McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-10-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, d. c., Oct. -, 81.

| "A prOpHeI Is llOC WITHOUT nOilOr save
in his own bailiwick, and the stories
going the rounds of the newspapers
about our great philanthropist, Mr.
| w. W. Corcoran, affirm the quasi
scriptural quotation. 1t is said abroad
that Mr.. Corcoran has given for pub
lie beneficence more than three mill
ion dollars, to say nothing of another
million distributed to private chart
ties, while he has ten million left to
fall back upon in case of drought.
These are very pretty stories to read
in the newspapers, but when the tax
books of Washington are consulted
they deprive the narratives of a good
deal of their romantic interest. They
hardly size Mr.. Corcoran up to more
than one tenth of the amount ascrib-
ed to his exchequer, although his
property at the capital and elsewhere
is very productive and very valuable.
1t may be said of Mr.. Corcoran that
he is one of those philanthropists who
keeps his left hand thoroughly posted
upon what his right hand is doing,
and his benevolent contributions
public and private) are so thorough
ly panoplied with conditions, that the
name of Corcoran will scarcely grope
its way to posterity by the side of that
of Howard, Peabody Or any one of a
dozen others whose charities partook
of none of the ostentation that Mr..
Corcoran exacts as a condition prec
edent and subsequent to his gratui-
ties. After four score and more, Mr..
Corcoran finds himself enjoying the
best of health, despite the fact that
the doctors gave him up as dead man
thirteen years ago. He has outlived
all three of the doctors who then pre-
dicted his early demise, and under his
abstemious and altogether plain mode
of living, there seems to be no reason
for suspecting that he will occupy
his elaborate tomb at Oak Hill Gem
etoil lOI uldly Hlooh.
There are upwards of 100000 books
in the Congressional Library to-day,
with room upon the shelves for about
one-fourth of them. What on earth
can be expected in the way of utiliz-
ing a library with 100000 of it's best
volumes piled up helter-skelter on the
floor, and the other 100000 in double
rows on the shelves, may be demon
strated by those who are crying out
against the construction of new IL
brary capacious enough for the stor-
age at least of this vast multitude of
books-the largest in the world. Be-
sides this slowing away of books, val
liable maps of reference, engravings,
etchings, etc., are necessarily hidden
away from the public view, possibly
not to see the light of day for another
generation. And there are newspa-
pers and periodicals that are intended
to meet the current wants of the MEM
Der, which are likewise consigned to
the dark recesses of the basement of
the capitol. 1t is positive shame
and disgrace to the American name,
that foreign visitors who come here
should always find the Congressional
Library the fit subject for their can't
ing criticism, when four hundredth
part of the money lying idle in the
Treasury vaults would furnish libra
ry building that would be lasting
credit to people who can thus show
their ability to sustain the largest IL
brary in all the world.
1 see that the campaign speeches
this year have but little to say about
the abuses of the contingent fund of
the two Houses of Congress. And
we'll they may, for one party is just
as bad as the other when it comes to
the foolish squandering of the peo-
pies money. have just feasted my
eyes upon an account made for a
member, by Mr.. Adams when he was
clerk of the house, and which he must
have certified to as being necessary for
that members discharge of his Con-
gressional duties. The articles en-
brace perfumery, cases, fans, tooth
picks, fourteen-carat charm pencils,
cologne, pocket-knives, handkerchief
boxes, decreases, opera-glasses, hair
brushes, shaving-cases, and visiting
lists. 1t is time that this contingent
business should be abolished.
Dom PEDRO.