The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1883-03-02
LIFE In WASHINGTON.
Several Congressman Intimate That They
and Their Confreres Should Feel
Ashamed of Themselves.
Night Hacks Engineered by Tough Citi-
zens---President Arthur's Joke
About u Vacant Place.

expiring Congress has not very good
opinion of ITSELF 1t is supposed to be bad
thing for person nearing the end Of existence
to look back upon misspent life, but this APP
pears to be the case with at least a large por-
ton of Congress.
Riding up to the Capital in a 3-cent car
on the morning of Washington's birthday
were Colonel Robinson, of Ohio; Reed, Of
Maine, and two or three more OF the bright
members. They were remarking on the day,
when somebody remarked that he wondered
"What George would say"-these Congress
men are a little slangy sometimes--that
he wondered "what George would say
il he could come back and see things here
now"
81 guess he'd be pretty well satisfied with
things" said Robinson, with laugh. 81
think he'd say Go ahead, boys, ou're doing
very well. "
81 don't know about that" said Reed,
drumming in disconnected way on the seat,
81 think if he should come back and see this
Congress, if he had any of his former intel-
gence, he would be pretty much ashamed of
this Congress-"
first thing he did would be TO tell us to ad-
journ and 60 home"
"By the way" said Robinson, ''that was
pretty good one that a member of the
House got off at the dog show last night.
He said that The show was good deal like
the House-the little dogs made the most
noise"
Whereat there was a general laugh.
| 81 presume" said Reed, who has never
forgiven Springer, of Illinois, for calling him
''the Jumbo of the Republican side" 81 sup
pose he didn't refer to anybody from Illinois,
did he"
They rode on. conversing on general topics
when somebody referred to the library pro-
ject, for there have been half a dozen unsuc-
cessfu attempts at this session 10 pass a bill
for the erection of public library building in
| Washington.
Yes" said Reed, in his positive, vigorous
way, 81 think the course of this House in re-
ference to that library question would dis
grace the most uncivilized tribe Of South
4 Africa" And in this particular it may be
said that Mr.. Reed was evidently pretty near
ly correct.
| NIGHT LINERS.
"Visitors who go away without making the
acquaintance of the night liners don't know
|
| ''old timer" to a new arrival. "The night
liners he explained, ''are the very tough
citizens who engineer the night hacks. They
are human bats. Their very appearance is
forbiddng, and when they are near, you
seem to breathing corpsy, charnal-house at
mosphere. Walk up the avenue any time
after 20 o'clock, and you will have. a chance
to meet the night liner and know him. He
sees you coming from afar and meetsyou at a
convenient crossing, guiding his black car
rage through the darkness, made visible by
FREELY gas, slipping toward you with stealthy
movement, suggestive of huge turf tie
The wheels make no noise on the smooth
pavement, and were it not for the sly pit pit
OF the horses as they creep up on you like
Sandbaggers on a victim you could readily
imagine that the shapeless mass was a
Thing from another world, a supernatural
visitant come down to grapple and embrace
you in icy clutch. The night liner and his
hack and his horses are one and the same
The horses and the inanimate carriage are
saturated with the same .ghoulish camlinesS
that is part OF the very existence and name
of the mysterious being who holds the ribbons.
Body Snatchers have the same decidedly I'M
pleasant, moist presence. 1t is indefnable,
yet nasty as the physical appearance Of grave
clothes. / do not like the night liner He
will haul you half a mile to convey you to a
point two doors from where he waylays you,
and he will charge you dollar for it. He is
bad medicine"
| THE PRESIDENTS JOKE.
| A delegation went to the White house to
see the President about the vacancy in the
Board of Commissioner, which controls the
District of Columbia. They were really
prominent men, and for wonder they did
not have name to propose. The most elo-
quent merchant in Washington presented the
suggestions the delegation had to offer. They
wanted to expatiate upon the ideal commits
sioner man of straw, carefully dressed
The President listened attentively and looked
at the delegation admiringly, while the elo-
quent merchant spread himself in the de-
scripton of a man who, if he existed, would
doubtless be chosen for the Presidency in 1854
by reclamation. A curious smile crept over
the handsome face of the President, as the
merchants periods were swinging away above
Mount Blanc. Finally the picture was per-
feet, and the spokesman rounding off with the
peroration: ''And now, Mr.. President, have
you such man in view :" 'Yes," said Mr..
Arthur, and the smile again crept over his
face. "Ah, thank Heaven" said the chair
man, as the rest of the delegation drew closer.
Where can he be % continued the merchant.
/ Gle is Dead" said the Presidest, and the
delegation withdrew, walking as ducks walk
when wet clear to the pin feathers. Alan