The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-03-09
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial correspondence.l

4 LEW SSAH VI uumOT Incorporated 1uLt
| the sacred pages of the Record. Nov
whenever statesman gets off some
thing pretty good his friends predic
that his defeat in the next elections /:
certain. There is j. Adam Bede OF
Minnesota, for example. j. Adam ha:
been for numerous years one of The
| shining funny men in congress. Il
has been impossible to pass even ali
appropriation bill without some side
| splitting thing from him being EN-
balmed in the Record.
House Loses Humorfst.
The house after March A will lose
also man who Is regarded as one OF
the really greatest humorists that
body has ever known. John Sharp
Williams of Mississippi is master OF
sarcasm, but the streak of genuine
American humor which runs through
his intellect gives to every utterance
he makes a charm which sets even
his enemies laughing.
Here is humorist who in the time
between his departure from the house
and his entrance into the senate in
tends to write life Of Thomas Jeffer-
son. His successor as minority leader,
Champ Clark of Missouri, is one of
the noted wits of the house. He will
be in the next congress, of course,
and may be expected to make lively
many dry debate. The Tits of hui
NOR between Clark and General Gros-
cf nhin
man, afforded amusement for many
generations of solons.
PoI<es Fun at Democrats.
Cushman of Washington is one Of
the professional humorists of the
house About twice a year he rises
in his place and delivers stump
speech which simply doubles the Hon
Serene Payne into knot. 1t is a
speech full of witticism at the ex-
pense of the Democratic party, and as
Mr.. Cushman is long and lean and SOL
emn looking he always makes a hit.
His friends say he spends sometimes
as much as eight or nine weeks pre-
pairing one of his funny stunts.
Old Time Funmakers.
The late Speaker Reed Of Maine was
one of the greatest humorists who
ever served in the house, and his sto-
ries are still going the rounds, credit
ed to him, too, which is unusual, years
after his death.
On one occasion Reed was walking
downtown one morning on his way to
the capitol 1t was a cold April day.
and he had on rather summerish
suit. He was forcing the season"
AT a side street there hailed him a
member from another state whom
Reed couldn't bear. Reed tried to
hurry past, but the congressman hail
ed him
II see you've got on your Atlantic
City suit" shouted the unwelcome
one
YES" replied Reed, "and now 1
guess I'll have bored walk"
Thad Stevens Generosity.
The good old humorists of the early
days seem to be passing. There are
few men now in congress who can be
put In the same class with Sunset"
Cox or Thad Stevens. Old Thad had
a fine sense of humor. One day dur
ing the civil war, the burden of which
he was carrying on his shoulders, he
stepped into one of the gambling dens
which infested Washington on his
way to- the capitol He won couple
of hundred dollars at faro bank and
then. accompanied by friend, resum-
ed his way to the house.
Just as he, was about to go into the
building there hailed him delegation
of Quakers from his native state,
Pennsylvania. They wanted him to
make a contribution for a worthy
charity up Harrisburg way and had
come to Washington to obtain small
donation from him. Old Thad dug
into his pocket, pulled out the 5000
the faro dealer had showed over to
Him and handed 1t to the chair
man of the delegation The Quakers
were loud in their thanks. Finally
they bowed themselves away, over
whelmed with his generosity. Old
Thad turned to his companion and
said:.
God moves in mysterious way his
wonders to perform"
New House For MIR. Root.
Ex-Secretary EIihu Root, now sena-
tor elect from New York, has purchas-
ed for about $4,000 a large building
lot in Sixteenth street, between L and
M streets, ON which be intends to
erect a handsome home. 1t is said
that Carrere & Hastings of New York,
who designed Mr.. Roots New York
home, will make the plans. The house
now occupied by Mr.. Root in this city
Is the property of former Vice Presi-
dent Levi p. Morton.
Three millions For Parks.
In order to allow the layout of the
extensions of the national capital
with parks and broad avenues along
lines similar to those in L'Enfant's
original plan of the city, Commission
er Macfarland said the other day that
congress should give the commissions
ers lump sum appropriation Of 49,
100000 to be used in the purchase of
park lands that will be required by
the growth Of the capital during the
next century.
A comprehensive plan for the ex-
tension of the city, he said, has been
outlined by the commissioners. This
includes provisions for parks, circles
and other breathing spaces, such az
have added much to the beauty of
that part of the city laid out by Major
L'Enfant. AS the city grows. he said,
the land required for parks In the