Arizona weekly citizen., 1892-09-10
A CONGRESSMAN'S LIFE.
It Is Not Altogether a Bnssful Ex-
 istence.
Some of the AnnOyances with Which the Average Statesman Has to Contend Reset on Every Hand by
 Public Demands.

Most days of the average member of
 the house are repetitions each of the
 other. A review of the twenty-fOur
 hours made by a member before closing
 his eyes for nights rest puts him to
 sleep with the thought that the lot of a
 legislator is not always happy one
 and that statesmanship is the least of
 things that enter into his days toll.
 The correspondent of the Philadelphia
 Telegraph asked one of the oldest mem-
 bers of the house to keep a record of
 one day of congressional life. This is it
 in brief: Flight o'clock. breakfast;
 eight thirty, opened mail and laid aside
 all newspapers with marked articles
 for future examination. Read upward
 of ninety letters on all sorts of subjects.
 of which the following are twenty ex-
 amples: One is from a veteran asking
 for information about his pension. He
 gives no postsofice address, and am
 obliged to write a letter to the pension
 office to secure his address. Another
 correspondent wants a number of vol
 umes of geographical survey, which,
 upon investigation, find are not to be had. A veteran writes that he commu- nieated with the pension office Decem-
 be :, 1891, and got a communication from them nearly month later which made no reference to his letter; wants me to go to the office to see if his com municatiOn was received. Another let ter requires me to go to the pension of flee to ascertain what there is defective in the application of the writer for a pension.
 "A gentleman from the agricultural department requests me to accompany him to my home, where he is to deliver a lecture to some of my constituents. Another wants the Congressional Record sent to him. An applicant for pension wants to know where his pa- pers are. One of my constituents writes for me to secure him place in the gov ernment departments. Another wants the report of the bureau of animal in dustry. Another wants his pension matter looked up, but does not give the number of his case. Another wants a position in the government printing office. In another letter the gentleman gives an account of trouble he is having over the exaction of duties from him for goods brought to the custom house. This requires investigation at the GUS toms division, treasury department, and an examination of the law, which shows the duties were properly col lected.
 'The pension office notifies me of the allowance of a pension. The office also wants to know how an applicant for pension in my district spells his name. Another correspondent wants infOrma- tion as to the foreign insurance com panies doing business at the national capital. A pension applicant wants to know all about the surgical report in his case. Another wants me to have a medical examination as to his condition made at his home, because he is unable to travel Another letter is on the sub ject of river and harbor improvements. gentleman wants me to ascer- tain what action has been taken in some land case he has before the government.
 ''These are examples of requests con tained in nearly a hundred letters. Each one requires reply, and most of them involve writing letters to the de partments or making personal visits, many requiring long personal examina- tiOns of department records and un- winding of lots of red tape. Most of the matters are such as must be looked into before going to the capitol.
 After this l go to the committee work. There is a different committee for every day in the week, with sub committee work besides, and on Satur- 1av. besides several subcommittees to look after, I have various departments to visit. At twelve o'clock 1 entered the house, Introduced bills, chased around after the speakers eye, listened to debates, took part in general legisla- ton, answering letters between times, roll calls and received visits from a large number of constituents i and other persons who called me out by card. Five minutes is allowed for lunch meanwhile. and at six o'clock 1 dine. At seven o'clock I again return to my mail and to newspapers and to | and a world of other printed ! matter. This occupies me until eleven '. o'clock, when. for the first time during | the day, get chance for general read | ng and for study, which occupy me ! for an hour or more, until drowsiness ,ompels retirement"