The morning call., 1890-05-05
Quaint and Funny Missives From Backvood
northumberland for Lit.
tie Favors.

IA;H1AsHINGToN, April 25.-About 1000
@eHEE9 letters day are received by the mem.
eNN9.S bers OF the House. Prominent Repre-
seEtatives average daily from twenty
hve TO 100 letters. Chairman OF prominent
committee gets more than one of the minority OF
the Committee on Revolutionary Claims General
Harry Bingham, Chairman of the Postoffice Com
mittee, averages fifty day. General Ben But.
terworth, Chairman OF the Committee on Patents.
receives larger number. Major Mckinley
Chairman OF the Committee on Ways and Means
is overwhelmed with letters from the people. A
new member receives eight or ten letters a dav
at the beginning of his career In Congress. The
number gradually increases. II he remains I'm
the House half dozen terms il viii nearly
double with each succeeding term. With the let
tiers come scores OF public documents and uuan-
titles OF newspapers. At times the desk of
member resembles the exchange" table of
rural editor.
Quaint and funny letters are scattered through
Congressmans mall The Representative ia
beset by many correspondents seeking financial
aid. More than this, the managers OF fairs and
festivals for benevolent, religious and other pur-
poses send him scores OF tickets and request
him to remit the money for them. He gets them
not only from his own district, but also from the
District of Columbia. Washington leyIes per-
sonal tax upon all Congressman 1t charges
them more for board and rooms than others are
charged. 1t takes one day 10 twelve In the
House for legislation In Its interest 1t has
lately, to use sententious slang expression
got onto the ticket racket and is working 1t for
all II is worth"
Along with the letters come scores OF circulars
gaudily printed and otherwise. Political and re.
lgOus tracts and w0man's suffrage aud prohibit
tlon circulars load down his malls. There are
protests from farmers, knights OF Labor post
office clerks, printers, pilots and hundreds of
others against legislation Threatening their in
terests. The tariff agitation brings MIN commun-
tclttOQs from 1000 Trades and industras i'm,
Ing attention. They range from the great iron
manufacturer down 10 the makers of toothpcks
and coTks.
wise Congressman never allows his mail 10
accumulate. He Sits 1t every day and answers
MS letters promptly. In this way he pleases his
correspondents and saves much time and annoy
ance for himself Some of the missves received
are very amusing: Not long ago Representa-
Tive from Gulf Stale opened letter while sit
ling at his desk He smiled aud passed IL TO a
brother member. 1t came from a constituent.
Inc writer Ter wa; evidently poor man on the
about his health and tile health OF his family he
came 10 business. He said that his wife had
big gold breast-pin. with wooden back. Upon
the back were carved the initials, &C. w" He
Claimed That the Carving was done by George
Washington himself, at Mount Vernon, soon
after the close OF the Revolution. He tried 10
sell the pin in the county where lie lived but had
never been offered more than two dollars for 1t.
" One man." said he, tried TO swap a hog for
the pin, but got shut OF MIN mighty quick |
done reck0ned that you, beln' u Congressman
knowed some miiyonare up In the House, who
right glad 10 pay $500 or $500 for the PIN"
He added that If bis Congressman could find
such man he would be willing 10 pay him So
for his trouble. He wanted TO hear from him
right away. The quicker he got TO WORK the
better.
This letter was shown in the cloak. room dur.
ing dull debate. II brought out another letter
received by Florida Representative. The
writer said that he understood there was re-
ward OF 5000 offered for a duplicate OF the cane
carried by General Jackson while he lived In
the White House. lie added that he had lately
the National Museum III Washington. He
pesonght MS Congressman TO hie a pho
a0 0g iaHs ,, ana go down to the museum
could send him the photograph. and he thought
ne could make perfect duplicate with his Jack
knife His condolences in his whiting powers
was so great that lie promised to pay all the eX-
penses OF the Congressman and to give him SO
besides, If he would forward the photograph and
hnd The man who offered the $500 for The dupli-
cate.
The writer was anxious that the Representa-
i've should go to work as soon as possible as he
near Rome, Ga.
The exhibition Of this letter evoked another
received by North Carolina Representa-
tive. A few weeks ago he found In his mail
letter from the wife of a constituent In the
| mountains. She was making a crazy quilt. She
besought him to go to the President, the men,
bers OF The Cabinet, the General of the Army,
the Admiral OF the Navy, the Justices of The SD.
| preme Court, and all the Senators aud Congress
| men, and get an old tie from each one She
| asked that lie would DO so Immediately aud for.
| Ndiu tue lies ny express.
Another member displayed a letter received
from west Virginia. square OF white silk was
lnclosed The writer was young lady WHO was
getting up an autograph quilt for a church fair.
She asked that the Representative would vut his
autograph upon the strip OF SILK aud give %
cents TO have IL sewed into the quilt. He was to
wrap the 20 cents In the silk and inclose IL in
letter: The Representative did as requested Ii
each Representative sent his sample and quarter
| the young lady received 4l9 autoprapiis and
S104 10.
Benton Mcmillin retaIled an amusing story
which he said he had heard from the lips Of God
love 5. Orth, formerly wellknown Representa-
| tive from Indiana. Soon after the beginning of
tne war an old Hoosler no lived In his district
wrote hlm letter. Ii was addressed to the
| HoNRIBEL GODDESS S. ORTIZ,
HOUSE OF RIPS
Washington ID. o.
lt.began thus:
Dear ledge: l take my pen In hand to let you
know that we all ell an hope this will and Won
are enjoyin' the same blessin'.
He wrote that he had wife and boy that
was mighty smart. He said that he had voted
candidate, aud he thought it was about time he
| got something. He said that he understood that
the Government had lots OF guns on hand, and
double barreled shotgun for his boy
Eel a 9reech-loader II you can" he con-
tnued, "and If you can't git breech- loader send
on good muzzle-loader stub and twist barrels.
The boy Is st 13 years old, an he kin shoot Tx
ole Dannel Boon. After you send tue shotgun
please to send Inc yer latest report on aericulter
| an lot OF garden seeds for my WIFE,"
| Mr.. Oith finally wrote that he was very sorry
| ne could not send the shotgun, because the Gov
eminent was In need OF all the guns IL could get
.}etO put down the rebellion. He look great pieas-
| ure, however, In sending his latest agricultural
report aud the garden seeds for the mans Wife
| -Four years afterward, when the war had
| closed, Ortiz picked up another letter one day
| with the same direction. In this the old man
| called his attention to the fact that the war
| Just ended and that the Government must hays
heaps NV guns on hand" He therefore wanted
hm TO send by the first express a double. bar
| relied shotgun, "breech- loadin'," for his how
"Ihe boy is now goin' on for II year an, he is
the best shot In Injeany. GIT him good gun am
GIT IL quick, Tor the hollerday shOotn Is a COMM
| on an he wants to Kill somethin' for ChrlSmIs,
In conclusion the old Hooser said; II want YOU
TO send me the latest copy OF your agricultural
| report an my wife wants sum more garden
Seeds" s
Mr.. Ortiz was In quandary. He thought over
the matter for some lime. aud finally concluded
| tnat there was only Que way out OF the dIffcuIty
| de bought secondhand shotgun, breech load.
| Ing aud sent IL to the old man by express AT
the same time his latest agricultural repOrt and
the garden seeds were forwarded.
MI McA1liin says that lie afterward heard
That Ortiz was avenged. One day as the old mau
| was trying the power OF the gun It exploded and
killed him. But McMillin does NOT saw that
GODDESS 5. Orth" told him this.
Copyright, 1890 AMOS J. CuuurSas
Get the Best.
DE was an honest-looking mechanic who had