Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-01-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.
TFrom our regular Correspondent.

[From our Regular Correspondent.
WAsHNGTON, d. @ i, DEC. II, 80.
Washington has been favored during
the week with a trio Of congresses.
They were the Forty-Ninth, the Work
ingman's congress and the Sanitary
congress. The first did little more
than organize, read the Presidents
message and talk about revising its
rules. The second discussed the labor
er's wants. voiced his demands for
justice from every standpoint, ordered
that the elght-hOur rule be enforced on
May day, and held parade and mass
meeting. The meetings of the Health
Association we're of universal interest
A large number of important topics
were discussed by eminent physicians
from every section Of the Union. There
is no subject in which the people are
more interested in than that of sanitary
science, and the cause seems to have
fallen into jealous and able hands.
Speaking of the rules of the House of
Representatives that body does not
/ expect to attempt any work until some
change of rules has been settled upon.
Nor will Speaker Carlisle announce the
standing committees until the matter Is
decided, The house is too large body
( to work rapidly, aud the present rules
+ afford every facility for confusion and
/ killing time Including eight delegates
/ from the territories, the House consists
/ OF three hundred and thirty-three mem
/ bers, and most Of them think II their
/ duty TO make speech on every posi-
/ BILE occasion.
The Senate, to likes to hear itself
! talk. There IS Senator Morgan, for
! instance, the orator from Alabama
/ who never knows when to shut of his
/ eiOqu6nce when 1t has once started. /
/ have often seen nina clear the galleries
( and floor of the senate chamber, aud
recite his eloquent perons, in finished
/ dictiOn, to the presiding officer, with
/ probably lone senator here and there
! who dOZed on a sofa IN q corner, or at
his desk pOred over a newspaper.
/ Strangers in the galleries are often
astOnished at the disrespect shown to
each other by senators absenting them
/ selves while speeches are IN progress.
I The long winded orators are those VINO
lack attention, however If they had
! the elOquence OF angels they could mol
hold the ears of the senate if they in
sisted on talking often or long at
time.
The richest man IN the House Of
Representatives this session is Mr.
Scott, a democrat from Erie, Pa He
Is coal king, and is said to be worth
So, UOO,UOU, In MS bOyhOOd he served
In the House as a page while Henry
Clay was still IN the senate.
The richest man in the senate is
/ Stanford, the junior senator from Cal
ifOrnia, whose wealth Is estimated at
100000 Senator Stanford is a
great railroad builder, and a public
benefactOr, as shown by his recent gift
ff DHG ltfln fha ff,v.r.1.,
siLy. Before he came TO the senate,
Senator Fair, of Nevada, was the
Wealthiest senator. Nearly the entire
far west is now represented 10 the sen
ate by miliOEairies. 1t is a matter OF
nOtOuetY that some of the seats were
bought with money.
In department circles there is much
satisfaction Just now The disbursinO
officers have consulted together, and
have decided not to pay OF the en-
pIOyes the day before Christmts this
year. There viii be the usual half
month pay day this week, and then
there viii be no further payment OF
salaries until the end of the month.
The reason Is, that II they were paid
off for Christmas there would be an ad-
vance to each employ 55 Of the pay for
seven or eight days. If any Of the
clerks should die or arg other c0ntin-
gency arise TO make the money not due
them, the disbursing clerks would be
held responsible, and would have TO re-
imburse the Treasury. Th.se officers
think there IS too much risk IN paving
ont money before IL Is earned.
An interesting auction sale VIII take
place t9-morrOW at the PostOfnce De-
partment, 1t VIII consist Of q wears
accumulation Of Articles in the Dead
Letter Office. The sale usually takes
place in Washington just before the
Holidays. At % can be bought almost
anything from @ toad or snake in alco-
hOl TO q pair Of bracelets or lace collar,
which shows the unlawful use that is
made OF Uncle Sans mails The let
ters that 90 astrays and are lost &C the
Dead Letter ONCE are burned ii they
contain sentiment only, but packages
and letters containing ValuabIas are Kept
and in due time the janitoE Classics
thems and they are put up at auction.