The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-06-30
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

The South has few women so repre-
sentative and charming as Mrs Virginia
Clay Clopton, Of Huntsville, Ala. She is
the widow Of Clement c. Clay jr. a
member Of the Confederate cabinet and a
/ co-prisoner with jefferson Davis when
that fallen chleftain saw his little repub-
lie crumble and was cent into humlliating
/ confinement to bear the burden Of a lost
cause. Mrs, Ciopt0n lived in Washington
many years, and her memory is rich in
stories Of the great men and the clever
women who formed the social world Of
/ that period. Her richest "reminiscences
are Of the time when Andrew Johnson
was President, and 50 completely under
the dominion of Secretary Stanton that
the Presidential orders were not even
worth the paper they were written on
when presented at Fort Monroe as pass
ports for her 70 visit her husband
She once made a most daring invasion
Of the White House TO demand admission
to Fort Monroe. and added a rather in
teresting paragraph to history by openly
accusing Mr. Johnson Of having no power
in his own Office and Of being afraid Of
/ Secretary Stanton. The President never
denied the accusation, but mildly sug-
sested that she write down the various
grievances she had against the govern
ment and he would read them al the next
meeting Of the Cabinet Mrs. Clay Waxed
wroth over this and refused 10 comply
with the suggestion. saying: 4 will come
and read It myself, If you will only say
so: then I viii know il was read" Her
perseverance finally won her permission
TO see her husband, but her contempt for
Johnson never waned, and her hate for
Stanton's unfair methods never cooled.
a friend was pointing out 10 Soup
tor Charles H Niehaus the fact thar
his name did not appear IN the book con-
cering the statue Of John J. Ingalls,, Of
which Congress ordered $500 copies pub
llshed and distributed. 1t is considered
the best piece Of portraiture that Mr.
Niehaus has done. and is one Of the char
acteristic works In the Capitol That Is
not so bad as IL might have been" COM
placently replied the sighted genius, Eve
sculpt0rs are used % some pretty hard
knocks. The hardest one that I ever had
was when the Garfield statue was IN
veiled in Cincinnati. which, by the way.
Is my home city. ] had been invited by
the committee iu charge Of the arrange
meuts % ride IN one OF the carriages in
the procession. but did not think
would quite Ike that, so ] sauntered down
% where the statue was. ! found that
had forgotten my card 10 the speakers
stand and when ] went near To the
statue I was ordered away by police
man. I kept up my inspection. and when
the fellow got too iHsistent, ! told him
quietly who ! was, He laughed az ne.
got rather impu5cut. and when J refused
20 move be uplf-ed his club 70 strike me
lie was only prevented from doing SO by
the interference Of q friend who had been
watching the proceedings. But for the
timely Interference I might have landed
IN jail for looking al my own work.
The public hears cor family Of the phi
lanthropy Of Mr.. Andrew Carnegie. but
the good works Of hts friend and lifelong
partner, 1Ir. Henry Phipps, are not so
widely heralded. The people OF Pittsburg
lovingly refer % him as "the flower man, Do
on account Of his splendid charities in
the way Of public conservatories- The
most important conservatory donated By
Mr. Phipps is the one in Schenely Park
II is the largest greenhouse in the United
States. The walks. without doubling upon
themselves. are nearly a mile IN length.
The original building was erected twelve
years ago az q cost Of $4,000, but new
buildings are added every year. The
latest addition is the cactus house, where
every known variety Of this strange plant
is being carefully assembled. Upward of
le1I0 people visit the conservatory in a
single day during the frequent exhibi-
tons. MI PhipIs himself sometimes joins
the crowd. and IS found bending over
some new rare flower as If he had never
seen the like before. He has provided
classr00ms in the heart OF the woodland.
where the children in the botany classes
may pursue their studies in the early
spring His flower charities have also
extended 20 the slUms, and even to the
penlteutiaries. His most recent beuefac-
ton is q gift Of S.0lo.009 for a great tuber-
cuIosis sanatorium for the State Of Penn
sylvania,