The Washington critic., 1885-09-18

lutllcal t0lculUllO0 q lltllc lUflNcf, ana
by I'M easy process you will see that at
the present rate, of one change in every
five minutes, the number Of changes in
tie first year will be % 900, aud in the
entire four years Of Clcvclnnd's admin
istralion but 100, coo, leaving -. 600 Re
rublicans still in office. This is q big
country.
s"#
The following gossip concerning the
Russian Minister and his family Is
found in one of Craw ford's recent let
tcrs to the UOrd; They have en-
tcrtancd more literally than any other
Of the members OF the Diplomatic
Corps. They have, during the season,
kept open house mt least one night
every week for the best people in
Washington. Besides this they have
given numerous dinners and special en-.
tcrtainments. Nine. De Struvc is very
popular with the society people here.
She is not mt all handsome, neither is
she particularly noted for the elegance
or style of her toilets She is very
highly educated woman, thoroughly
accomplished, and one of the most en-
tcrtaining convcrsationaIisls of her
time. Some of her sayings have passed
into proverbs among the society people
who do not originate anything. When
Mgr. Capcl was here he endcavored to
make convert of the brilliant Russian.
She was very much annoyed by his per
sistencc in talking to her upon the sub
icct of religion He met her one even
ing at some reception and began talking
to her upon this subject. She said to
him: ut is no use for you to talk TO me
about this matter You are merely
giving yourself unnecessary trouble
You had better drop it, The
patient Englishman in his anxious ang.
ling for an aristocratic soul still per
sisted. lie said won't you ut least
make an engagement for me and per-
nit me to call and have talk with
you p Nine. De Struve looked at
him and then she said: Eyes, | will
make an engagement with you"
"Wherc | can have private talk with
you?" said he. yes" was her re-
ply. "Where shall we mcet?' said
this society prclate, with deep bow.
"ln h" said Nine. De Struve,
with another bow equally ceremonious.
The Russian Minister has asked to he
changed. He finds that Washington
is too expensive q place. lie cannot
remain here and entertain as he has
without going beyond his salary. He
has n large family and has but mod
crate fortune. With few exceptions
the leading diplomatic posts of all ma
tons require private fortunes to back
them. England is the only power
which backs up her representatives in
such way that they do not need to
depend upon private support. The
British Legation here is one of the
handsomest buildings in Washington.
The Minister, of course, lives in ii
rent free His salary is $50, 900 year,
lie is allowed something like that
every year for entertaining.
Nv
Enter one of the Government offices,
says Carp" of the Cleveland Leader,
and you will see pale-faced clerks, men
and women, bending over desks writ
ing and figuring away their lives in
order to OBTAIN that which sustains
their lives. \ Washington clerk seldom
gets more than this, and under the
civil-service reform scheme the Gov
ernmont clerk is becoming more and
more a machine and less and less an
active, thinking, growing man. As |
stand here on this marble pavement
and think of the lives which will be
eaten up, of the enterprise shrivclcd
into dolessness, and of the manliness
wasted in this building in time to come,
itmakes me shudder. Young men will
come in here full of hope and courage
full of brains and energy. When they
enter their thousand dollars or more n
year will seem good pay TO them, and
they will work with will, hoping to
rise through the various branches until
their earnings will equal those of u
Cabinet Minister. 1t will not be long,
however, before they find they are
fighting the windmills, and in the same
old grind of copying other mems writ
ings, of posting dead books, where they
have not the opportunity for the eXcr-
else of an original thought, their brains
will waste away for lack of use, and the
lazy hours from 8 o'clock till will
eat up their energy, until some day in
the future they will wake to the fact
that they have been swallowed
up by the great monster cannibal,
called the Government, which not
only eats up mems bodies but their
souls as well. At this time some of
them may attempt to cut themselves
loose, but their efforts will be us futile
as those of the LAGOON. The snakes
of habit and dolessness have wound
themselves about their palsied frames
and they will wait until at last death
will come to take away what it thinks
to be of so little value as to be hardly
worth the taking This will be the
case supposing civil service reform
prevails, If it fails the Government
clerks position will be all the worse,
He is bound TO be dependent on his
supcriors at best, and the lack Of civil
service rule makes him all the more
of sycophant or toady. There Is
no worse employer than the Govern
mcnt, and would rather work for a
Scrooge than for Uncle Sam.
%"~
Ii is thought that Artemus Martin OF
Erie, Pa, we'll known mathematician
and friend of Congressman w. L.
Scott, will probably be placed at the
head of the computing division of the
Coast Survey. There is an interesting
bit of history connected with Mr.. Mar
tins mathematical career, which is
related in the Boston Irdcellcr. Sev
eral years ago the Royal Society OF
Malhcmaticians of London offered 4
prize for the solution of a peculiarly
difficult and complex problem, The
announcement was made in every
civilized country, Mr.. Martin sent il
a solution which proved to be the only
correct one amid the hundreds sub
mittod, A messenger was sent to thi'
country hnnrinm thn nriZn In lnI