delay in furnishing the cases, because
It WAS desired 10 pick them over and not lei
the Committee see any but those in which
they would approve of the rejection, as
vas done in the batch of rejected cases
supplied the Committee at its visit in july
This was done by Thomas Yeager, tie
Commissioner confidential man in suct
matters, and he did il to the best OF his
ability in the time allowed. but somehow
he overlooked the case of Nicklans Born
Co. G., 45th \. Y, in which the rejection
was fragrant injustice. This happened
to be the second ease which the Commtte,
examined. and they took il TO the PreSiden
to prove the truth of the CARS allega
tiOns against the Commissioner.