Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-03-17
HAM. CAMP.
A Hard Shell Romance of washing
ton society.


From the Washington Correspondence of tn,
l Cincinnati Commercial.l
at is not uncommon fol-
Cabinet officers, having daughters on theil
hands, to appoint certain young fellows
OF finished extremitles to office, that
they may dance attendance on the girls,
and be useful. | know Of quite a little
romance of the latter class. Young
Hamilton Camp known as Ham. Camp,
came to the capital from the backwoods,
about as awkward and green a youth as
you ever run away from. He was poor,
Of poor &; &: and had educated him
self by working during the summer to
have means for schooling in the winter,
He was one of those knotty-headed,
shrewd fellows always looking out for
self He took the measure of men, and,
what is more, the measure of the women,
and planned his campaign accordingly.
1t was original. Sleeping in an attic,
and regulating his diet on the most
economic scale, he expended his means
on tailor and dancing-master.
And | should say that Ham. Camp
was donkey
Wait bit He appeared at all the
receptions, balls and parties to which he
could gain access, and as he soon came
to be recognized as an ornament, balls
and parties opened before him. And at
all OF them he was very attentive to the
lovely and accomplished daughter Of the
Hon. -, of the Cabinet"
IL see, the old story of love lifting the
lowly."
wait bit. He had the adroit fat
tery of the ears. He listened with the
intensest interest to all the little troubles
of Miss -, and came in time to be
necessary to her happiness in the ball
room. He never breathed word of love,
or what was more important to him, OF
office. The season drew to close, and
Ham. Camp found himself out of money.
He suddenly d 'sappeared from society.
One day Miss met him on the ave-
nue., and held out her two little hands.
Where have you been, you naughty
man2 she cried. He made no response,
but as they walked along he quietly gave
her what she had long before given him,
a confidence, and told of his ambition,
poverty, and hinted at his love. A few
days after he was appointed to the best
Office in the Department over which the
Hon. father presided.
" And they lived in peace and died in
adipose-as the children say"
Not to any extent. Ham. was very
attentive to the daughter, but never told
his love. Less than year after his ap
pointment change in the Administra-
ton drove the Hon. papa from his place.
Ham saw the trouble coming, and was
prepared. He did not court the success
sor, but he did court most assiduously
the rich widow Japonica, then on the
crest of fashionable society in Washing
ton. She did not encourage his love,
but, better still, became his warm sup
porter, so that when Ham. was bowed
out of his nice place, it was to go into
another and better.
And he sold himself to the widow?"
Not much. She married first-cl&ss
with title, and went abroad
Good lord, is this man going to court |
everybody, and marry no one?
He married at last. The war came |
on and shrewd money-getting little
creature by the name Of Cranks died |
one day, leaving fat widow and some
fatter contracts. Ham. married the
widow and the contracts, and now he is
a millionaire. Next winter he proposes
to buy his way to the Senate and help
rule this troubled land"
What a cold-blooded rascal; and
suppose little Miss -, his first love,
lied Of broken heart"
1T may have been broken. Every
woman heart, sooner or later is broken
Be thatas it may, it did not prevent her
marrying one of the richest men in al.
hese United States-and she is the gayesi
,reature you ever saw"
"a And so ends this eventful history"
ID p