The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-11
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.
In the lobby Of the Riggs House stands
a small picture It is the portrait cyl
denly IF some Italian, perhaps Venetian
nobleman- and shows a face bearded
suTmouuted by a round red cap, with
enough of the shoulders to suggest the
remainder of the body The picture Is eVI-
IDENTIFY very old and its history IS mys-
terry Some weeks ago the woTkmeu re-
moving a partition in the old National
Hotel came upon the picture, lodged be
tween the boards. There is no one in the
hotel now who has any knowledge OF how
the picture came to be behind the paru-
ton. and no one remembers ever having
seen it before 1t was covered with cob
webs and dust. and bore every evidence Of
extremely hard usage. The paint was
cracked and in some places was almost
ready to fail from the canvas. The condi-
ton of the wooden frame and the canvas
seemed to Indicate that the picture had
been through d fire Manager Staples
took 1t from the National to his other no
tel. the Riggs. Scratched in the paint
Just to the right of the face Is the date
I.fC An art expert having examined the
work declared that. while the picture
might not be as old as the date seemed to
indicate, It was evidently painted early in
this century. After thoroughly invesugat-
ing he said he was inclined to think it
was d sketch, done perhaps by Gilbert
Stuart, OF by some member Of the French
school of painters to which Stuart be
Ionged Other art critics think If may be
the work of some Italian of the seven
teenth century, or perhaps some spanish
artist All agree that while it is not a m
ished work, it shows master hana, bclh
in the CoIOTing and the breadth OF treat
meHt-
William Weaver, of Georgetown, is ex-
pcCting within two weeks to have large
brood of young japanese Silver and Mon
goIian Dheasants. Mr. Weaver has a
number Of pairs Of the birds and this be
ing the laying season, has found himself
the possessor of about three dozen eggs
Pheasants in captivity, 1t is understood,
very rarely hatch their own eggs. They
i axe ready to set after thirteen have been
laid, but as a rule the birds are so rest
! less that they break all that are left un-
der them. Mr.. Weaver is trying the eX-
/ pertinent Of having the eggs mothered by
bantams. The pheasant egg is about the
same size as that of the bantam, and 50
! far the foster mothers nave taken kindly
TO their work The Monaghan and Japan
! csc Silver Dheasants are birds Of excep-
ti0rally brilliant piumage, and broods Of
! any size are rarely found outside OF Japan
and China
/ This late spring certainly has its ad-
vantagcs as well as its drawbacks re-
marked a White House eInploye yester-
dav- as he watched a number Of men Who
! were busiIy busting and cleaning the FUR
niture- This is the time of the year
when women take huge delight in chasing
/ the elusive moth No sportsman after big
/ game enters with more Zest into the spirit
/ of the chase than the average woman,
whose only weapon consists of her two
/ hands. which she cIaps vIcJousiy' together
/ in hopes of crushing her prey between the
palms. This year she is certainly having
/ an easy time Of it. for the moths seem TN
! USUALLY sluggish-a state Of affairs due
/ to the lateness of the spring Ihere mas
not as vet been warmth enough TO timber
uD the fuzzy insect, and instead o. BENG
/ lively the moths fly slowly and heavily
I They are chilled by the GOODNESS of the air
and there has been no great demand 50
Tar for tar paper and moth balls
/ There is much activity with pick ard
shovel and rake among the school boys
Of Washington The tennis season is
about to begin. and the young enthusi-
permission Of lot owners 10 locate on their
property. are now doing their best to get
their courts into shape. Clay is at a pre-
I MUM now. and contractors who are dig
ging foundations in the proper kind of
soil can turn many an honest
penny by disp0sing Of it in cart
loads to the young court makers
! who are anxious for a proper "sur-
face" As always, the greater num-
Der Of new courts are being built by the
/ youngsters in the suburbs Of the city. In
the afternoon, after school hours, groups
Of boys may be seen on almost every lot
that lends itself to the purpose, deIving
digging. and raki1g the ground. It takes
a good deal Of labor to put ground into
shape. and IS a rule tennis club mem
bership is large because many pairs of
hands to labor are needed. Some capital
must be put up too, for after the manual
labor of Spreading the dirt has been COM
pleted a man with roller must be hired
10 roll the court The recent rainy period
has materially jlteTfered with the court
builders, but within a few days the cry
Of ''Fifteen-aII-- Love thirty" and the
thud Of the rubber ball against the rae
quet viii be heard in nearly every block
Of the residence portion of the city. Ac-
I cCrding to the forecasts OF sporting ex-
perts- this VIII probably be banner year
for tennis
There Is a good deal in being the driv-
! er Of one of these electric machines, said
! an automobile man yesterday. He was
one Of the first to take up the new bust
ness, and has his stand in front Of an up
town hotel a man who has driven d
nigEt liner for six years. as I have, car
/ understand what q soft snap this IS II
! the first place the man who runs an aU-
tOmObiIe has better standing That counts
a lot. especially with man who has nev-
CT had any When you are a nighttime
| hacznan, everybody thinks you are q
robber and d thief. If you ask q quarter
for driving a dozen miles your fare
viii think you are trying. to get the best
Of him. and win swear at you and cal
you a highwayman- Since I've been wear
| ing this grey uniform and cap, l don't
! have any trouble that way The man who
| hiT. the vehicle pays the fare I ask. and
| II he has any complaint TO make he makes
! It &c the company There is nothing 81
/ hard on man as driving a night liner
! Ii is the worst business for exposing {
man to all kinds of bad weather that
know. Rain, snow, sIeet. and wind. its
| and you have to handle the Teins and bf
| up and dan from your box tending the
/ horse ~ this machine there is none
! Of that trouble My big rubber cape coy
! ers me, arms and all. and ] am dry II
/ rain or snow. / don't have to get on Tny
( box and can wrap myself up and stay
! warm The little heat from the accumU.