The Washington herald., 1908-02-22

SENATE chamber was the center OF IN
terest. and the reporters who congregated
there were comfortably accommodated In
the single row OF seats, or. rather stools.
In narrow gallery over the chairs now
occupied by the Supreme Court
The correspondents. though small in
numbers. were rather notable lot. Fore
most among them were Francis J. Grund.
the Observer of the Philadelphia
Ledger, and TX" Of the Baltimore Sun,
and Eliab Kingman, Ion" OF the Sun.
The Ledger and the Sun have always had
from that day 20 the present very able
Washington correspondents. They were
small-sized. four-page penny papers. and
had 10 economize every inch OF space and
boil down matter TO its essence. Their
Washington letters we're limited TO a
third or half a column each. but they
were meaty and attracted more attention
and had more weight than the more
wordy letters CT other writers.
Grund was the Blowitz OF his day. A
man OF varied accomplishments. a pun
gent writer. a fine linguist. a brilliant
conVersationalist, he was able TO make
himself welcome in all the social po-
litical. and diplomatic circles. Stout, oily.
smiling, viyscious. he was great con-
trast TO his colleague, Eliab Kingman,
who was tall and spare, with shaggy eye
brows and Of Tndian-like gravity and
reticence. Kingnan lived out Fourteenth
street, In what was then the country, in
a cottage buried in a perfect jungle of
trees and bushes. II Is now the resi-
denee Of Mr.. c. c. willard
"sauxnEe sawyer
William +. Robinson. "Richelleu'' OF the
New York Tribune, a tall. raw-boned,
sandy-haired figure. was the hero just
then Of droll contest for the privileges
of the press against the privileges of the
House Robinson. in letter 20 the Tri-
bune. had made q pen picture OF the lunch
habits OF Hon. William Sawyer, Of Ohio,
as follows:
Every day al , o'clock he feeds About
that hour he is seen leaving his seat, and
taking his position In the window back
OF the Speakers chair to the left he un-
folds a greasy paper. in which is con-
tained chunk OF bread and sausage or
some other unctuous substance. Then he
disposes OF them rapidly-wipes his hands
with the greasy paper for napkin. and
throws IL out of the window What little
grease is left on his hands he wipes on
his almost-bald head for pOTnatum; his
mouth sometimes. his coat sleeves and
pantaloons being used for a napkin. lie
uses tacknife FOR toothpick.
On the appearance Of this letter Mr.
BFinkerhon, OF Ohio. moved TO exclude
the reporters and letter writer's from the
privileges OF the seats and desks on the
floor Of the House. The resolution was
adopted by a vote of lIs 10 as
John Quincy Adams then left his seat,
and. taking tie arm Of Mr.. Robinson. es-
corted him 20 the ladies' gallery, over the
Speakers chair, where strangers were
admitted on the introduction OF a mea-
Der OF the House Ard thereafter MIR
Adams. or some other n ember. would. on
Mr.. Robinson's appearance. take him by
the arm and accompany him to the gal
lery, greatly 10 the disgust OF Mr.. Sawyer
and his friends. but very much 10 the
amusement Of the spectators.
In later years Robinson was elected a
member OF the House from which he was
expelled His adversary went by the
name OF Sausage Sawyer" for the rest
OF his life.
Some of the BustIers
One OF the hustiers OF the press gang
was DR. Wallis-the Doctor" Of the New
York Herald. who furnished Congress
sionsl proceedings, political ehit-ehst. aar
wrote on the jump and up 20 the last mo-
ment 20 catch the mail.
James Gordon Bennett. who wrote
Washington letters for the New York
Courier and Enquirer in 1sg7-3S. claimed
to have inaugurated a new system OF
newspaper correspondence.
He says. using the editorial we" Of the
time:
We we're the first 70 give the business
or letter-writing its present light and
amusing character. Before that period a
Washington letter writer simply gave the
dull details OF both Houses the abstracts
OF reports or a few sketches Of the
speakers"
His correspondents for the Herald evil
IDENTIFY were instructed 10 write in the
same vein.
Another hard-wo-king reporter was
EraSIus Brooks, writing for the New
York Express, owned by his brother
James Brooks. and in which he after
ward had partnership. He was short
sighted. and wrote with his head close 10
his paper, never pausing in his work and
turning out an immense amount OF copy.
The correspondents of that day. whose
names We're familiar as household words.
are now dead and almost forgotten. l be-
lieye that l am the only person living
who wrote Washington letters as long
ago as 1s4s
The Press Gallery In 1850.
The correspondents increased in num-
bers year by year. but did not get an Of
fetal status in the Congressional Direc-
tory until 1860, when the following list.
with an assignment OF seats, appeared in
the directory for the first session Of the
Thirty-sixth Congress:
S. p. Hsnscom. New York Herald
ID. w Bartlett, Springfield Republican.
n Davidson, New York Courier and
Enquirer
A J. Marsh. National InteIIlgencer.
James o. ClephRRe, Washington Even
ing Star.
Ben: PerIey Poore. Boston Journal.
c. W. Adams, Washington States and
Union
l. A. Gobright. Associated Press.
c. G. Halpine, New York Times.
J. J. Coombs. Washington Republic.
w f. Carne, Alexandria Gazette.
James E. Harvey. Philadelphia North
American.
Stephen Hayes. New York Herald
F. W. Walker Washington Evening
Express.
John Savage, Philadelphia Press.
NJ. NJ. Noah. Alta California.
E. A. Pollard, Charleston Mercury
J. l.. Elliott, New York Observer.
A. D. Banks. Cincinnati Enquirer.
Moses Bates, Boston Post
w. Robertson. New York Day Book.
L. J. O'CoHnor. Charleston Courier,
A. II. Markland. Louisville Courier.
L. A. Whitley. Baltimore Clipper.
L. K. Pangborn. Boston Atlas.
A. b. Johnson, Boston Traveller
w NJ. Watson, Petersburg InteIIigencer.
Joseph Medill. Chicago Press and Tri-