The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-10
ANECDOTES CONCERNING
 THE LATE THOS. B. REED


 Reed to delivering himself on woman's suffrage.
 The death of Mir. Reed removes the last Of the famous Maine quartette in the house which had so large a share in na- tional legislation for so many years The state of Maine, with only four repfesen- tatives and two senators, had an influence on public affairs out cf all proportion to Ter size owing to the high character of her representation No state was so strong, and the difference between Maine. with her four representatives, and New York and Pennsylvania, the greatest states in the union. with their sixty-two V as a common theme for political critiea The four Maine men were Reed, Boutelle Dingley and M'lliken.
 Within five years all have passed away. Mir MilliSen died in 1884, MT. Dingley in 1899. and Mir. Boutelle in 1901 MT Reed resigned from congress in 1899. MT. Hale and MT. Frye are still left in the senate, where they continue to exert Maine's old influence. MT. Frye is president pro tenn of that body. The two senators entered the house of representatives in Blaine's day, Mir. Hale coming in 1869 and MT. Frye in 1871. Both entered the senate in 1881, MT. Frye to succeed Blaine and MT. Hale to succeed Hamlin. Blaine succeeded William Pitt Fessenden. The mere mention of the names is sufficient to show Maine's importance in the sen ate for forty years.
 In 1S97 just before the breaking up of the house quartette began, each of the four Maine men was so placed as to be a power. MT. Reed was the speaker Mir. Dingley was chairman of the ways and means committee, and was about to begin his labors on the tariff law which bears his name. MT. Boutelle was chair man of the naval affairs committee, and MT Milliken of the public buildings com nlttee. In the senate Mir Frye was as ne still is, president pro tenn. The power or Maine has been considerably dimin- lshed, but the men who have been elect ca to succeed the great quartette are re- spected and influential in their ways, and are gradually making themselves felt.
 One element in the fame of Maine Is her persistence in keeping her men in congress year after year, so that they are sure to 'learn the business" and rise if they have anything in them. One of the new quartette, MT. Littlefeld, al- ready has come to the front, and made himself man of national prominence He accomplished this feat in the first congress, making his name known over the country before he had been a member more than few months. This is an achievement so rare as to be almost un- known, and it's difficulty cannot be ap- preciated outside of Washington.
 Some of MT. Reeds epigrams are too well known to need more than a pass ing mention. Such, for instance was his famous designation of the Springer bills to amend the tariff peacemeal in- stead of by one general revision as ''pop- gun bills" Another was his widely quoted retort to MT. Springer when that states man declared that he would rather be right than be President
 ''The gentleman will never be either"
 He had talent for stinging and compre- hensive epigram. Discourslng on the work of the democratic house at the close of the session of 1902 he said
 The present house has avoided it's op- portunities and shirked it's duties, and has led a gelatineous life, to the scorn of all vertebrate animals"
 Another of his lampoons on the demo- cratic party was this: 'I have known the democratic party for thirty years, and I have never known a moment in which 1t could be photographed in any attitude except that of it can't be done.'"
 MT. Reed had fallen off in flesh great deal of late years. When he was in con- gress he was a tremendous man physical. ly. One day during his speakership in the last year of MT. Cleveland's admin istration, a friend said to him:
 How much do you weigh?'
 q weigh 200 pounds said MT. Reed
 -'Oh, you weigh more than that" was the surprised reply You must weigh nearly 300 pounds"
 "No," said the speaker with an air of finality NO gentleman weighs more than 200 pounds
 As a rule MT. Reed was in the habit of walking from the capitol to the Shore ham hotel, a distance of about a mile a nd a hal IfC hic nd 1,f bering, swinging, saior-like walk were familiar sights along the avenue. Never a halt did he make till he reached the corner of Fifteenth and F streets, where he used to stop and buy an evening pa- per from Annie the old woman who is one of the characters of the capital. He would chat with Annie, and then pro- ceed to the hotel
 When it Is stated that he did not stop an exception must be made At the very beginning of the walk he used to drop in at the queer old curiosity shop at the foot of the capitol kept by a quaint old character named Guild. Guild is taci- turn old man who seems to resent the presence of customers and who sells his curios as a favor Reed used to spend hours there, delving among the old books. magazines and engravings watched with a suspicious eye by the old man. One day he picked up two fine engravings of Oliver Cromwell andf asked how much they were
 Five dollars, MT. Reed,'' said Guild.
 'Oh, you know who l am," said Reed; 'that is why you charge me such an outrageous price,"
 Its five dollars to you and five dol- lars to anybody else," growled the old eccentric. That's my price,
 Reed went away, but he came back the next day and asked Guild again how much he wanted for the engravings.
 You know the price," grumbled Guild, end would say no more, He refused to answer any of MT. Reeds arguments, and the speaker went away defeated.
 Months rassed, and every day the perse- vering statesman dropped in and asked the price. The answer always was, You know the price," and after that Guild locked himself up in silence and made no answer to the statesman's protests. MT. Reed had met an antagonist he could not overcome. At last one day, after three mcnths of daily visits, he walked in with cut a word, took up the engravngs and banded Guild $5. Guild took then, without a word
 Mr. Reed used to go in there daily after that He struck up an acquaintance with the old man and seemed to enjoy his ec- oentricity as much as he dids the queer. tumblo-dcwn old store with it's huddled stock
 Sarcastic himself, MT. Reed appreciated a joke at bis own expense Here is a story that has never seen the daylight of Irint, and it Illustrates how well he liked witticism even if he was its target One day he was browsing in Guilds dngy