Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-13

editorial chief Col. Henry Watterson of
the Courier-Journal He says:
las one who began his newspaper career
in the press gallery at Washington, 1 go
back a long way, and have kept up my
connection, Kind of honorary membership
ever since; 50 that, when in Washington, l
am nowhere so happy or so much at home,
as when l slip into my old seat and look
down upon the familiar scene. 1t is not
much changed since the completion of the
Capitol, nearly forty. years ago. In my
day John W. Forney was cock-of-th e-walk
and not infrequently we had the Hon Hor-
ace Greeley, Gen. James Watson Webb
and Mr.. James Gordon Bennett for visit
Ors. They sat in the press gallery along
side the rest of us, and took notes! ="
None of my contemporaries remain in ac-
tUal harness. OF those who are yet alive
| recall only George Alfred Townsend
Frank Richardson, Crosby S. Moves and
Col. w Is. Shaw, John NJ. Carson and
Nhitelaw Reid, and Horace White came
after me The messy marbles rest upon a
graveyard of my colleagues. OF the present
members OF the press gallery | have not
had the happiness to know as much as l
should like TO know; but l dare say they
Keep up the old traditions able, beautiful
ana yirtuous, Just as we used to be-
Col Steaiey came to Washington at the
short session of the Forty-seVenth Con-
sresS. The only newspaper men in the
press gallery of the Fifty-eighth Congress E"
ne says. who We're also in the gallery Of
The Forty-seventh. are John Boyle, John NJ
carson, Robert NJ. Larner. w. c. MacBride
W. b. Shaw and the author" Major Car
son mas lately Withdrawn from his active
newspaper work to accept a government no
sltlon, and thus the list is further dimin-
iShed.
In these recoIlections. Col. SteaIey pays
especial attention TO the sequence of politi-
cal events, as observed from the galleries
OF the two houses He treats in senarate
chapters OF The Washington Correspond
ent. The Members of Congress " -'.,rhe
Work and Pay of a Congressman" The
I.lu
AT the White House." The Private Sec-
rotary aud The City of Washington He
then passes TO chronological treatment
OF the work OF the ten Conyressas which
he has reported, wildly reciting tba cir
Curnstances attending the passage of the
Morrison and Mills tariff bills the 6ebt
over the Reed rules and the counting of
a quorum by Mr.. Reed; the passage az
the Mckinley bill the Silcott theft the
struggle for the enactment of a demo-
cratic tariff bill which was launched under
lLe name or the Wilson bill, but was later
80 changed as to almost lose its identity;
the succession on the statute books of ths
Ding!ey tariff law; the dramatic scenes
amid which the war with Spain was de-
ciared by Congress.
In his rendition of this account OF the
legislative work of q fifth of a century
Col. Stealey has, with discriminating iude-
ment, quoted from the official records to give
the language Of eminent speakers in Congress
IN times OF great excitement over important
issues His own "reminiscences, however
constitute the most attractive portion of
the work. Anecdotes and scraps Of talks
with the leaders of legislation are inter-
Spersed 70 give the book a distinct personal
flavor, which can be impaired only by one
who has been in the thick of the congress
sional battle for years.
A unique feature OF the volume IS the
second part, which comprises a series of
brief. pithy and ably written character
sketches OF upward of seventy-fiYe of the
most eminent men OF national affairs who
have inquired IN the legislative field during
these two decades now past. II is un-
necessary TO repeat the list, which en-
braces practically all of the men who have
done and played the conspicuous parts in
the national drama in this period The
sketches have been written for this vol
ume work by the authors colleagues of
the press gallery. These men have had
direct personal acquaintance with their sub
jects. and their contributions are of per-
manent value In preserving intimate recol-
lections OF the men of affairs who have
shaped the national destinies during these
twenty years Col. Stealey himself con-
tributes sketches of Champ Clark Francis
w CockreH Robert r. Hit. James b. Nc
Creary, Benton McMillin, John H Reagan
Henry NJ. Teller and Edward o. Wolcott
He adds an entertaining bit relative to two
men who are not legislators, yet whose
names are perhaps more widely known in
this field than those of n third of the sit
ting members of Congress. These are
Ainsworth r. SpOfrord for many years
librarian of Congress. and William R.
Smith. the superintendent of the botanic
gardens.
The volume is admirably illustrated with
excellent hahf-tone portraits and reproduce
tions of clever cartoons by Mr.. Clifford K.
Bergman.
Taken altogether Col. Stealeys book is
contribution to be welcomed 1t refreshes
the memory of men and events, and II sets
forth In vivid style the elements which en-
ter into the work Of the newspaper CORE