The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1884-05-03

WHY $4,000 A YEAR DOES NOT KEEF
THEN WELL FILLED.

WHY A5,UUU YEAR DOES NOT KEEF
THEN WELL FILLED.
Washington Special.
IF some Adam Smith Of household
finance would arise to teach Senator
or Representative how to live on
$4,000 a year, he would confer an
everlasting boon on many of the mem,
beers of the Congress Of the United
States. Although, Washington may
be called assheap place to live in, and
fer 50 900 year a family can be cup.
piled with everything that reasonable
persons desire, yet it must be rcmem-
bered, that Congressman does not
often get his 5000 intact and, be-
sides that, there are in Washington
two scales of prices, one for permanent
residents and one for members of
Congress and foreign diplomats. First
come the election expenses. Any
Congressman who comes out less than
$1,000 ont Of pocket is very lucky.
Then comes the journey of the family
to Washington--for Congress has not
yet allowed mileage to members fam
lilies, although after the late private
secretary indulgence nothing in the
way of perguisites need surprise any
body. Next is the intermediary stage
of hotel living until a house or lodg
ings are found. Thus, before his
Lodging are secured and he begins to
have an idea of his monthly expenses,
a large chunck of the Congressman's
$1,000 year is gone.
1t does not take long to find out
that he can't do with his income as
well as other people do. If he is in
lodgings, his wife must have a recep-
ton day, and, no matter how simple
the scale on which it is conducted,
waiter must be hired to hand in the
cards, aud there is usually some slight
refreshment. If the wife Of Repre-
sentative visits at ali she has TO visit
great DEAL and visiting means car
rage. Then there are occasional din
ners, receptions at the White House
and elsewhere, which it is customary
for Representatives wives to attend,
and that means costumes, gloves and
carriages. There seems TO be a kind
of clairvoyance among everybody in
Washington who has anything to sell
or TO hire to amember of Congress or
his family. The wives of members
generally become we'll known to the
trades-people before very long, and
the butcher, the baker, the candlestick
maker, the dressmaker, the bonnet
maker, and the maker of everything
they eat and wear combined against
the Representatives $4,000.
In the case Of Senators every cir
cumstance is aggravated. There being
but Is Senators, and not all Of them
paired, the Senator'S wives are known
rs well as the Washington Monument;
and as most of them take infinite de-
light in having parcels addressed to
"Mrs. Senator Blank" the innocent |
creatures give themselves away to the
shop people. The women of sense
who are Senators wives, and who feel
the necessity of making their money |
60 as far as it ought, studiously con
ceal the fact that they arc Senators
wives when they are dealing," as the |
negroes call shopping.
at is as much as my life is wsrth,"
said one quite sOlemnly, "to go into a
shop. ] can hardly come out alive.
They would take all my money they
would garrote me almost rather than
] should come out with sIxpence, and |
all because | married Senator"