The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-01-03
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

Perhaps your readers would not be
averse to little friendly gossip from Wash
ington. This is a beautiful city,-clean,
healthy, and at this season of the year,
most delightful place in which to live
provided you are literally supplied with
money. Our winters are rapidly super
ceding the midsummer enchantments of
Saratoga, Cape May, and Ocean Beach,
with strong probability that in the near
future it will vie favorably with any of
the old European capitals for brilliancy
of intellect congregated wealth, extrava-
gance, RIGHTEOUSNESS and immortality.
Aside from the Presidential household, the
families of millionarres in Congress, army
officials, few independent residents, For
eign Ministers and attaches of Foreign
courts, temporarily residing here, much of
Washington society is superficial-built
largely upon imaginative incomes, or an
ticipated promotions To one initiated
into the mysteries of social life as it actu-
ally exists-not as it appears-the study is
an instructive one. There are real exhibit
tions of affluence, real merit, real enjoy
ment, with every advantage and ornament
gold and position can command. There
are lower grades artfully manipulating
scanty means to live upon scale equal to
their more favored neighbors; and still
lower class struggling desperately to ele-
vate themselves through meagre salaries
to the rank and association of their super
iors. In this lies one great cause for the
proverbial poverty of Government clerks
Born and reared-many of them-in CON-
parative dependence, with young wives of
equally frugal habits, chance threw them
into clerkship at Washington. Here,
dazzled by the glitter of one hundred dol
lars month, they lose their balance, and
at once live upon the basis of twice that
amount. There can be but one sequel TO
this course, and even a modern mathema.
tician would require but few moments
to figure out the result. The writer has
known of many cases where clerks with
large salaries, having died in office, con-
tributions had to be solicited from among
their late associates to defray the funeral
expenses. Not few who have lost gov
ernment positions, have had to be similar
ly assisted to enable them to return to their
former homes. There is another phase
to departmental service not observed by
the transient visitor, who sees only wide
beautiful streets, fine, costly structures, ex-
pensive parks, public institutions, and the
magnificent Capitol. 1t is a city of temp
tation. Every allurement and inducement
is held out by unscrupulous men to nope
in" so TO speak, the unwary; and green
clerk, fresh from his rural haunts in some
Western town. Is the special object of in.
terest to a formidable array of sharpers.
will give but one example, which must
suffice for many A young man Of more
than ordinary ability, graduate of Ann
Arbor Law School, in Michigan, with a
most promising future before him, obtain
ed a clerkship in the Interior Department
knew him and his family. He came here
with the best of intentions, to gain little
lmoney that he might further pursue his
studies in higher institution OF learning
lie entered upon his duties in the autumn
of 1876, and being myself absent for some
time, / lost sight of him till his presence
\ among us lad quite passed out nv mind
Yesterdsy met him by chance on the
street. nam Che General Post-office. Wha
a changei He was in beastly state of in
toxication, ragged, dirty, wreck of hi:
former self, and almost unrecognizable
Upon inquiry, 1 found his record. HC
/ e., 4har, fall init
associations, "and finally"was discharged.
This told the whole story; and yet there II
a bright side for the Department clerk.
know of many who came here poor, WHIT
now have good homes, happy families,an'
are surrounded by every comfort These
though, are the exception, not the rule
Unless a man has well established princi
Piles, has definitely defined his career, will
sufficient ability to say ''yes," or mo, ,''anC
a firmness of character ample to sustain
him in these mental decisions, he bette
stay away from Washington as a place
permanent abode.
The detective corps of this city hav'
gotten themselves into bad scandal.
appears that they have been acting IL
Observation-Disclosures that word may meal
with criminals and law breakers in gen
eral, and have been dividing the spoils t
an alarming extent. The development
promise to be rich and racy, but not en-
couraging TO the peacably inclined Cit
zens who have, hitherto, been led TO lool
upon these guardians OF our safety witt
supreme confidence.
The Jury Bribe case OF Dickson, of Sta
Route fame, and the continuation of tina
famous trial, are doing their share towar'
leveling up the routine items of Washing
ton life; and the "full particulars" pull
lished in every morning and evening issu
of the daily papers, are interesting reading
quite as sensational as the average o
Beadle's dime novels.
1 see by late edition of the ENTET
PRISE that Wellington is contemplatin
the introduction of gas for purposes c
lighting the streets, and to furnish the eli
izens with the advantages of this metho
of illumination. The only wonder is tha
this has not been done before now. An
responsible party who Will furnish goo
article of gas for $3.50 the thousand cubi
feet, should be encouraged, and were
resident of your enterprIsing little village
l would labor hard to achieve this advance
ment in the interest of safe and conven
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