The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-11-17
WASHINGTON CHlT.CHAT.
wealth of the Presidents.

John Adams was not worth one-sixth of
that sum. Jefferson died so poor that if
Congress had not given him S23 900 for
his library he would have been bank
rupt. Madison was economical, and yet
left but a small estate Monroe died poor
John Quincy Adams left $4,000, the
result of prudence. jackson left
large landed estate. Van Buren, died
worth S300,000. 1t is said that
during his entire administration
he never drew any portion of his
salary but on leaving took the whole
100000 in a lump. Polk left $3.50 900.
Fillmore was always an economical man,
and added to his wealth by his last mar.
riage. Pierce saved $4,000. Buchanan
left 5000, 900, Lincoln S75, 900 and John
son $4,000 Grant Notwithstanding the
losses to which he was subject, had
handsome support in the fund provided
for him by his friends, and the sales of
his book enrich the family. Hayes is
said TO be in handsome financial condi
tion. and the Garfields enjoy a liberal
pension and the income from large
fund contributed by the public. Cleve
land will no doubt save $4,000 from
his Presidential salary.
Gen. Banks Career.
The return of Gen. N p. Banks to the
National House of Representatives says
the Burlington Free Press, will be nota
BILE feature of the the next Congress. We
remember him well, when he was Speaker
thirty years ago. He was one of the
finest presiding officers in the country,
and 1t is said that no decision Of his as
Speaker was ever overruled by the
l.. L.. n r
the old Bay State, and has spent forty
years in public service, including his
active duty in the army. He was elected
by good majority oyer Col. Higginson,
Free.Trader, Mugwump, Woman Suffra
gst and impracticable reformer and at
the age of seventy-two he will return to
the House, where he will be one of the
prominent figures on the Republican side
of that body.
The Switch Tenders Trust.
"Don't yer tech it. Let der conductor
fix it hisse'f. OATS number hundred an
| fifty, an he don't pay Car No. $50
was bowling down the Avenue in the
rain about midnight Just before it
reached the switch at the Peace Monu-
ment the driver stopped and the con-
ductor got out and ran ahead in the
rain, and then the car iolted on again.
| There is a switch at the turn that has
to be turned one way fer the Belt Line
cars and the other way for those of the
| Avenue line. As the cars alternate. the
switch has to be turned before each one.
The conductor of No. $50 ran ahead,
kicked the switch around in place for his
car and came back grumbling about the
| company.
If you are a frequent rider on the
street'cars you may have noticed negro
boy, or perhaps, two of them, standing
| by the switch at the Peace monument,
and another at the turn by the new Gar
field monument. These are the switch
tenders. As car approaches they shove
the switch over with stout stick and
save the conductor the trouble of run
ming ahead of their cars to do it. They
have organized trust, and unless a con-
ductor will go into the combine they won't
turn the switch for him nor will they al
low any other boy to do it. They charge
each conductor ten cents week for this,
or if a conductor prefers to pay by the
! day they do it for two cents day.
These boys know every car by num-
Der and the time it is due at the switch.
| They don't keep any books but they can
| tell you in minute whether car num-
her so.and'so has paid yet or whether it
pays by the week or whether 1t pays at
| all. As nearly every conductor pays to
have the switches turned for him you
can see that these boys are making
pretty good thing of their novel business.
-Four of the conductors, however, re-
fused to pay the boys, and have to run
ahead of their cars and turn the switches
themselves. There is a good deal of "kick-
ing, too, because the company doesn't
pay these boys. They would do the work
for S5 or $40 week, and then the con.
ductors would not have to pay them any
thing. But the three or four bright
negroes who have charge of the business
now are made satisfied, and they work
the conductors for all they are worth.
The Delightfully."- Confidential Beat"
The latest beat to strike the city is q
complaisant, prepossessing lady, wh'
has been doing" the leading houses
Her plan of campaign seems to be t.
learn something about the family Of tn,
landlady whom she is about to strike, he
name, names of children or near relative,
and other domestic details that may b'
turned into account. She presents her
self without baggage, but gives some
plausible excuse. such as its not having
arrived at the baggage-room, or beer
delayed by blunder of the railway Off
cials. She had heard the landlady Sc
! highly spoken of, she decided to come t,
, her, for few days, anyway; at least
until her baggage arrived, ETC., etc.
Meanwhile she regales the sympa
thetic landlady with marvellous tale
+ about her intimate acquaintance witt
Mrs. Cleveland and Secretary Whitney
family. Other persons Of quality" sh
: speaks of most familiarly She assure
> one lady that she had come on to atten,
, the Chamberlain Endicott wedding. o
course she was greatly annoyed that he
trunks had failed to arrive. Then sh
: gave q glowing account of her countr
home and earnestly besought the land
lady TO allow her daughters to pay he
. visit. Well, she managed to stay tw
y days at this place, the landlady mean
Q while growing quite suspicious, notwith
a standing the excellent references give
by the other. One morning she wen
out after breakfast and failed to return
She forgot her little account with tn
s landlady, probably deeming her societ
8 and her stories of high life suilicier
n recompense for her board.
4 Executive Clerk Young.
n Another Congressional official, who
IS making an extended stay in New Iorl
4 Is James Rankin Young, executiy
r clerk of the United States Senate, say
a the New York Times lie is a hanC
st some, blondeheaded youth, with hcalti
d full glow in his smiling face and a merr