Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-13
WASHINGTON CHARACTERS.


 csting Feature of Capital Life.
 One of the saddest features of the always varying life in Washington, says a corre- spondent, is the gradual disappearance of the "old timers" 1 do not want to call them the 'Colonels," sMajors" and Judges" for that would include some who dc not really belong to the charming and clever parasites who are meant by the ''old-timers." They are broken-down gen. tlemen, persons who have seen "better days" who never did and who never would work, but who are yet persons of fine at tainments, charming conversatlonalists, agreeable in their manners, and yet always waiting near some genteel bar for the invi- tation that will surely come to indulge in something genial and exchange flash or two of brilliant wit or narrate some thrill ing story of romantic personal experience ip the days when they were rich in slaves and land and lived the lives of veritable sybarites.
 Five years ago, when first began an in innate acquaintance with the valiegated life of this political capital, there were per- haps round dozen notable hangers-on of this type. Hardly one of them but could quote the Latin and Greek classics by the ream in the original tongue; most of them were well read in elegant literature of all times, and could discuss 1t in the most charming manner; all of them had been actors in real romances and tragedies of luxurious social life, and scarcely one had any parts so objectionable as to make him shunned by the best gentleman with whom he came into contact. Now they have dwindled away to two or three That is, l there Is only that number in sight Sev. l eral are dead.
 One has just come forth after several | months in the hospital, and immediately | began to strike his old friends for the generous entertainment which was the means of sending hlm into retirement. One has actually abandoned tho hospitable precincts of tho hotel bars and the appetiz | ing and inexpensive free lunch, and Is making throadbare living by copying and l letter writing for this and that one of his friends, who like to encourage the old boy l in his novel attempt to earn his bread by l the sweat of his brow It was departure that was drowned upon in an almost savage manner by the others of his crowd as being not only degrading, but as @ pernicious l innovation upon time-honored precedent which tended to bring them all into con- tempt. It was Q daring thing to do, and has | resulted in the utter ostraclsm of the bold old boy, but he has stuck to it bravely in the face of many temptations and dis l couragements. I fear there will be 6 change soon, however. Evidently the luncheon that comes by purchase is not as 1 liberal as that which comes without money ] and without price. The poor man grows l thinner and thinner, his voice sounds as l though there were a vast vacuum in his l stomach, and if he does not find starvation l preferable to reeeivin g the cut direct from l his old friends he will doubtless soon be seen at regular intervals lowering about the best layouts of free luncheons to get l the freshest salads and tish-balls and pork l and beans and cold meats when they first l appear. Not one of them has a watch That useful bit of gentlemen's wear long | ago went the way of their "uncle'' to l everlasting oblivion, but some mysterious l intuition informs them to second of the time when the free lunch will be spread, and the moment when this or that friend | who will set up the drinks will present his | welcome face upon the scene.
 They have been a great study to every student of human nature in this town of queer characters, but their race will soon be ended, and there Is none to take their place. Their tribe will become extinct with the dropping out of two or three tot tering forms which are yet to be seen in
 their favorite haunts, and what that means
 to Washington you who are not to the man.
 per either born or educated will never
 know: It means the passing away of fg- l ures which more than all else suggest the
 life of the aristocratic South before the l war, and in their indolence and inability to
 do the least thing for their own mainten- ance tell of the immeasurable effect of the ! curse of human slavery.