Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-08-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.


NASHlNGION LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, ID. c., August, 4, 1884.
1t is not generally known that Wash
inston is rated as the greatest stock
gambling place outside of New York.
A few years ago there was but one
special wire to New York, and that
hardly paid expenses. To-day there
are about two dozen offices with special
wires, seven of them opened since De-
cember last 1t is noted fact that
wolves catch more lambs here than in
any other city, and the poor lambs are
generally from the fold of Government
| clerks. The cause lies mainly in the
fact that nearly everybody here gets
paid by the government, and from the
$500 clerk to the Cabinet officer they
seem to go on the plan of all gamblers:
money easy-earned, easy-spent The
recent deal in Northern Pacific alone is
SAID to have taken few million out of
the Capital of the Nation 1t is well
known that one pool, including prom
inent officers of the United States courts
and others, were cleaned out of about
$4,000, two eX-members of from 800
600 to $4,000 each, and United
States Senator $4,000 on the long side
of Union Pacific stock. The clerks got
left in proportion to their means. Con-
gressmen will always be the victims.
You can't make a government official
or employer believe that times are hard
when iron mills are stopped and rail
roads reduce wages with thousands of
men out of employment everywhere.
He don't see this, for the government
pays him; his salary comes along, he
prospers and imagines he has the inside
of the shrewd men in Wal ireet. A
very popular way of making money
rapidly, or trying 10. has developed
lately in oil speculation here. Men who
cannot raise 81 1000, but who can scrape
together 800, put it into oil with orders
to cover at II small profit. Great stories
are told of the money made, and even
the smallwage fellows are drawing out
their savings and taking flyer.
This spirit of speculation has fairly
got hold in Washington. The broker
age business fiourishes, and is growing
with rapid strides. Bucket.shop signs
line the streets about the Treasury, and
short stretch of T street in that Vi
entity is proudly denominated the wall
street of Washington. The brokers
are in great part made up of unknown
and irresponsible adyenturers who come
to Washington, swing out their signs as
brokers and dealers in Futures" and
proceed to gull the credulous dupes
Thousands of dollars are put up in mar
gins, yet leading broker said to me
this week that he thought 80 per cent.
OF his customers lost money. That is
almost as large proportion rs Il lottery
company's losing customers.
When the President left the White
House Saturday, for his long summer
vacation, there were four little girls
huddled around him in the carriage and
all the attendants and servants at the
White House stood out on the portico
to see the party off. The little girls
were Nellie Arthur, Miss McElroy, Miss
Wallach and Miss de Kraft, daughter
of Commodore dc Kraft, of the Navy. |
Inc French nurse rode in Il carriage be- |
hind. The President WAS attired in a /
blue suit and white hat, and had a rose |
in his butlonhole He looked extremely |
well and even happy as he waived his
alienS To the crowd on the portico The |
whole party left in the Presidents
pleasure yact, the Dispatch, and was
accompanied by MIR. John Davis, AS |
siStant Secretary of State, and Private |
Secretary Phillips. The vessel is ex-
pectcd to make the trip in IS hours, ar
irving i'll New York Monday afternoon. |
The President will remain in that city |
about week and then proceed up the |
Hudson to Kingston, and after making |
short Stay there as the guest of Cen
eral Sharpe, will make visit with the
latter to the Catskils He will return
to the city about September first, and
will then occupy his cottage on the
heights at Soldiers Home.
The administration has never been
more completely dissolved for the time
bong Than nov. There will probably |
not be another cabinet meeting tor two
months. The Secretary of Stale will |
spend The month OF August at his New
Jersey home on the Roritan. Secretary |
Folger is at his home in Central New |
] ork. Secretary Lincoln has gone to |
the seaShore for several DAYS Secretary !
Chandler is in New Hampshire getting
ready 10 receive the Greedy party Sec
rotary Teller and Postmaster Gresham |
have gone to their Western homes. At
torney Genera Brewster is Keeping c oil |
at Long Branch the Government does
not seem to suffer The least disadvan-
tage from their absences, and routine
business goes on rs usual
LENOX.
Wives for Manitoba.
Canada is deficient in female popu-
latiOn, Hon. j. r. OtWav Il men,hsr