The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-04-16
HISTORY BUILDERS.
An Amusing Anecdote of Senator
David B. He'll.
Cwritten Expressly for The Herald)
ny DIR. Il. }. EDWARDS.

4
| written Expressly for The Herald.)
ny DIR. Il. J. EDWARDS.
When David B. Hill was governor Of
New York State he found mental re-
taxation and intellectual delight in en-
overlooked the Hudson River. men Of
intellectual power and of learning not
merely in the field OF politics and states
manship. but also In that of science. He
was a charming host those who were
able to speak informingIy uron any sub
| jsct which related TO the growth and
development OF the United States. He
was fond also OF hearing discussions
Respecting some OF the grea- men In pub
lie life, both across the sea and In the
United States.
After Mr.. Hill be-ame a United States
Senator he discovered tina. although GER
tain customs OF the Senate made II ex-
pedient for him to participate In the
| social life OF the Capital. as he was a
bachelor and occupied inconspicuous
apartments he was not expected 10 do
any entertaining himself.
After two or three experiences as q
guest at dinner parties Senator Hill
found that entertainment OF this kind
paIled upon him greatly. Thereafter he
declined all invitations excepting those
which certain considerations Of courteous
obligations made II necessary for him TO
accept.
Among the intimate friends whom SEN
ator Hill gained and whose friendship he
kept while governor OF New York was
Edward q. Riggs, now an executive on
Ger Of the New Haven Railroad system.
Recently Mr.. Riggs narrated to me an
amusing experience he had In Senator
] HIS apartment at Washington about
two years after ehe after took his seat.
II had occasion to call upon Senator
Hill and went TO his room at an hour
fixed by him. at about 10 o'clock In the
evening said Mr.. Riggs. II thought
should find him at work, for he was one
Of the most industrious of workers, hav-
ing an especial facility for the analysis
OF statistics and the looking Up OF law
cases
ne was not in when / called and. as
knew he expected me. l decided 10
| wait until he came. I took up a book
and began to read to pass the time. Per-
haps half an hour had gone by when l
heard the Senator coming in. He saw
me. but said nothing. ! realized that he
was highly irritated. He took OF his
overcoat and flung IL upon the floor.
Then he took of his dress coat and dis
posed of II in the same manner. Then
he actually trampled upon these two
garments.
After he had done SO he looked p at
me with a faint smile and gave me
cordial greeting. asking me to pardon
the irritation which he had shown SO
forcibly.
He said: have been to one Of those
dismal dinner parties. have sat three
hours listening to twiddle-tw addle-
would gladly have sat for six hours If
I could have heard anything worth lis
| tening to. / won't tell you where I have
! been. but il was swell house. / have
! lost three hours in listening to this pin
| feather talk. Why can't men and women
who have at least average intelligence,
when they set together around a dinner
table, talk OF things that are worth
while? / presume there are houses in
| Washington where the conversation at
( these formal feasts = worth listening to-
hut il hasn't been my good fortune to
! be invited TO any = them. IL there be
| any.
You saw me t~-ow my clothes upon
the floor. l did that partly 10 give vent
| to my irritation over those wasted three
hours and partly to emphasize a VOW that
I made this evening that hereafter l
should decline all invitations to Wash
inEton dinner parties.
The Senator got over that after
while" Mr.. Riggs continued. He IS
covered that there were places In Wash
irCton where a guest could be charmed
and enlightened by the conversation
which took place around a dinner table"
| lCopyrsht. 1914. by Z ]. EdEArds. All rights
srrvedD
Tomorrow Dr Edwards will relate "A
Curious Instance Of the Working OF