Wichita eagle., 1888-01-13
AN EXPENSIVE HOME.
TIE COST OF A CONGRESSMAN'S
STAY IN WASHINGTON.
The Sore Perplexities of a Newly Pledged
COngressman-AS Serious Problem in FL
E1-Memher,s Exper;euce,

|
, Congressman-A Serious Problem in Fl
nanee-Che.p Living in Baltimore-Ar
Ex-Member's Experience.
The Washington correspondent met a
Wizards newly fiedged Democratic con
gresham from one of the northern states
who had peregrinated to the rational capita
to obtain quarters for himself and family
and, at the same time brush up things BIZ
at the several departments. looking after
fourth class postmasterships and the ike, and
making acquaintance withs the various off.
cials. He had been roaming all over the CITY
armed with formidable list of houses to
rent, furnished and unfinished but. after
several days experience, found himself as far
aff from accomplishing the immediate pur-
pose Of his visit as when ne first started ont
on this errand. He was By no mans in q
happy frame of mind and unburCened him
self freely regarding his disappointinents.
Here | ana, calculated the congressional
tyro, ''soreiy perplexed. / have surrendered
a lucrative law practice and comfortable
home IN exchange for uncertain congress
sional honors and no end of hard work for
the pitiful salary, in Washington at least. of
5000 year. l have large family, froE,
whom separation for six Or eight months
would be intolerable | am indisposad to
crowd them in the wretched quarters of the
average boarding house, and my salary does
not permit me to place them at a respectable
hotel. can procure the necessary hotel ac-
commodation st $3.50 per month. but that
would leave me only SlG6 per month where
with to meet the expenses of laundry.
clothes, car fares and other incidentals. so
that at the end Of the month we would lie
financially strapped and possibly in debt.
CANNOT UNDERSTAND IT.
Here is a list Of eligibly situated furnished
houses for which rent is asked all the way
from $3.50 to 81, 900 a month Suppose | tool,
the cheapest, | could not market and rn, tba
| house IN addition to rent for less than :o00
per month, living decently and returning
hospitality, and that outlay would leave us
| comparatively penniless. l do not see how
! congressman having families get along on
! their salaries at Washington prices. unless
they live abjectly in rooms. OF course. those
who take no family with them can make t,y,
ends meet, but then they must keep I'D two
| establishments, one here and the other Mt
home, and in the latter event must seDarato
from wife and children. This is not the life
desire to lead, and l cannot imagine how
congressman of limited means manage. if
they pay their bills, to support themselves
and families on their salaries. taking into
consideration the almost endless expenses tn
which they are subjected at Washington.
Possibly somebody can let me into the secret
and initiate me into the mysteries
There is no doubt that the large influx of
wealthy people, who have recently adopted
Washington as a winter headquarters. erected
handsome mansions, and plunged headlonr
into society designations of the most extrava
giant character has had the effect of increas
ing the expenses of ordinary domicile at the
national capital A reasonably respectable
house rents all the way from $500 to 81 500
per year, unfinished, and houses in tho
fashionable quarter rent freely at higher
rates. Marketing here is not more extensive
than the average of the other cities, and VET
1t IS higher than at Baltimore and Philade,-
phia. Strange to relate, house rents at BaIti-
more are vastly cheaper than at Washington.
and for $40 or $50 per month a better and
more completely furnished residence can he
readily rented in Baltimore than twice that
amount would obtain III Washington. In
fact, palatial mansions can be bad in Balti-
more, III excellent neighborhoods, for less
than $500 per annlm.
AN EN-NEMBERS EXPERIENCE.
The only disadvantage which operates
against Baltimore as being utilized as the
residence adjunct of Washington is the dis
lance OF forty miles, or eighty miles daily
travel gong and corning. And yet it would
pay not only congressman. but department
employees, to reside in that city, the drawback,
being the fatigue of travelling more than tho !
time consumed or the additional expense Of |
railroad fare Counting cheap house rent and I
and offsetting by railroad fares
and time consumed, there is nevertheless q
good margin IN favor of Baltimore. On these |
members of congress who arc not |
disposed TO devote all their time to society in
dulgences can live on their salaries and save
by domiciling at Baltimore, but as
q rule they prefer TO go broke at Washing
ton.
An ex-member of congress, who had barely
Suliclent money left TO pay railroad fare
home after the close of the last congress,
larratlng his experience in living in a fur
nIshed house. gave the following account of
how lie mad made biz mistake: Il rented
4 Spalseiy furnished house at s., 0G0 per wear,
rom Oct |, 1855, 70 April /, 1857, nineteen
months, at SS3.$3 peY month. total Of
81 ,5s3.2I The house unfinished was nos
worth mora than $50 per month: in fact. [
,ould have rented better one for so on
CapItOl hill. but that neighborhood was not
fashionable enough for my family. But al
80 per month the nineteen months rent
would he $3.50, and, therefore, paid S533. IS
ent OF the old, rickety furniture and badly
worm carpets
Il was obliged TO purchase tableware and
lnen and likewise bought several articles Of
lInltUTe wherewith TO make the house de-
ent. Now. | would have bought more and &
etter furniture than was in that house for ,
PISS than the amount | paid for its nineteen !
Months rent, and at the end OF nv term ,
ouid have sold il at auction for 10 per cent. ,
ess. so that I would have realized at leaS. :
,JOU, making the rent or use Of the furniture !
ost not over 800. The furniture could have
cen purchased on the installment plan. one I.
llrd down and the balance on monthly IN :
ailments OF not more than So. As it is. :
ave paid more tOan the value OF the fr,rni-
Ire in rent and have nothing to show for it. +.
~ advice to members Of congress depending
n their salaries and having families with
le-n IS to rent a modest priced house and :
i-1lish 1t, for cash if they have it. otherwise
4 the installmont plan. n-kansa. City Il
lines
Dfrtiest Place in America
No fairer spot exists on the earth for
reat metropolis than this Manhattan island. )
ashed al the feet b. the most superb bar =