Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-02-15
How til. Average Congressman Lives.


WasAington Corr. Boston Hsraid.
Now that the great strain IL over and
the election decided, We shall soon begin
to sec arrivals Of members OF Congress
and their families announced. The con,
stitusnts Of many Of these gentlemen would
be surprised to know how they live IN
Washington. The number VINO keep
house or live in a~iashionsble hotel 10 com'
paratively small. Many OF them through
motives Of economy (which i Am iar rom
meaning 10 mention with contempt, nave
q or more rooms in . bosrding'house'
for which they pay twice what the furni'
ture would bring II sold ct . fair vaina-
tion. A for meals. they are served Ala
miserabls table d'bote In the basement,
or a dark back room. where Government
clerks rush In hungry at 4 ?. NJ, 70 din-
per. and give the n. @. no quarter In the
matter Of choice bits. unless said N. q.
should, perhaps. be chairman oil com.
mittee that looks closely into Department
estimates, and the number OF clerks In
each bureau, or IL pondering over . sensa-
tionai investigation. In some instances
the NJ. c. and his family have lodgings
only, aud either walk from two to Tour or
more squares TO take their meals at . ho-
tel. or have the necessities Of life furnished
in their shAbbily furnished parlor, on the
NJ. C.'s dingy morocco-eovered once u,
BILE. from which . pile OF newspapers ana
letters from constituents are carelessly
swept aside to makeroom for the unsavory
looking tray Of "victuals brought In
twice q day. Suppose II 10 breakfast.
There IL . smutty looking tin coffee or Tea
pot from which . muddy liquid, full Of
grounds and lukewarm. Is poured into
thick china cups. whose handles have long
AGO been cast aside. Tho milk and sugar
are in cups or cracked tumblers. The
plates arc thick. and bear unmistakable
marks Of having been set on hot stoves.
The butter looks as II II had undergone
the same experience. The steak IL charrel
and IL tough enough to try the strength OF
the NJ. C.'s teeth; the potatoes have soaked
grease In frying the buckwheat cakes ara
clammy and heavy, and the biscuits have
yellow spots which are soda ri iferosu. To
aid In digesting this attempting repast
the NJ. @ . feet are cold and his head hot.
because Of the stove-stoves arc an Article
Of faith In Washington boarding. houses
refusing TO draw while no was dressing,
and then suddenly bursting forth with an
oppressive. dry heat, mixed with . strong
odor Of coal gas or the smoke OF the damp
kindiing wood. With such . preparation,
what wonder the law.maker reads his
morning mail In q savage mood and &C.
cepts friendly suggestions from constitu'
ents in his committeeman or seat IN the
legislative hall q very different man from
him who, fresh from the comforts OF Q
IT ..A In town mr. G0nnIEW.
smiled on tho multitude from election
platforms when surrounded by hale. well
fed committee men, with the prospect OF z
goodly feast before another great enort 81
eloquence was 10 be made.
hut there arc boarding houses here
where tho "member" or senator 10 . sort
OF dsmigod, and Is sure to receive from
the hands Of an Appreciative lAndlsdy
the tenderloin Of the steak at breakfast,
the crispest celery at dinner, and other
choice bits, a. opportunity may offer.
Once, while myself q clerk In . Govern
ment office, I boarded with my mother In
such . ye=.io~, and no less q person than
the late Oakes Ames Of Massachusetts, was
the w~onhippod member. There were few
Of the other boarders considered even
good enough 10 sit 81 q table with him.
The p~leasAntest scat In the shabby dining
room Was his. and, while on our table only
the green ends Of the celery were placed,
before him stood . glass full OF white,
| crisp, succulent stalks. Whenever he
passed through the hall the landlady's
little daughter would rush to the parlor,
where we poor. insignificant mortals were
crouching over . cold stove, with the gas
half lighting the room. exclaiming "oh,
there he gocsi just SEQ him ; he's
member 7"
Now. the mode OF lifo which their rep
rescntatives lead and the food they eat ID
. matter Of more importance to'their con-
stituents than one would think FROM
mere cusory glance. The Germans were
right in naming their. National Legisla'
ture Q Diet. and we seem TO have.an ink
ling Of the real state Of tho case when wo
call bound volumes Of the laws . digest"
DIR. Holmes WAS disposed to label certain
volumes In his library ''pie crust" and
with more reason might the files OF the
Congregational Record be labelled, terra
pin suppers and bad champagne" OF
''cold. sour. buckwheat cakes and damaged
stoves"