River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-08-26
TWO WASHINGTON WRECKS.
An delegate who Keeps city
"DiVe." and An Ex-senator who IL
l.nnr, I'm mn,

Gambling Tramp.
TH. J. r.. in Philadelphia Times. August -
One name among the list of terrific
rial delegates | will not mention He
was in the house for four years, and
from the time he entered it until the
respiration of his second term he was
greatly respected. He was an excep-
lIonally able man, a thinker, logician
and a brilliant speaker. He was col
tege-bred, had spent years in foreign
travel, was a lawyer and had been in
MANY responsible official positions He
lad been in the legislature Of one of
t:e western states, had been receiver
&C public Moneys and surveyor-gen-
':ral While in congress he leetured
before church and scientific societies
bore, and no man in congress was more
generally respected Would the read
sq' like to know where this man is now?
lie Is still in Washington and about as
low in the human scale as it is posi-
hle for man to he. He first became
the victim of gambler, who was him
self Mt one time distinguished member
Of congress from a great western state.
Together they carried on what they
called private club rooms, and there
they fleeced their victims as they could
catch them. They were frequently
raided by the police, but they managed
To get off; but they sunk lower and low
cr each year, until finally they got to
the lowest game of policy" The ex-
Congressman from western state
| died few years ago. The eX-delegate
| Is now keeping one of the lowest dives
IN the city. His place is ostensibly a
cigar store, but thin partition sepa-
rates it from bagnio Of the lowest
character The man fiaunts his shame
in the broad glare Of day aud may he
seen at almost any time sitting in front
of his disgraccful abode in his shirt
sleeves, brazenly facing people who
know him in his better days
He is another case that almost breaks
one faith in human nature. In 1874
there graduated from Harvard Unni-
verSity Il young man of wonderful
| promise. He was twenty-five years old
and the world opened bright and prom
isiag before him. lie was, | believe,
/ foG n time teacher in Harvard and
subsequently he founded II very sue
| ceSful school in Massachusetts. Some
| tilSe afterwards he went South as
| principal of n state normal school. The
war coming on he was driven from the
| state and came North. AT the close Of
| th,. war he went back to the Southern
| stt:e rs collector of Internal Revenue.
! Wen the state was reconstructed he
wac elected to the United States senate
ana served with distinction for six
wears. He was chairman of the com
/ oil lah a a
msmber of the appropriations and
otiJer important committees. He was
very strong and pleasing speaker and
stood high among his colleagues. After
his.term expired he was appointed as
sisfslnt secretary of the treasury and
wa. at times acting secretary. 1t was
hcln that he fell He was coured and
/ nattered and used. Wine, cards and
women did their part to accomplish his
! fall There We're some very crooked
! transactions while he was III office, and
\ some way or other the assistant-secre-
/ tary lost his office and landed in jail.
He was speedily got on. however, but
he became wretchedly poor and got to
borrowing 50-cent pieces of his old
friends. 1t was a pitiful sight to see
| hin3 about and know what he had
been. Finally somebody had him APP
poiated to a 81 300 cleriship Che wrote
a beautiful hand) and it was thought
that he might pick up and recover;
but he didn't lie had got n passion
for gambling, and whenever he could
obtain any money he sought the tiger
and Of course lost it, and soon he lost
| his little clerkship. ! understand he
now, borrows dollar or two wherever
he can and goes into the lowest places
and plays until it is gone. Ifhe has no
money, which is nearly always the
case, he viii sit where the game is going
on and keep the score for the low
wrc4 ches that infest he dives he visits.
He once had charming family of
BOYS and girls, but the Lord only knows
where they are now If there is any
thing stranger or more revolving than
this IN fiction | have never came across