The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-08-15
CARDS AT THE WHITE HOUSE
A RevenBe from the Waste Pasteboard-
sorsS Characteristic signatures.


A ReveEHe from the Waste Pasteboard- |
Sores Characteristic Signatures.
One If she sources of revenue of the
comes from the White
House. In the last three weeks over
6,00G people have contributed to it by
sending their card to the President.
Every statesman who sends his paste
board to Mr.. Cleveland sometimes gives
the Government more than he gets. His
card is worth just .0005. When a card
is sent to the President the door-keeper
at the head of the steps regards it
closely, sizes up The sender, as it were,
and takes it in to the President When
the latter has looked at it the door
keeper lakes it back to his desk in the
hall, and leaves it there for inspection
by reporters.
At night the cards are done up in
bundle and put away. At the end OF a
month the packages are taken to the
cellar, and added to the waste-paper
collection. Then the whole is sold.
During May the waste-paper brought in
over $50. The card portion was worth
yearly half-dollar. An official who
examines them every day, sums up the
number of callers and the cards as fol.
lows:
There were 5000 cards. Every va
riety made, from the paper provided by
the Government to the gilt edge, was
represented. OF the 6,000the plurality,
or 700, came from New York State.
Every State and twelve foreign countries
contributed. The largest number of
cards received in one day was 207 on
March 20. There were over $50 names
written on these cards, and the largest
number of names on one card was seven.
That came from Missouri. The second
week of President Cleveland s admins
tration was what swelled the card col
lection, for we took in 750, excluding
Sunday. Most of the cards were printed,
some were written in pencil and ink.
The styles of penmanship covered every
system taught, and the writing and or.
biography of some were very bad One
that came from a Boston merchant had
written on the back of the card: Want
to Sc the President on matters of oflica
bisness.
is not always the rural or illiterate
office-seekers that the bad penmanshir
comes from. Some we'll known mer
are very poor penmen. George William
Curtis writes struggling hand, and i
cannot always be read It's like all ed
TORS penmanship. p.
"Henry Ward Beecher nearly Away.
has his cards printed. Sometimes thu
name of friends who accompany hin
are written on the back. Nobody eve
tries to decipher it,
'MayOr Grace writes clear hand
but forgets to dot his is and cross hi
t's'.
Representative Randall, when h
leaves his card-case at home, writes hi
name on blank slip in clear, runnin,
hand. Everybody can read it.
"Vice-President Hendricks, when h
calls, writes The Vice-President' on
card. 1t takes him some time to do il
Then it can be read easily. Even if h
didn't write clearly we would kno,
what it was, because he never change
his wording.
Senator German dashes off 'Arthu
German and friends easily and quietly
He writes a legible, though careless
hand. I'D
Senator Mcdonald has not been I
the White House much, and he AWAY
. brings printed cards.
Representative Morrison is fir
quent visitor. He never comes with
card, and writes his name in a firm
business-like hand that is very legibl
! He usually brings half a dozen frienC
with him, and writes under his nam
: and friends. '"-W Washington Rpubl
can.