The Washington critic., 1886-02-08

NlNuItSs anu lHNl ~ 10 pTOVluc lUCTehScu
revenue. AS long as the taxpayers op.
pose an increase of tax rates the Com
missioners will be obliged to refuse in
creased expenditures. In my opinion
the apporiionmcnt made by the Com.
missioners is Il just one to all concerned.
M*s
One Of the brightest Representatives
from one of the Middle States relates
the following 10 "Launcelot" of the
iSuaddy Gazette: "I got letter from
one of my constituents recently who
wanted position as lighthouse keeper
lie wrote that he was rather hard.up
just then and that he couldn't afford to
give much, but that IL would secure
the place for him he would pay me $40
paid no attention to the letter, and q
few days aftcrward / received another
letter from the same man, raising the
offer to $50. | knew that he didn't
realize that he was doing anything
wrong in attempting to bribe Momber
of Congress, so ! made up my mind
that ! would squelch him at once and
in good-natured way. / replied to
his letter, telling him that my stock of
fifty.dollar lighthouse keepers was en-
tirely out just now, and that ] didn't
know when would get in another lot;
that the lowest lighthouse keeper ]
had on my list at present would cost
81 200, and | didn't think he could
afford that much; ] had some higher,
but that 81, 200 was the lowest think
] paralyzed him, for / haven't heard
from him since"
w.
According to one of the New York
SIMS Washington correspondents an in
stance of refreshing courage was illus.
trated the other day at the house of a
prominent official whose wife showed q
complacent pluck not often seen nova
days. 1t was her reception day, and
among the callers were several ladieswho
had attended large private party given
on the previous evening at the house of
millionaire whose wealth makes his
wife envicd by half of the women in
Washington. But on the day follow.
ing her party she was made the sub
iect of criticism at this reception and
was quite picked to pieces by these
particular callers who had accepted her
hospitality the night before. Finally
they appealed to the lady on whom
they were calling, expecting her to
acquiesce, and by directly y.put questions
compelled an answer. "Well, she
replied with the most serene repose of
manner and in tone of calm sweet
ness, 81 have never eaten of her bread
and salt, and, of course, know nothing
of her as hostess But If / had ac-
cepted her hospitality / should know
nothing unkind of her either as n
hostess or woman."
A~M
The executors of the estate of the
late ex-senator Sharon have now ascer-
tanned its condition with some definite
ness. A San Francisco correspondent
of the New York Tribune says that on
low and conservative estimate, it ap-
pears to amount to about seven millions
and half, with about two millions Of
Indebtedness. The estate, therefore,
nets to the heirs about S5,50O,OOO In
the loose talk Of the newspapers, par
ticularly at the East, where they SO
often multiply California fortunes by
five, Senator Sharon has been often
talked of as worth S25.000,0O0. The
shrinkage from these fancy figures is,
| however, not much more than would
| occur in the current estimates of sew.
| eral other California fortunes. 1t still
| remains fact that the two largest sin
| gle estates left to heirs on this coast
were those of John Parrot, the noted
banker, and O'Brien, the partner of
| Flood in the bonanzas. Parrott's s estate
was undoubtedly something over So,
000, 1000, and o. Brien's about $0,000,-
coo. II is understood that In the valua
ton of the Sharon estate the Palace
Hotel is put down at two millions and
half, on which valuation 1t Is at pres.
ent earning about three per cent
When old millionaire Blythe died sud
denly in this city it was not known
that he left single relative. He was
penurious, eccentric and lived with 6
young woman who was not his wife
His death, however, brought heirs
from all quarters of the globe and this
week when notice was given for Tho
formal appearance of all the heirs, nc
less than 40 claimants, including two
alleged widows and one child Of Blythe
appeared either in person or by
counsel. The amount of perjury which
will be committed in the effort to ge
slices of the dead millionaire's property
is something startling to consider.
~
The Philadelphia Press of this morn
ing says that cablegram from Paris
signed James Gordon Bennett, wa
brought into the New York Herald bu
reau on South Sixth street on Saturday
and last night Mr.. Julius Chambers
for the past six years the Philadelphia
correspondent of the Herald, started t,
take charge of the personal side of TIN
papers Washington information dur
ing the Congressional session. This i
the quickest change of base that Mr.
Bennett has imposed upon this particu
lar lieutenant since in 1878 he sent hin
from New York to the Spanish capita
on the three words of instruction, &c
to Madrid" His mission to this city wa
to investigate the Gas Trust. and sucl
was his success that the testimony Il
the lately dcfunct equity suit was prin
cipally composed Of three year .ol
back numbers of the Heruld. I'm
mediately before coming here Mr.
Chambers "torc OUT the county in
sane asylums of New York State,
diversion for which he gained a tast
in his famous exploit at BloomingdalC
of which "a Mad World" gives til
history. The Washington position
not new one to him. Ten years az
he filled it, and before and since the
for the Heru!d the posts of city editor
foreign editor, Albany correspondent
London man." special corresponder