Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-15

BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE.
Minor scenes aud sketched
on the spot.
Considerable interest and gossip have
been aroused in the national capital over
the proposed sale Of tapestries presented
to General Phillip Sheridan some twenty
years ago. Mrs, Irene r. Sheridan. widow
Of the general, and General Michael sheri-
dan, brother. as executors and trustees OF
the estate. have decided to sell the tapes
tries and have removed them from the Ma
tionsl museum. The tapestries are from
the Pitt gallery at Florence. They are OF
Flemish design, in four pieces, and are said
to be worth about $4,000. The late John w.
Mackay. acting for a group Of the famous
cavalry leaders friends, purchased and pre-
scented them to General Sheridan. Now
they are to be converted into cash.
About the time that the tapestries were
given to General Sheridan his friends gave
him as an additional present a deed to the
brick residence at the corner of Rhode
Island avenue and Seventeenth street, in
which Mrs. Sheridan and her daughters now
reside. Mrs. Sheridan has decided to part
with the house also, and recently sold 1t,
for several thousand dollars more than
General Sheridan's friends paid for It,, to
clifford Pnchot, chief Of the forestry di-
vision Of the Agricultural department,
whose handsome residence adloins it on the
east. The sale Of the house and tapestries
became necessary in order to settle up the
estate. which could not be done until
Young Phil" the youngest child, became
OF age. He is a cadet at West Point, hav-
ing been appointed by President Mckinley,
and recently attained his majority. Mrs.
| Sheridan will build a more commodious
house In the neighborhood Of the old one.
"Is it solid gold9"
The eager questioner was q country
woman, a member of a large party which a
railroad agent was plotting through the east
room at the White House, relates the
Washington Times. She pointed to the
plano with the gold-leaf coating as she
asked the question
The guide attempted to evade the wo-
mans question by referring to the seals Of
the thirteen Original states which adorn the
sides of the instrument, and explained thai
It is the 100 OOOth plano manufactured by a
prominent American firm.
rs it solid gold2" the woman interposed.
stll the guide did not answer. You will
notice that there are thirteen settees in
this room, one for each of the original
states" he continued.
But 1 want to know whether the piano
is solid gold" the woman insisted.
mo, madam, it is not solid gold" the
guide remarked with a slight display Of
temper.
HUH" the woman retorted. I've seen
calliopes that looked better and I'd hoped
that II had value to recommend II. When
there's only one real piece of furniture in a
q room of this size a person sort of expects
that it'll be worth while coming to see. l
can't find anything fine about this room
but the view you get from the south
windows"
Charles H. Robb, assistant attorney gen.
eral Of the postof1ce department. has a
fund Of apt stories, which he tells with
considerable effect. He was asked the
other day regarding the status of some
matter in connection with the postoffice
frauds. Il don't care to say just at present.
1t might put ms in the position of an old
country justice whom 1 knew once. He
nearly always had a strong opinion re-
garding cases that came before him. One
day after he had decided an issue he
walked downtown with one Of the liti-
giants. The latter was asked by a friend
how he had come out in court. W. won
all right said the old justice before tbs
plaintiff had time to
The supreme court OF the United States
does business on an antiquated plan. While
1t is undoubtedly the most dignihed body
OF men in this country, II not in the world,
It has its peculiarities and they are strik-
ing ones. One OF the traditions of the court
prevents newspaper correspondents from
/ affopdfn0 the aaaaIon of the rottrt In fhaiY
professional capacity. Provision is made
for a representative Of each of the great
press associations, but the correspondent
have to push and crowd In behind the rear
railing with the hundreds of other specta-
tors. Usually they have to stand up. and ii
they are seen taking notes an attendant
escorts them TO the door. The result is
that the 200 or more correspondents have
to depend on their memory for their re.
ports of proceedings in the supreme court
room.
There is another court custom which pre-,
vents correspondents from seeing the opin,
ions handed down until they have secured
authority from the judges who severally
deliver them from the bench. This au.
thority is not always given, the judge ex.
ercising his own discretion about It. Mo-
infrequently the correspondent has to &c
to the home of the Judge to get the writ
ten authority, and perhaps by the time h,
gets back to the capitol the office OF the
clerk of the court Is closed.
A tall, slim man boarded a street car II
I Washington wearing a rather hashy look
ing getup, consisting OF checked suit. tar
shoes and straw hat with a flaming rec
I band around II. The conductor disapproveS
Z OF him audibly. saying among other things
: Them dudes makes me tired" II,
watched his passenger get OF at the British
, consulate, but refused to modify his opin
, lon when Informed that the tall man wa
! Sir Michael Herbert. King Edwards am
bassador to the United States.
a Personal NOTES.
! Or, Frank Gallard OF Paris is in Bostoi
. as a representative of the French govern
ment to inspect some of the textile I'm