The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-07
SOME WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
ATTORNEY GENERAL KNOWS FA-
NOUS TRoTTERs.

SEOW0 mat 10 sec MFNs
Mckinley GO and Return From
Her Daily Drive-The Gossip About
the BetrothaI of Some Well
known PeopIe-Report That Mil
Iionaire Whitney's Son Is Engaged
to the Daughter of the Secretary
of state-The Two Women in the
United States who Have the Privi-
Iege of Sending Their Letters
Free Through the MaiIs-Where
Some of the Prominent People
viii Spend the Summer-Other
Matters of General Interest.
Washington, D. c., July 3.-with the
thirty-year record of the Weather Blu
reau broken, all to bits by this sizzling,
scorching. death dealing heat-hospitals
crowded with Frustrated victims. ambu-
lances Gathering through the streets on
their errands of mercy. and no relief in
sght--the human mind is not in the mood
for tackling erudite subjects. If one
reads at all, it must be of ''trifies light
as air." which may be taken en- ham,
mock, between sips of something cold.
Hence this chapter of GUNNER gossip,
cleaned from diverse sources for readers
of the Morning News.
So far. the only July sensation at the
Capital has been the debut of Attorney
General Knox's famous team of trotters.
named IVAN Vert and DIR. Leek." for
which he recently paid twelve thousand
dollars. The superb pair is one of the
Will iohf Ell oh of no fachinn a
nues, for-like the Lord in the Garden of
Eden, they walk abroad only lin the cool
Of the day." Mr.. Knox owns many
blooded horses, but will bring none of
the others here until October. This par
ticular team is now famed throughout the
ures on the record-pole. Mr.. Knox takes
great pride in the fact that ne trained
the animals himself. With them he
drove the record-mile at Brunot Park
and lowered by two seconds the best
time hitherto made. Entire nous
Doesn't it seem rather unlike 1.-THE merci-
full man" of the Scriptures to put any
of his beasts to unnecessary exertion in
such weather as this. when, even cold
blooded cats are hugging the ice-box, in
stead of their usual warmest and sunni
est corners? The intense heat has
brought out a remarkable assortment of
equine head-gear, the most ridiculous of
which is the straw hat, exactly like those
women wear at the sea-shore, except that
the horse-hat has a large round hole at
each side, bound with red or blue tape,
through which a tall ear protrudes. OF
course these equine bonnets were con-
trived to hide and hold in place a mois-
tened sponge; but the average darkey
driver, who delights in color and orna-
mentation, considers them purely decora-
tive and adrns them with bedraggled rib
bons and plumes and paper roses, until
King Solomon in all his glory was never
so gorgeously arrayed. But the sponge
is forgotten altogether. Some of our
colored geniuses have rugged up old dere-
licts of Grand Army and other soft
felt hats-end the tipsy, Tapping. rakist
effect of these can be better imagined
than described. Among tradesmen's
horses of the better class the prevailing
style calls for a wire frame, over which
cotton has been stretched. They admit
of considerable variety in form and color,
and even in ornamentation, with ruffied
braid and other gewgaws. Stylish equines
OF the Questionable quarter are wear
ing wicker bonnets. covered with soft
silk in green or yellow; or expensive "cre-
atoms in duck and white leather. After
all, there is nothing better than the hon.
est country cabbage-leaf, tied on with a
string-as the horse would tell you IL he
could; or good big bath-sponge, wetted
anew at every watering-trough.
Since it has become generally under
stood that Mrs. Mckinley will go for a
drive every pleasant morning when the
weather is not too hottie bridal parties
and gangs of tourists, whom. like the
poor we have Away have fallen into
the bad habit of crowding around the
White House door waiting for her to
come out; and when she does appear,
they stare at the gentlewoman as at any
other public show they have paid to see,
sometimes even making audible comments
on her looks" upon how much she has
failed during the recent illness, and her
probable chances for pulling through.
The natural result has been to so upset
Mrs. McKinley's nerves that the hoped
for benefit of the ride was lost. The 9TH
er morning, while the Presidents car
rfage was waiting under a big shady tree
in curve of the driveway. a group of
young men and women tourists-evidently
New England school teachers enjoying
their vacation-collected close by to get
a glimpse of the First Lady OF the Land.
Mrs. Mckinley was late that day, and
for nearly an hour they waited; and all
that time one pretty school ma'am, with
small kodak stood alert with her
eyes on the north portal and her cam
era half hidden under a cape. as II she
feared detection. Finally. when In re-
Spouse to a signal. the driver smartly
brought his team to the portico, the
young woman, now fairly tense with ex-
citement, got all ready for the fatal
snap. But just as Mrs. Mckinley APP
peared at the entrance one of the men
of the party-a homely but whole-souled-
looking fellow in blue serge, deliberately
placed himself In front of the would-be
photographer; and there he staid. i'm
movable as a rock until the invalid was
off on her drive Then he pulled off his
straw hat and apologized, Il humbly beg
your pardon. Miss B; but they say she
is quite sensitive and nervous. If she
had happened to catch you at it her ride
might have been spoiled
The latest gossip in the line OF runnor-
ed betrothals, of which nothing is known
for certain" connects Miss Helen Hay
the poetess daughter of the Secretary
OF State, and Mr.. Payne Whitney, son of
Mr.. William c.. Whitney. of the Cleve-
land cabinet Everybody is giving hearty
approval TO the current report and hop
ing that IL is true. There Is little TO base