The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-16
HOW OFFICE-SEEKERS LIVE.
Places Where the Hungry and Thirsty Obtain
Cheap Meals.

Washington Special.
''Hel;o" venerable old Democrat said to a
younger il the lobby of the Ebbitt to-day, you
here yet2 thought you'd gone West
mo" SAID the younger. with a manifest effort
to brace up; Il haven't got what want yet
Tn still hanging on"
Each Of these two had toothpick in his
mouth and from all appearances, might have
Just come from the dining room OF the $4-a-day
hotel.
The old man laughed in selfconscious apol-
ogetic sort Of way as he said: ''Well, I caught
on and have been promoted. They put me on
the rolls as a laooror. That was $50 month.
Now they've promoted me to a messenger.
That's 1920 year. I'm eating three square
meals day. Before the promotion got along
with two"
The old man glanced down the front lire of
his linen vest with look of modest satisfaction
Then they fell to talking about eating.
washington living isn't expensive, If you
know how to do" said the younger man in a
philosophic mood There was still visible all the
smartness which Sam Lung could bestow on a
shirt-front and the silk hat which looked so
glossy just after the inauguration had consider
able shine left. II had doggone rafting
breakfast this morning, and it only cost me ff-
teen cents
Il know the place" put in the old gentleman,
''youre right, they give man as much as ne
wants TO eat for fifteen cents up here on Tenth
street"
Right here third party, who had been listen
ing with increasing interest, put in question
calculated to bring out more definite informa-
ton. Evidently he was newcomer, for he
said: Il went to this restaurant just
across the street aud ordered little breakfast.
and I'll be darned if they didn't charge me ST. 20.
"Of course, said the young man. They II
rob you If they can You go into order and
they'll run it up to So before you know it. I'll
take you to the cafe on Ninth street this after
and you'll get whiZzing dinner with ice
cream. pudding and pie, and they'll only charge
you twenty-five cents. There amt no use throw
ing away money for you don't know how long
you'll have to wait here. I'm told they amt
going to disturb any of these clerks before the
LIST of January That's official"
Eyes. and when the LIST of January comes then
it'll be the 1st OF July they're going to make
changes. This from the old man with the wrinkled
linen vest who had caught on" 1t was evident
here with hopes which hadn't panned
out. He turned the conversation from
politics to "reminiscences, and went
on to tell how he had lived for months in Mexico
on IS cents day. 1t was when he was bosslng
a carpenter job for the Mexican Central, and
bought his vctua's at market and cooked them
himself because he couldn't accommodate his
stomach to chill con carne and tomaes Appar-
emily the veteran found more satisfaction In
drawing the comparison between his roughlnS
experiences on the frontier and his messenger
service in the department. than he did in recall
ing the aspirations with which he had come to
Washington to tender his valuable services to the
new administration in Washington. A single
page on the hotel registers records the daily
arrivals, and the reports 60 forth that there are
but few offceseekers in Washington. But the
l5-cent restaurant man and the landady with
hall bed rooms know better.