Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-09-12
The Enforced Contributions.

Wo scc ny Iu0 baItlmOre lay CQ8C
negro money-lender was recently
brought before police court in WASH
ington charged with carrying on q
brokers' business without q license, and
the evidence developed the fact that the
fellow was driving q profitable trade In
lending money to clerks and messen-
gers in the various departments at from
10 to IL and sometimes as high as Is per
cent. month usury to enable such per.
SONS to respond to Jay Hubbel's demand
upon them for voluntary contribu-
tions."
We can we'll understand how the
plundered clerks and messengers were
thus put into the grip of that darkey;
for this class of officeholders especially
live up to their income-a pittance at
the best. When one of the poor fellows
has his letters brought to him in the
morning, he glances at the envelope
with the frank, J. Hubbell. M. G. His
countenance falls, and with trembling
hand he opens the missive. He is ma.
tive of Vermont, but appointed from
Virginia. and his salary is a thousand
dollars. Two per cent. of this is twenty
dollars, which he has to pay at once, or
lose his place.
What can he do? He has no money
in bank, and no credit; but money he
must have. just at this opportune mo-
ment Mr.. Sambo comes in and says,
"I'll lem you twenty dollars, but you
must pay three dollare q month intruss
or you can't have the 'commodation."
The clerk reflects moment and men,
tally curses the Congonian Shylock,
but he had rather pay his fifteen per
cent. month than lose his place-and
SO he gives bis note for twenty-three
dollars to Sambo. He gets the money
and encloses it in a letter to Jay Hub
bell, full of patriotic denunciation of
rebels, &c. He puts the letter in the
office and says, "Well, I've been pretty
we'll bled; but I'm free from further
extortion for year anyhow"
Breathing freer, our constructive Vir-
ginian (bOrn in VermOnt) goes back to
his desk and gets to work.
In few minutes thereafter another
letter is brought to him signed "Ma-
hone, Virginia." ordering him to pay up
to the tune of five per cent. more of his
salary, or fifty dollars. He mutters
imprecations loud and long. DIR. Slop's
imprecation on Obadiah was nothing to
this VermOnter's curses on Malone. He
swears he won't pay cent to the Rebel
RepudiatOr," and cOnsigns him and all
his forefathers to the birthstone of To.
phet.
After boiling over a while, however,
the calculating New Englander comes
to the conclusion that he had better pay
the fifty dollars than be turned out;
and 80 he sends for the dark-hued ..
broker.
The "man and brother" comes in and
takes in the situation at a Chancellor
he's q sharp operator.
Ho oouo ,orrt oriv,ov,oo h;rI,or
intruss this time than I charge you de
lass; you can have the fifty dollars
for nine dollars month, en- not cent
less"
In desperation the Vermont Virgin
ian curses the negro and all his race Ito
himself)-and writes the note for fifty
nine dollars. He gets the money, and
sits down and writes to "Mahone, Vir-
ginia," note, thanking him for "this
privilege of adding his (my) mite to the
fund for securing the success of that
party in Virginia which is the only
hope of the doWn-trodden SONS of Af-
rica," &C., &c.
Having put this into the office, he re-
turns to his desk, but can't write q line.
He tells his superior that he is sick,
asks to be excused for the day, goes to
restaurant, browns his sorrows in Gin
SlAudtl IlShCyy anu LIB lGot
words are not exactly blessings on Rub-
bell and Mahone.-NoqJolE Landmark.
Annie Surratt, the poor girl who sufs
fered so terribly as to make her old
while yet young in years. lives near her
brother John. She is the wife of Prof.
TOnroy, who is now the leading chem
ist of Baltimore. After her mother
had been hanged, and her own mental
faculties were shattered by the agonies
she had undergone, the innocent girl
was ostracised and prosecuted to an ex-
tent that is disgrace to our soscalled
Christian civilization. Years after,
when Mr.. Tonroy-then Government
clerk-dared to marry her, he was dis
missed from Office for the offense. For
time they were very poor, but being
turned out of the Government grind
proved to be the making of him after
all. They are now prosperous enough
in worldly point of view, but the once
blithe and beautiful Annie is a wreck,
both mentally and physically, with hair
as white as the driven snow, though
but little more than thirty years of age.
She never recovered from the shock of
that awful day, the last of her mothers
life, and is subject to fits of extreme
nervousness, bordering upon delirium.
-Cncinndh Commercial.