The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-05-09
ABOUT MEN AND THINGS
GOSSIP FROM THE CAPITAL ON THE
WINDING POTOMAC.
Office Seekers Who Once Had Good Grip
on Life, but Are Now Plunged Into CHM
merriam Gloom-Pie-Dearth of Pretty
Women at the legations.


WASHINGTON, April 29-Among the many
office seekers who haunt the hotels and the
White House notice one who was once worth
a million dollars. Another once sat in the
senate of the United States and was talked of
for the presidency. A third gaveu lucra-
tive law practice in western state some six
or eight years ago to enter politics He car
ried his district for congress and was twice
reelected. Tomaintain himself politically In
his district and to cut the social figure which
he and his family thought indispensable here
in the capital he spent while in congress, over
and above his salary, the sum of S45, 900, or
all he had In the world. He is now without
property or income and an aspirant for q
$500 job, with no certainty Of getting it.
Ex-Governor Carpenter, of Iowa, man who
once had as bright prospects as any public
man in his state, is another type of the politi-
cal unfortunate. In the pursuit of fame he
sacrificed a comfortable fortune, and is now
small farmer, with mortgage on his place,
and candidate for postmaster in a town
where the salary is but little more than
thousand dollars year. Ex-senator Spencer
Of North Carolina, is now clerk in the
interior department. OF the men now in
Washington looking for employment in the
public service fully one-haf are ex-something
or other-judges, congressman, senator's or
foreign ministers That was good advice
which Congressman Dolliver, the young ora
tor from Iowa, gave one of his constituents
the other day. The constituent, young man
of bright prospects and good abilities in his
chosen -journalism-asked Dolli-
We tO pnt q hn
CHEESEMAN'S reply was; 81 could get you a
place, but won't; am too good a friend of
yours Stick TO your newspaper, and after
politics has played out with me and have
played out in politics, perhaps you will be
able to help me out by giving me a job. If
you come down here looking for government
employment I'll have you arrested and sent
home as a lunatic."
The president has appointed a good many
newspaper men to desirable places, but the
chances are that every one of them will wish
he was back in his editorial den, with his ear
to the worlds telephone and his finger on the
worlds mightiest machine, before the first
year of his service has expired. Several for
mer editors were candidates for public print
er, the law requiring the incumbent of that
office to be practical man in the art preserv-
alive. OF one of these candidates the story
is told that some years ago while editing tele-
graph on far western paper he wrote this
head line: "The Germans Have Taken Meets
and There Is Panic on the Brouse." On
another occasion type setter went to his
foreman with a piece of copy which had
passed through the hands of the editor in
question. The typo said he wanted to quit,
and when asked what for, declared he didn't
want to work for man who spelled Japan
with two ps and Spaniard with q Y. An
other candidate for public printer was re-
Gently approached by man who said to him:
II hear you are going to be public printer.
Now, you may think want togeta job from
you, but don't. simply want you to let me
help you buy your ink. I know the printing
ink trade from top to bottom. There's big
commissions in the trade, and you and 1 will
divide The first year we won't be able to
make much, because there is so much ink on
hand. But the second year we will be able
to divide $4,000, and the third year SIC, 1000.
The fourth and possibly your last year we
will fill the office full Of ink, and divide be-
tween us about $4,000 1 know this can be
done because it has been done, though not re-
Gently. You never saw such a concern to
to eat up ink as this government printing
office" And having made this amazing
proposition he was promptly kicked down
stairs by the editor to whom he made it.
Whitelaw Reid, Murat Halstead, Robert
Porter, John Hicks and Ellis Roberts are all
practical printers, able to go to case and set
a thousand ems an hour. First Assistant
Postmaster General Clarkson is swift COM
positor. His record is chalked on the wall in
the composing room of his newspaper, The
Des Moines Register, and whenever printer
comes along and beats it the editor pulls off
his coat, goes up stairs and proceeds to timber
up his joints and eclipse the new conner. Word
comes from Des Moines that the printers hope
during their chiefs absence in Washington to
have his record SO far surpassed that he will
never be able to catch up. Clarkson has a
small private room in his printing office fitted
up with q case of type, and here he has taught
all of his boys to handle the stick and rule.
Several of his nieces have also learned how to
set type. In a pinch the Clarkson family
could set up The Register, though there is not
much danger of strike there, for Clarkson
is very popular with the printers. When he
first went to Des Moines and worked twenty
hours day as local editor of Tn Register
hAo Wal LlcSO IL WSlO anu Ills
wife's warmest friends were the wives of
members of the craft These friends have not
been forgotten in the hour of success. When
Mrs. Clarkson makes out cards for reception
none of her old printer friends are forgotten
Sir Julian Pauncefote. the new British
minister, will bring several English bean
ties with him to the American capital, They
will be welcome, thrice welcome, FOR the red
son that since the departure Of Sackville
West and his interesting family, the two
dozen foreign Legations here have not boosted
one really pretty woman. The handsomest
legation lady here is Nine. Romero, wife of
the Mexican minister, and she is American,
o native Of Chicago, Next TO her in win
someness is Nine. Mutsu, wife Of the Japan
ese minister, whose quaint, demure face and
petite figure present many Of the character
istics which have made the japanese women
famous the world over. 1t is queer fact
that all of the naval officers who have cruised
in japanese waters return to their native
land full Of enthusiasm for the women of
Japan. have heard half dozen Of these
young officers say that if they were rich
enough to be able to afford it they would 20
to Japan, Goods Country" marry Japan
ese belle, and there spend the remainder of
their days 1t is another queer fact that
about all Of the young japanese gentlemen
who come to this country as attaches of lega-
ton, or as students or investigators, fall in