The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-08-11
in beine out Of politics. He gets $4,000 q

In being out Of politics. He gets $4,000
year from the Brice railroad syndicate and he
has chance to make ave times this amount
In specu alton. He has fine Office In Wall
street and he lives at the New York club He
has gotten used to New York ways of living
and he says it Is the finest place for
bachelor in the United States. He does not
intend to come back to congress again, but he
still holds his district in his pocket Gen.
Lefevre was perhaps the most successful
politician in congress, aud he understood how
to manage his district better than any other
member of the house. He kept force Of
clerks continuously busy attending to the
wants Of his constituents, and he had regis
ter of the names Of the people Of his district.
These names were thoroughly classified and
the list gave full data as to each man. He
had the doctors by themselves, the lawyers
by themselves, the farmers by themselves,
and so on even TO the auctioneers and clerks.
He put leading men all over the country I'M
der obligation to him by sending them re-
ports and documents which he knew would
interest them and he spent great deal of
money in buying reports for his constituents.
Every farmer in Lefevres district got a
package of seed once year. and he answered
the letters of his constituents the same day
that he received them.
l Invent to Washington auction the other
day 1t was Of the goods of the foreign
ministers. | found line of carriages before
the door as long as that at one Of Mrs. Whit
ney's receptions, and the house was crowded
with people Of all classes and colors. Inever
saw such collection Of shoddy offered for
SALE The chromos on the walls were about
equal to those you will find in country
barber shop, and l picked up plaster cast
OF a statuette and l found the price mark
ninety-nine cents on its bottom. Everything
was Of a cheap character and of American
make except a few dishes Of Sevres china
and about three paintings The bidders
seemed crazy and they paid bigger prices for
the articles than they cost originally. They
wanted the articles because they belonged to
this South American Poo Bah. These sales Of
foreign legations have become quite WASH
ington feature The auctloneer or the diplo-
mat brings in a lot of cheap stuff and palms
it OFF as his own and the really valuable arti-
cles are shipped away or sold at private sales
Washington is city Of auctions Its popu-
lation changes 50 often that sales are fro
quent, and there are some women who go
from auction 10 auction and buy goods to
sell again Bargains are often gotten, as in
the case Of the sale Of ex- Secretary Robeson's
furniture some time ago. A piano which
cost $4,000 went for $25D. and other things
in proportion
Speaking Of Secretary Robson. his house
was also sold at this time and everything
was given up b his creditors. The Robson
houss Is one of the finest in Washington 1t
Is great pressed brick mansion situated on
Sixteenth street, near Scott circle, and in
the most fashionable part Of the city. 1t
may DO also called the most fatal part OF
Washington. Every house about this neigh
berhood seems TO have brought its owner
misfortune Robeson's has ruined him. Just
across the way is the big red brick Of Sena-
tor Window, which was photographed when
Window wanted a reelection to the senate,
and copies Of it scattered about his district
The result was that his constituents thought
he had been making too much money in
Washington and they refused to return him.
Window built this house, and he has lately
sold it for $4,000 to some Chicago woman
who will probably he an addition to Wash
| ingtons rapidly increasing list OF extrava-
giant entertainers. It was in this Window
house that Blaine wrote great part OF his
! book.
| Just below the Robson mansion is George
| Pendleton's house, which he occupied for
years. but which he had to leave when Payne
was elected as his successor to the senate
<ho n;,xrx kr>a 10.
his woes, and it Is Secretary Endicott, in
stead OF Senator Pendleton, who now &C.
cupies it. Just below it is Don Cameron's
big house, which was hardly finished before
his political troubles in Pennsylvania began
and he had to fight for continuance Of the
reign OF the Camerons He sold it year or
so ago to the rich banker Morgan, of New
York, and Morgan had not owned it year
before death left it to his widow
Big houses are not good thing for bum
combe loving statesmen, and all along this
part of the city | can show you homes Of
statesmen, who built houses, banking on their
future political success to enable them to en-
Joy them, and who have failed to be re-
elected Robson himself did this He ex-
pected to get to the senate and failed. He
then tried the house, and got left there also.
Look at Van Wyck's big house. 1t is worth
SIS 900, and its owner is living In Nebraska.
while Paddock has his place in the senate.
Senator Conger, of Michigan, has house
here which he would, doubt not trade for
one in Michigan, and Senator Stewart would
be glad to sell his Sl25, 900 house on Dupont
circle. THOMAS j. TODD.