The age-herald., 1900-02-24
PECULIARTTIES OF
 GENERAL WHEELER


 when he resumes his seat in the house of representatives than from the doorkeepers at the various committee rooms into which he is sure ito drop some time during each day. Life has seemed dull to them this win ter, and they say It is owing to the absence of the genial and ubiquitous little fighter | from Alabama, for no other member of the 1 house keeps hhings stirring in the commit tee rooms as does General Wheeler.
 Some articles of his clothing is slowed away dn the closet of nearly every room. He has a way of jerking off his cuffs and putting them in unlocked for -places-fre- querty in the waste basket After a while he misses them, and runs around to the various doors and insists that such and such an attendant has put them where he can't find them. After exciting searches they are sometimes found, but more often overlooked and get packed away in the official wardrobe. Many a pair of sleeve links has the general lost in this way. He will run into committee room, and if he finds there group talking on any sub- ject in which he is interested, will drop N~
 minutes be in the thick of heated argu- ment Some ponderous member Of the committee will get up to leave the room' | inadvertently step on the hat and Tn a l twtnlSling the brave little man Is up and smoothing out his battered headgear with fine greatest surprise and solicitude, won dering how on earth it came to be on the floor. He is said ito have lost more hats l., n official barber always keeps an extra hat on hand for General Wheeler ln case or emergency. When the members see him starting for home almost lost to sight un- der A very large hat that has evidently be- longed to seven-and-three-qu quarter slzeo head. they know what has happened.
 Tine running about the roons and corrl- dors trhait he does in the course of day would completely wear out a less anoe- fatieahle man. There is consideraole method in that, however, as it enables ham to escape many importunate constituents they are never able to catch up with him. One day during the last session stranger went to the room of the military commit tee and inquired if General wheeler was in. The affable attendant got into conver- sation with him and found him to be some one whom the general would like to see. The stranger said he had been up to the house two days hunting Wheeler, and every one would tell him the general was just here, or there, or in the smoking room, but he never could find him. Said the at tendant:
 DO you really want to see General Wheeler"
 "I certainly do," replied the visitor. "Then take my advice, sir. Pick out any spot on this side of the capito-it doesn't matter where, and just stand there quietly for ten minutes, and I am morally certain the general will come by it. and thus you will have your opportunity to speak to him."
 q expect that's good advice" returned the visitor, "and I think I'll stay right here for a while"
 In less than three minutes General Wheel CT bounced into the room and, seeing his friend, expressed the utmost delight in the meeting, while the doorkeeper looked on with an I-told-you-so air.
 All the members of the Wheeler family have been ever independent in their move- ments and one rarely expressed any cu- riosity about the doings of the other, and while confidence was always enjoyed, 1t was never forced. On one occasion during the life of Mrs. Wheeler, who was a wo- man of charming personality if sometimes bit absent-minded, this lack of family con- sultation placed the general in g. some what awkard and certainly a very un- usual predicament
 he ad 1odppd bie family for the winter in apartments in fashionable section of the city, but after a trial of them for a few days, Mrs. Wheeler became dissatisfied, and one evening when her hus- band returned from congress, she said:
 Father, do not like this place at all and really think we had better move, if you don't object"
 Certainly not, mother" returned the ever gallant general; just please your self-anything suits me-"
 Nothing more was said on the subject but a couple of days later on seeking the society of his family after the official du- ties of the day were over, the congress- man found the apartment deserted, and on inquiry, that his family had moved during the day. No one knew where they had gone. Mrs. Wheeler had merely neglected to inform her husband that they were to move that day and where the new resi- dence was He went to various hotels, but didn't find them. so finally spent the night at one. and next day his colleagues were highly diverted and interested at the gazing candor with which the great little man related how be had lost his family and asked their advice as ito where they supposed he could find them. In the course of the day one of the children came to the capitol to find out why father hadn't been home the night before. and then the omission of letting him know the secret of where they had moved was rectihed, and he went gayly to the new quarters, where with Mrs. Wheeler he had a hearty laugh over their temporary separation
 General Wheeder's lunches do not put many shekels into the pocket of the res- taurant keeper of the house, but he is al- ways a welcome guest, and at irregular