EDWARD CLARK. 
291 
lover of music and a flute-player from his youth up, he was 
a student and collector of its scores and literature, and left 
to his descendants probably one of the largest private mu¬ 
sical collections in Washington. 
Possessing withal an excellent memory and a minute 
knowledge of every historical and interesting detail of the 
great, complex Capitol building and its contents, he was al¬ 
ways able to call up facts and incidents to enrich and render 
attractive his ever genial and instructive conversation, often 
in a vein of quiet humor. Although he never traveled in 
foreign countries, he had learned more of them than most 
travelers do. 
His health was always excellent until within his last few 
years, when, through a growing paralysis affecting his limbs 
and especially his speech, rendering him practically mute, 
he was obliged, two years before his death, to relinquish the 
more active performance of his duties at the Capitol. His 
mind continued clear, however, and he daily visited and 
spent several hours in his office actually directing affairs 
through the skill and devotion of his able assistants, though 
unable either to speak or write, until four days before he 
died, at the age of 80 years. 
His conspicuous public position at the Capitol and his 
wide range of duties, ably and honestly performed in this 
vicinity for so long a period, made him naturally one of the 
best and most favorably known men in the District of Co¬ 
lumbia and the United States. 
In 1860 Mr. Clark married Miss Eveline F. Freeman, 
daughter of Watson Freeman, of Boston, United States mar¬ 
shal of Massachusetts under Presidents Pierce and Buchanan. 
Her death preceded his by five years. Their children, all 
still living, are two sons and two daughters. 
Bernard R. Green. 
