The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-10-15
llflllH Ea9le
OF CORRESPONDENTS
ROBERT GRAVES WRITES OF THE
CORPS AT WASHINGTON.
They Are Lively, Hard Working Lot
How Some of Them Lost on a SpecuIa-
tion-A City Editor Discharged for PO-
litical Reasons.
Especial Correspondence

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22.-In this city one
finds constant temptation to write about
newspaper men and newspaper work. The
correspondents enter so prominently into
the life of the capital city, and are such
picturesque, unique factor in the social and
political field, that they attract our atten-
ton and rouse our curiosity. A few days
ago the portraits of thirty of the prominent
correspondents appeared in Frank Leslies
Newspaper. 1t was a gallery Of handsome,
intellectual faces. Twice or thrice as
many might have been printed had the
editor of Frank Deslie's had the space to
spare, for the corps of correspondents at
Washington now numbers a round $50
men. 1t was just after the appearance Of
these portraits that a young and promising
member of congress came to me with
copy of the paper containing the pictures
IN his hand, and exclaimed:
81 am tired of this congressional life.
Though have been here but single term,
and that not yet completed, l am anxious
TO get out of it. My constituents are will
ing to renominate and re-elect me, but l
hesitate. The trouble is that must earn
a living In some way. In my little coun-
try town / am a lawyer. But there could
never hope to make more than two or three
thousand dollars year, and in order to do
that shall have TO wait till four or five of
the old lawyers die off. 1t is almost pa
thetic in the small towns of the part of the
country whence / come to see the young
lawyers and young doctors waiting with
more or less patience for the death of the
old fellows who monopolize the business.
That explains why so many of the young
men run away to the large cities as soon
as the battle of life has with them begun
in earnest. Now / am tired of congress,
and yet ! am afraid TO get out. What shall
l do? Don't you think / could become
successful newspaper correspondent? If l
thought could would refuse a renomi-
nation to congress" To this young con-
gresham l gave some frank advice, and as
result of it ! see he has been renomi-
mated, and no doubt will be reelected.
But IL is not my purpose to moralize on
the advantages or disadvantages Of the
newspaper profession compared with other
professions or with political career. 1
want TO tell few stories about the news
paper men of Washington. Passage of
the anti-lottery bill in the senate, which
puts it upon the statute books as law,
reminds me that this law was suggested
by newspaper man, and the plan of cam
paign which brought about the result
which we see today was by him outlined.
The man to whom the credit for this law
is generally given is Postmaster General
Wanamaker, but the man to whom credit
belongs, at least so far as the birth of the
idea and development Of it in its first
stages is concerned, is Marshall Cushing,
the postmaster generals private secretary
and a well known member of the news
paper corps MIR. Gushing is from Boston,
and a scion OF the famous Cushing family
Of New England which has given TO the
country a number of prominent public
men. He perceived a method by which
the lottery evil could be successfully reach
ed by congressional action, mapped out
plan of campaign, and proposed the matter
to his chief whom lac serves with so much
intelligence and loyalty. Tho postmaster
general quickly adopted the ;dea carried
it TO congress and the law is upon the
statute books.
A short time ago newspaper man of
Washington saved the government round
100000. The postofice department was
about to let a contract for some supplies,
and the night before the bids were to be
opened the correspondent, on his profess
sional rounds, stumbled upon a secret con-
ference Of men at the Riggs house. He
knew some of the men, and bis quick eye
and ear readily told him the purpose Of
their meeting. They were the bidders
whose proposals were to be opened the next
day at the postoiiice department., and they
were arranging their figures so that 10
matter which Of them secured the contract
the price was TO be n liberal one, and the
profits were to be divided among them all in
equal proportions. The correspondent de-
bated with himself as to his duty in the
light Of this discovery 1T is no affair Of
mine" he said to himself. 81 suppose the
postoflice department is smart enough to
take care of itself"
And thus he dismissed the subject from
his mind. But il came back TO him with
this thought: These men are trying TO
swindle the government by a secret ar
rangement, and j claim TO be a law abiding
and loyal citizen. Ought TO permit it?'
He decided that he ought not. and next
morning bright and early was at the post
office department. Postmaster General
Wanamaker gave him a courteous hearing,
as he gives every one a courteous hearing
who has business with him. The story
was told, and though Mr. Wanamakerwas
not inclined to believe it he carefully scrlI-
>inized the bids when they were opened,
and discovered that in all OF the proposals
the prices given were higher than the mar
ket prices for the material in question The
fraud was apparent and new proposals
were advertised for, with the reSNlt of
contract being made which saved the gov
eminent on a years supply a little more
than a hundred thousand dollars.
Secretary Window S call of bonds for the
purpose of relieving the financial situa-
ton recalls an incident OF the last bond
calls made by Mr.. Folger before leaving
the treasury department One of the
brightest Of the newspaper correspondents
In Washintou, who has made a speciality Of
financial news, is Fletcher Hodges. An
other is Jesse SarviSS, who fills unique
position in the news world. He is not a
newspaper man at all, and yet is pur-
veyor of news. BE is employed by the as
Eociated banks Of New York TO secure in
formation for them from the treasury and
from congress concerning matters and
measures in which they are interested.
What he writes is not printed in newSpa-
pers, but Is sent in circular form 10 the
officers of all the banks in New York. Ii
is easy TO see that this is a position Of i'm
mense responsibility and great delicacy.
Sarviss has it in his power TO WELD ire
mendous influence upon the money
market and on the price OF stocks, and
long before this might have made his fort
une in shady ways. He is still poor. One
day during the Folger regime Hodges
made the discovery that several millions Of
fourand-a-haf per cent. bonds were TO
be called. To make sure of it Hodges
went to Secretary Folcer and inquired:
You intend to call the four-and-a-halfs,