The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-04-29

a western congressman, and if your eyes are
as good as mine you can see that there is
champagne bottle on the table and that it is
labeled Extra Dry" The ladies may be
friends of the congressman's wife; they may
be Washington society girls and he a bach
elor statesman who is in this way paying off
his bets And they may be otherwise.
Everything here, however, goes off with
great decorum, and though liquor is served to
those who order it, | have never seen any one
in the restaurant under its influence, There
is law against the selling of whisky in the
restaurant of the house, but this law is broken
daily and openly. During the times of the
temperance eXcitements the order for liquor
is given under the name of "cold tea" and
old Kentucky Bourbon is brought out in re.
Spouse to this in China cups But during
ordinary times it is only green members who
beat around the bush and l dined with an
Ohio statesman the other day who yelled out
to a waiter half across the room: "Boy, l
want whisky cocktail! Quick! A moment
later it was served to him in cut glass; and l
noted as he washed it down that the article
was no stranger to his palate.
Your average congressman is a drinking
man, though at present many statesmen do
not touch strong liquors. Senators Teller,
Colquitt, Joe Brown and Blair drink nothing
at all, and Senator Hoar never touches any
thing stronger tbs milk. Edmunds likes
almost any kind of good liquor though he
never takes too much, and Beck and Black
burn, like most of the southern senator's, are
fond of nice article of whisky.
1t is hardly safe, however, for a statesman
to drink at Washington. Some men can do
it with safety, but hundreds have tried it and
failed. One of the brightest men from Col
orado ruined himself by coming to Washing
ton He got to drinking, and liquor turned
him from great man into great fool. He
was so loved in his own home that purse
was made up for him of $40, OOO a few months
ago, after he had promised to stop the use OF
liquors. His father at this time told me he
was doing well, and that if he kept away
from Washington he could make SlOO,OOO
year at the practice of law in CoSrado. For
time he did well, and the papers were full
of glowing accounts Of his success In his
strength he resolved to pay visit to Wash
ington. saw him here this session, and he
had again fallen. He has left the city, and
how he is doing now l do not know.
Your average congressional waiter is
good deal of a swell He struts around in the
serving of his orders, and he always manages
to bring you such change for bills as will
leave quarter or dime as fee for him
self in case you will give it. If you dom
chose to fee him he will say nothing, but
look of whitening contempt will spread ovel
his features, and he will pose during the re
mainder of your sitting in such way as t.
cause you more agony than is represented b,
the pictures in Fox's Book of Martyrs
Your average statesman takes Ugh
lunch, and the richest of them as rul
spends the least on their stomachs. The aver
age senatorial lunch is crackers and milk
and the members of the house dine as rul
on plate of soup or half dozen raw oys
tiers. A lunch of this sort costs between
twenty-five and fifty cents, and the latte