Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-03-08


the chamber, for the last election caused
the bones of the old Democratic leaders
to rattle in their inadequate envelopes
A fractional fight in Maryland retired
Senator German, the Democratic Ulysses.
In him the Democrats had a leader whom
most followed and respected. Senator
Turpe, too, has been retired. He was
the last of Indiana's big Four" A more
cultured and intellectual representative
the State never had. Gray of Delaware.
Smith Of New Jersey, Murphy of New
York. Mitchell of Wisconsin and White
of California, all have gone. Vest is
still in harness, hut he is only wreck
of his former self. His mind is as Wig
orous as it ever was, and once in while
its brilliant coruscations illumine the SEN
ate. Senator Cockrell, Vests colleague,
is now in his fifth term, still alert and
vigorous, but age, with its infirmities, is
creeping upon him, too. Senator Mills
has been succeeded by the bright young
Culberson, trim, eager and high bred, and
much Is predicted of him. Chiffon, the
senior Senator from Texas, Is remark
able man in his way. While he is in
telligent and punctilious, he seems to take
the duties of his Office too seriously. This
gives him the appearance of severe aus
terity and unbending dignity. few
days ago a representative from Texas
was seen putting on his overcoat and
mufiling up as il he were going out into
a snowstorm. "Where are you goingF'
inquired one Of his colleagues. Il am
going to see Chiffon" was the reply in
mock seriousness. Senator Mason Of
Illinois is quoted as saying that Chiffon
better than any other Senator maintains
his etymology.
There is small prospect Of any Nicara-
guam canal legislation at this session o.
Congress. Neither the yPauncefote
treaty nor the bill providing for construc-
ton of the canal is likely to be adopted.
Chairman Hepburn Of the House canal
committee and Senator Morgan Of the
Senate committee will not admit that this
is so. The former is confident he will Sc
cure from the committee on rules an or
der providing for consideration of his bill
in the House, and vote thereon. He
even claims the Speaker is friendly to
this movement. But others think Mr..
Hepburn is doomed to disappointment.
The Speaker has not committed himself
to that proposition, now that the compli-
cation over the treaty has arisen. All
the promises he made to the effect that
the canal bill should have hearing were
before the Hay-Pauncefote treaty was
injected into the situation. Now the
Speaker will consult the wishes of the
President. While the President, as is
well known, strongly favors the build
ing of a Nicaraguan canal, he does uot
want the bill passed in the form which
it now bears.
Brigham III. Roberts, the poygamous
statesman from Utah, now out of a job,
attended theater the evening after the
House excluded him. He purchased a
seat in box which had been sold to a
party of three women. The mysterious
ways Of fate caused the women to en-
ter the box about the time Roberts had
been shown to his seat by an obsequious
usher. The women, being strangers in
Washington, apparently did not know
who their boxmate was, but most Of the
audience did. 1t is unnecessary to de-
scribe the CONSERVATION in the theater
when the word was passed around that
Roberts was in box with his three
wives. Every lorgnette in the house was
clapped upon Roberts and the three inno-
cent women. Not until long after the
curtain went up did the trio in the box
with Roberts discover why they were the
observed of all observers, and then they
left the play. Through all of the excite
ment Roberts sat calm and contented.
-
The President paid graceful compli-
ment to Mrs. Potter Palmer when he Sc
ected her as the only woman commission
- lief Of hn
represent the United States at the Paris
exposition, and gave her the honor OF
leading the list. She was paid another
deserved compliment when the Senate
separated her name from that Of the
other commissioners and promptly con-
firmed her nomination without sending
it to the committee on foreign relations
for reference. The friends of Mrs. Palmer
may well congratulate her upon the Pres
ident's selection, and especially upon the
fact that it was made entirely in view
of her fitness for the position which she
has demonstrated as president of the
board of woman managers Of the Co
lumbar exposition.
-
There are but two confirmed snuff TAX
ers in the United States Senate at the
present time. Senator Turner of Wash
ington and Senator Carter Of Montana.
The old custom of tickling the men,
brane Of the nasal passage with finely
ground tobacco has about died out, and
although these two Senators indulge in
the habit every day, neither Of them
carries a snuff box. The dingy little
black boxes, which for more than half
a century have occupied the inches on
either side of the presiding officers chair
in the Senate, are still in their places,
and are kept constantly filed with snuff.
-
An inquiry at the bureau OF statistics
shows that there has been a large falling
off in the amount of liquor shipped to
the Philippines since the American occu-
patton. During the last year the total
was ], o2S gallons of wines, 1925 gallons
of whisky and 65,344 dozen bottles of
beer. which is about one-fifth the average
amount exported during the last ten years
Of the Spanish occupation.
-
Our pension bureau estimates that
there are 1,032, 41S surviving soldiers of
| the civil war, excluding deserters. About
! $4,000 of these are unpensioned. The
| average age of the survivors Is go years.
1t is estimated that in 1910 there will be
100000 survivors, not including militia
organizations called on for temporary
| service.
-:-:-
Two members of the present Congress
began life as sailors. Each was a New
Highlander by birth, each ran away TO
sea, and each finally made his home in