Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-03
WASHINGTON GOSSIP
The Scandalous Side of the Suicide of
Senior Barca

w ASHINGTON, August 2.-That LARGE
class OF people who are interested in the
collection of pensions and war claims. do
not take kindly to the mention of anyone
for the Presidency by either party who
was not soldier in the late war. They
are SAID to be organizing to prevent any,
one who has always been civilian from
receiving either of the Presidential nomi-
nations. They have their headquarters
here, and are sending out circulars to all
pensioners and to all who want to be
such, setting forth their reasons why
none but an eX-sOldier should be the next
chief magistrate. They are evident.
ly working to become a political
factor. Ihey are also planning to
push other schemes for swelling
the pension list. They will urge an
increase of pensions to certain classes of
pensioners, and the placing of new classes
upon the rolls, such as army nurses { the
attempt to pension which class failed last
| year, by the way. The pension sharp
does not look with any great concern upon
the fact that the next House will be Dem
ocfatlc. lie says, "Oh, that makes no
dl1erence. The Democrats would not
I dare TO work against the pensioners. They
are afraid of anything that might be con-
| strued TO place them in an unfriendly at
! tltude TO the eX-UniOn soldier" Speak,
ing OF these schemes, recalls the fact that
the drain upon the Treasury on account
OF pensions is just now enormous. 1t is
larger than it ever was. There has not
/ been for months a fair reduction of the
/ public debt because of the increased
amount or payments ON account of pen
slOns. At the present rate of payments
/ the pension money aggregates 500 900. 900
annually. This is nearly One-half of the
entire expenses of the government. 1t
is estimated that from now payments on
account Of pensions will decrease, and
/ that in three or four years they will drop
to the uniform annual figure Ofabout $50
100000. The disbursing officers of the
treasury, however, see no signs of the
promised decrease as yet.
THAT BRIGHT LITTLE COLLECTION
of brains, Hon. S. S. Cox, of New York.
has been in the city several days. He
has been charging as light
! dragon around the departments
and hotels. He said to your cOrrespon-
dent that he did not think any of the
candidates for the Speakership of the next
House We're doing much to forward them
selves just now. "It is too hot" he said,
land they are all taking midsummer
rest. We are each as confident as ever. |
believe. l know | am, and think there
is very good chance for me-" Mr.. Cox
NlOGS HOt COuul UlucU on q SJren0JD winch !
VIII at first cope with either Randall or
Carlisle. His plan of campaign is by no
means novel; and has sometimes succeed |
ed, but Oftener failed. He expects to
nave, at least, strength enough OH the !
opening ballots to make a very good
showing. He thinks that Randall and
Carlisle will kill each other, and that he
will very likely come in for the bone of
contention after the deciding rounds be-
tween the two leading candidates. There
could be worse Speakers than Mr.. Cox.
SPEAKING OF THE PRESENT STRIKE.
an old telegraph operator, now a news
paper man here, told a good story to-day.
| This gentleman was the leader of the
great strike of Western Union operators
in 1872. At the end of it he found himself
in New York out of a job. and with ex-
actly fifty cents in his pocket. He lived
on this for two days and half. He was
awfully hungry as he walked up Broad
way on midday. Suddenly some one
hailed him jOyOusly. 1t was the son
of an old friend who formerly lived
in Alabama, but has removed to
Brooklyn, where he kept splen-
did establishment. The hungry man
was invited to dinner that day. He was
informed by the son that the father was
not very well, suffering a good deal from
the heart disease. Promptly at six
O'Clock the eX-operatOr was ON hand. The
old gentleman was very glad to see his
visitor. They talked over old times
FINALLY dinner was announced. With
JOY the man faint from hunger followed
INTO the elegant dining room. Let us tell
the rest of the story in his own words:
1--WE were seated at the table. Itwas the
! longest grace had ever listened to. The
| soup was brought on. With a trembling
hand took the pepper castor and sDrink-
lea mlne. There was noise at the head
of the table. The old gentleman fell back in
his chair. He was dead from the heart dis
ease! OF course the dinner was not eaten.
That was the saddest disappointment that
l nave ever known i'll a life of forty
years." | know this story is true because
a newspaper man told it to me.
THE TRUE CAUSE.
The suicide of Senior Barca, Spanish
Minister to this country, has never been
printed. The theory that he had specu-
lated too heavily in Wall street has here !
tOfore been the most plausible one, but !
that such was the fact his family and
friends stOutly deny. 1t is true that he |
was somewhat behind-hand, but not to
such an extent as to make his case bv any |
means desperate. The deceased lived in |
excellent style here, entertaining very
elabOrately. He could have done this on his |
income from the Spanish Government very
easily. But he, like many other foreigners. |
took upon himself two establishments.
There is now IN very pleasant villa on
Washington Heights a woman who was |
put there by Senior Barca about two wears |
ago. He constantly visited her. She |
lived as We'll, If not better, than did the |
Wlte and family of the deceased. She had |
her carriages and servants, as in most |
cases of the kind. She was very extrava- |
CANT and eXacting. She swamped her |
lover and he saw no way out of it but by |
the pistol. He took to the pistol.
THE POLK COUNTY
Tropical Fruit Company, of this CITY.
which has heretofore been mentioned in |
the News, has now been fully organized. |
Its object is to grow tropical fruit in Polk |
county, Florida, where the company owns |
lands. Hon. James Gilfllan, for
merly Treasurer of the United |
States, was the leader in the scheme. |
His absence in New York has |
necessitated a reorganization of the COM |
pany. This has been effected by the elec-
ton of the following officers: o. p. G.. |
Clarke, President; c. S. Bundy, Vice |
President; Ii. f. Smith, Secretary: G. n.
Wilmington, Treasurer. Directors: 0. |
I. q. Clarke, G. S. Bundy, II. f. Smith, |
g. n. Wilmington. Luther Harrison. r. |
b. Harrison, 4. b. Mallory, f. NJ. Stod- |
dard and j. X. Peabody.
THE PRESIDENT Is AWAY
and there is not Cabinet officer here. AS
soon as this happens it is Immediately
i9ll9S''ed by numeroue paragraphs that |
Washington is dead Nothing doing at |
all, city deserted. Nothing of interest |
going on. This is all wild imagination.
Except for the absence of a few office |
hunters there are as many people here |
now as ever at this season of the wear. |
There is just as much Of interest in the |
way OF government dOings as there would |
be were all the government officials here. |
The only fhInU mIcGfnor u ho fov
appointments which the President was in |
the habit ofmaking about every other day. |
Washington don't get dull because the |
government officials go away. 1t gets |
dull when the Congressional echoes cease |
and the summer saunterers depart.
The Deputies Take Vacation
PARIS, August 2.-An extra budget for
1884 has been submitted to the Chamber |
Of Deputies by the government. 1t
provides for loan, at 3 per cent. interest,
OF 3OO,O00,O 900 francs, of which 12I 900. 600 |
n fO bo