The morning call., 1890-09-28
WASHINGTON
SOCIETY.
Congressman Find 5000 Year
Will Not Keep Them.
Some of the Necessary Expsnses-Apartments
the Rent of Which Amounts to Near,y
Twice Members Salary.


gress from the Fourth Congressional District
of California, he did so on the ground that
the salary of Congressman is insufficient to
support him in the style that he must keep
up in order to be somebody in Washington
society. How near right he was will appear
upon persual of the following from re-
cent issue of the New York World upon the
cost of living in the capital:
Mine hundred dollars a month and we
will give you suite of rooms for your FAM
lily of four"
This was the answer that startled newly
elected Congressman when he consulted
the proprietor of fashionable hotel in
Washington in relation to suitable apart
ments for man in his position. As the
figure was twice the amount that the Con-
gresham received as q salary he looked
elsewhere.
To the country constituent, to whom ten
dollar bill is a semi-occasional possession.
his CongreSsman's salary of 5000 year
seems actual wealth. munificent income
on which he ought not only to fare Sumptu-
ously every day and be clothed in flne linen,
but also to save money. To the Congress
man himself at Washington, obliged TO
keep up his end among men to whom
5000 a year means decent poverty. with
hand. with landlords, clearinghouse
keepers tradesmen and caterers of all kinds
regarding him as their legitimate prey. the
said salary is apt 10 prove an uncomfortaDly
inelastic quality.
Living in Washington per Sc is perhaps
cheaper than in any other city north OF ths
Potomac Rents, except in the fashionable
quarter, are not hish; provisions, especially
meat, fish and green vegetables, are cheaper
than in either New York or PHILADELPHIA.
and servants wages, outside the select cir
Gle who consider themselves reserved Tor
Senators aud members of the Cabinet, are
20 per cent lower. The department clerk
who Is not responsible to society with CAP
ital account, can take pretty house III the
suburbs within easy reach OF the street-cars
and live In comfort inside his salary OF $500
year; The Congressman, on the contrary.
is more or less fetiered by the exigencieS Of
his position, and finds any such living f0r-
hidden by the law of nohlesse oblige.
Should he country constituent in ques-
ton visit the capital and fiHd his member
| far worse his Senator. though their salaries
are the saIne-livlns up back street ana
keeping only two servant girls, he would
probably go home in disgust TO dllate on the
meanness OF such rarsilnonous living. The
man OF affairs is forced to keep in the swim,
and to do So, in Washington as elsewhere,
| requires money, and plenty of it too. If the
member is bachelor or comes to the capt.
tai
WITHOUT HIS WIFE AND FAMILY,
He may easily maintain the prophecies OF
his position and keep within his income,
always provided that he has no unduly eX-
| traYdgant habits. From $50 to 500 month
will provide hun with handsome rooms, and
| his meals-unless he insists on champagne
at dinner-should easily come within 81 IL
| day. The keeper OF the restaurant at the
| Capitol makes a specially of 50-cent lunches
| for "members,' aud many pay still less,
SOmp taxing inprplV sltrA Df and q glass
| Of mix as they stand In the corridors.
The Congressman who brings his family
| to Washington has need to have wife who
| is a practical economist, unless indeed he is
| a man of means outside of his salary. The
rent of a good house in an eligible neigh
borhood ranges, furnished, from Sl25 per
| month TO ten times that amount, or more for
very elegant quarters; unfurnlShed, II you
do not insist upon swell neghborhoOd, you
may get as low as 500; still 500 is not an
unusual price, and some desirable residences
are leased at fancy figures. Add to this the
necessary cost of food, fuel, lights, servants
wages. etc, and the amount lett, even If the
| rent be within $50 month, will scarcely
be found too abundant allowance foT
clothing and living expenses.
Landlords in Washington, Ike their
| brethren at watering places, make their hay
| while the sun shines. and the rent of house
| or an elegant suite OF rooms for the season Is
nearly ii not quite as much as for the whole
| year.
Fairly good board in respectable board
! ing-house may be had for from $40 to $50 a
| week, put, as already said, Congressman
! are generally expected to pay more than
other people. Half the advertisements of
| rooms and board say Member preferred, ]"
and the presence OF such one is supposed
! to give social status TO his dwelling place.
| The least expensive mode of living Is TO take
a suite of rooms and get ones meals outside,
| provided, of course, the one is uEincum-
l.. ~, 1
hotel is enormous. One wealthy Senator
| lays 5000 month for himself and wife for
| a suite OF three, with board. after having Of
Tered SEQ Tor an elegantly furnished house,
Tor which the owner asked $1,000 a month.
If there be wife and daughters they
must perforce, be well dressed and always
make an appearance creditable TO the hus-
| band and father Moreover, the question
| of carriage-hire is an important one.
Washington is the city OF magnificent dis
| tances, and to pay the numerous calls which
are obligatory upon tie wife of every men,
Der Of Congress a carriage is an absolute
| necessity. Possibly one day in the week, if
| she lives in the center of fashion, her calls
may be made on foot, but ordinarily that IS
! impossible. Ii you own horse and
brougham you must pay at least $50 a
month for his board-S40 If you keep pair.
| Add to this the cost of coachman and the
WEAR AND TEAR OF THE CARRIAGE, ETC.
Fully $50 more. and even then the expense
| is less than constant hack hire, unless, in
deed, you can make special arrangement
| with small livery-stable keeper for horses
and driver, having your own carriage.
This matter OF calls is very serious bust
ness in Washington. The wife of a Repre-
sentative UNLESS her husband be the Speaker
or very prominent man, is obliged only to
! observe regularly the days" OF Senators
wives, OF the wives Of members of the CaDi-
net, and TO keep in touch with those OF the
t.l,,
| of Senator must return all calls made on
| her, observe carefully the etiquette of
the diplomatic circles, and, in short, keep
her long visiting list as carefully as a mer-
| chant keeps his ledger
"Mrs. Blank is not very well. thank
you" said Senator recently, in response 10
an inquiry for his wife. La grippe? No.
she it simply worn out with calling. 1t takes
| five days oil every week, her reception day,
Sunday only excepted, 10 keep up her visit
ing list"
The cards for all this ceremonious visiting
are of themselves no infintesimal item of
| expense. The funny newspaper fake"
about the huge Stationers' bills presented to
CDief-Justice Fuller and Senator Evarts for
| cards Tor their numerous daughters; OF how
Mrs. Senator and Mrs. Justice met in coun-
| Gil, and in each household the cards left by
the others were gathered up. each returning
| wheelbarrOw load, and it was mutually
agreed that in the future one card should be
Considered sufficient for each exchange of
pasteooards, instead of, as hitherto. each
girl in the two families leaving one of her
cards for each and every one of the other,
was by no means SO impossible story as it
| may have seemed to the uninitiated
1T is dreadful, my dear, positively dread
full, said lady who had been spending the
season in the capital. You know / am q
mere nobody and go and come when l
please. l haven't a house nor a reception
day, and yet assure you l have used six
packs Of cards in less than two months. and
those have received would fill hali-peck
measure"
The item of postage is still more serious
one. O'Neill of Pennsylvania. who never
neglects to answer even postal card, prob
ably spends hundreds OF dollars year on
postage, and from 80 cents to 81 day is an
ordinary average during the actual session
OF Congress.
The constituents are themselves consid-
cradle source of expense, increasing in direct
ratio to The proximity of the members dis
trict to the capital OF course, each one who
comes to the city expects TO be shown some
l..