Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-04

HoEsENAN's CRITICISM OF THE INCoMPF
TENT MEN WHO HANDLE REISs.

| Jump in mere Tribune was the hearty
! greeting given from light wagon by Tribune
! reporters horse-dealing friend as he pulled mp
| in Harlem lane. Jump in here and I'll show
! Eou how fast a horse can't go that's got big
/ record" Tine reporter took a seat in the top
wagon, and the horse logged at a comfortable
| ait up the avenue.
| I'm exercising this brute for customer of
mine who has gone abroad" continued the
| horseman. ale gave a rippin' price for him at
some country fair last summer because he had
| a record OF $50. / can't say he never trotted
it, but I'll bet or swear hes reformed or thinks
| it's wicked 10 do it again..
| The well-filed thoroughfare caused the re-
porter TO remark that the business OF driving
/ was enlarging yearly.
/ That's so, said the horseman, sand don't
know of any other line where safety of life and
| limb is concerned that allows the employment
of so many inexperienced, incapable persons.
the streets in charge of public and private turn
| outs, and IL seems to be 'know-nothing, fear
nothing
Now look at this fancy affair alongside ofus,"
/ said he, pointing to a housekeeping, nervous
| bay team before an elegant carriage and
| driven by man gorgeously clad in livery;
do you know that money wouldn't hire me to
| ride in closed rig like that with such driver?
too much style, too little sense. That fellow
has been told to sit up straight and stiff that
| his toggery can be seen, and to initiate some
| foreign nonsense in holding his elbows close to
has the hn n up near to , hs Shn
other; now suppose one of those nice horses
| should stumble slip, he might get a bad
scratch or sprain, for there's no pull bearing on
| him TO help him recover his bit. Then again,
| If - spirited team like that should take fright
an d want to run. what control over it has a
gather his lines and get himself into shape
such a pair of horses could make from three to
five Jumps and that's where the luck would
have to come IN.
1T seems to me that people who are bright
enough TO make wealth and direct workmen
should have better Judgment in selecting
drivers. or course there are many expert
drivers in the employment of our best families;
they get good pay. know their business and are
allowed to manage it, The trouble with many
private drivers is that they have to put up with
low wages and perform mixed duties at that.
| tlp-top American drivers kick at wearing
i1Eery duds at any price. Driving ought to at
le;lst come under the head OF skilled labor;
established requiring official test of q
drivers fitness. Men who have charge of boats
and boilers are all under some sort of Super-
vision; an engineer of course has to be skilfu
and Intelligent, but his charge allows him many
guides to so by. gauge shows him the
pressure OF steam, unusual sound in the
movement OF machinery notifies him that
something needs to be examined or corrected
y horse needs comparatively as much careful
watching "a Il boat or boiler. and lite is sacred
by the carriage load as by the boat load. AS it
Is now. anybody hoy or man, can rattle through
} the streets with single or double team at tie
risk OF making paragraphs for you Chaps. Why,
sir, there are hundreds of men driving horses
every day i'll this city-aud especially on Sun
days-whO couldn't adjust double single
( harness III any emergency. You We often oticpd
when horse Las fallen and has tn be unbuck led
TO rise or To pull shafts out OF his way, good
natured cartnen. bystandcrS or policemen have
had To do the business. Speaking o: harness. ii
had my way q have AN authorized harness
inspection for all public service where the weSr
and tear are severe: much safety could be pro-
Vidcd for by such Il system.
employers who lack horse knowledge are
often deceived by drivers who aSsumc the quail
/ lncation. Here * Il case: y nice old gentleman
J living near me, who keeps IL private coupe and
z Il IN t q
other day and called my attention TO the ami
nal.
"'My driver said he says he's spawned I
looked at the beast and saw no evidence
Where is he spawned? l asked of the driver.
In his foreieS said he. pointing with his whip.
Well, explained to the old gentleman that
horses didn't get spawned in their foreegs, and
L didn't embrace the opportunity for "a swap.
! so You see there some virtue in a hOrseman.
"HOw can 2 safe private driver he selected?
W eli, cit; and western stage drivers are a good
line OF men 10 draw from; any oi them with a
fair reputation for sObriety would fill the bill
Ihey are accustomed TO close and fast driving
and are familiar with all details of harness and
wagons in ease anything needs looking after.
''Colored men? Oh yes, there are lots OF good
darkey drivers: they like horses and horses
take 10 them with remarkable fondneSs. Some
OF them are apt. however, to delight in show
and will make "a iree-gong team do more work
than white man will. Unless he's bossed
pretty sharp our coored brother will often
up good horse about rs quick as-well, about
as quick us a lady driver wIllr'
d
Tales that Are Told.
! ALLEGED OPERATIONS OF PRIVATE NEwsMoN-
GERS IN WASHINGTON.
| Correspondence OF the Boston Traveller.
! WASHINGTON. Nov. 1O.-There is one class of
/ workers in Washington who are present every
| where and yet whose calling, while sometimes
suspected. is never known for an absolute GER
tainty. Such people go through the depart
ments from day to day, and gather information
OF various kinds ana sell it to whoever will pur-
chase IT. This class does not include the men
who earn precariOus living by collecting out
size information for the purpose of dispos--
ing OF II to the newspaper correspondents
for a pecuniary consideration, but is Il distinct
set, whose Interests are antagonistic to the cor
respondents. Their Information is for the pri-
/ vate and not for the public ear Nearly every
I day man with a heavy gray beard usuuIly
! ing To elegance, comes down 18th street and
enters the Treasury. He Is "A short thIc,l-,ct
man, universally known, but there is probably
I not one man in u hundred in Washington who
| knows his business.
He is suave. polite, and genial, but he per-
mits no one outside OF a certain sacred circle to
/ gam his confidence. Some people look upon
him with suspicion, hut personally he is every
/ !nch a gentleman. His business is the gather
cisions for the benefit of Il clique OF IMPORTERS
! principally in New York. lie is maintained
mere ID good style a fact which shows that his
! said That he has become quite wealthy. Atauy
rate, ne was poor man when he came to
/ Washington, and now there are none OF the
| comforts and but few of the iuXuries of life
which he does not enjoy. His predecessor died
| leaving quite a sum of money behind him
| which by no means represented the extent of
| his Income, as he was in the habit of living at
the rate Of $4,000 year at the least caIclIla-
| ticn. The present incumbent is said to be very
successful III gaining inside information sui
| hciently in advance 10 enable the importer to
7 profit Immensely.
1t has been alleged that this was accomplished
by means OF something more potent and CON
/ Nincing than the agents suave and polite pres
ence, and 1t has been mentioned i'm support of
J this theory that some of the Treasury officials
who are driving horses that can hold their own
with the fastest trotters on the road never
| bought them. but received them as presents
| from their friends in other cities" There are
several men who look after the liquor beer and
| tobacco interests I'll the internal revenue bu-
reau. Some OF them are regularly employed by
the attorneys of The sO-caled Nv hisky Ring u,
and report the results OF their observations as
often as the Importance of the subject demands
Others look ont Tor the tobacco men, and q few
combine all three. Upon either of these topics
a good round sum can always be obtained tor
rehaoie Information. The Interior department
| Is also Kept under sharp surveillance by these
people Anything affecting the railroad inter
ests is matter from which they invariably
reap rich harvests. The greater part of this
class are men who have been here for wears
Their entire stock in trade is their acotlaint-
| ance, and they work IL for all il is worth No
new man could come here and avoid making
1 ElNnnprS which Ia. a