Omaha daily bee., 1893-08-13
LIVE IN REGAL SPLENDOR
How Some of the Peoples Servants Are
Housed at Washington.
THEIR MAGNIFICENT PALACES OF ABODE
Short Descriptions of Many OF the Most
Famous Dwelling Places OF Senators
and Reprcscntatives-Ot
who Fare Not So Well.

fortune in having to come to this hot place
in the dog days and do legislative work.
Some of them were called hither from the
cool mountain resorts of New England or
the rivers of the north, while others were
found basking in the breezes of the sea-
shore when President Cleveland's message
commanded them to attend their posts of
sworn duty.
Washington is comfortable spot in the
winter, but it is bakeoven during July,
August, and most of September The scores
of miles of asphalted streets absorb the pour
ing southern sun, and at times they grow so
hot as to run like pitch. 1t is something like
walking on an oven to promenade Pennsyl-
vania avenue these days. 1t Is true the
Potomac is at hand, and, as the crow flies,
we have the Chesapeake, say within twenty
miles, and the ocean adjoining; but the
breezes do not percolate this place after
waiting off the ocean. They are caught up
in the peach orchards Of Maryland's pen
| insula and made so everlasting warm as to
| be most uncomfortable here. But there Is
| air at night and generally the weary states
man or politician can get comfortable
| sleep With sleep, you know, u man can
! live most anywhere, for that is the great
restorer after all; IT gives the strength, not
| the food we eat.
|
| Not every man in congress has a hard
| time. Not all of the 440 live in squalor and
| work from early dawn till midnight. 1t is
| true that there are some poor devils who
have none of this worlds goods and large
families or debts at home, and they try to
| pull themselves out at the end of each year
with a few hundred dollars ahead for rainy
days, but majority live in elegance and
have much better times than wei-to-do men
at the places they call "home," when they
| run for reelection.
AS passed the paatial residence at the
corner of X and Sixteenth streets this morn
ing and looked at the comforts of some of
our statesmen, thought of ease and luxury
| instead of the 'squalor' mentioned in cam
paigns. There is the especial . bode of Sen
ator Hale of Maine. The senator lives il
the bran new white stone residence owned
| by his wife or mother-in-law, either of which
is the same as his own 1t is an immense
structure, larger and far grander than the
white house, and is worth over S5OO,0OO l
presume, the way real estate sells here.
There are beautiful drives u barn and walks
on ground worth SO a square foot. Its fur
nishngs are oriental in elegance.
Just down street block is the immense
and beautiful home of the late Senator Stan
ford of California 1t is Il part of q residence
extending from street to street and built of
stone. Any one would consider it fortune
if he owned it.
"Stewart Castle"
tant from the two palaces mentioned. 1t is
the residence of Senator Stewart, the Ne
vada silver man. For years it has been the
legation headquarters of the Chinese dipo-
mats, and commanded an annual rental of
about $4,000. 1t is a great, dark brick and
stone structure, just across on the corner
from the handsomest and most valuable resi-
dence in the nations capital, owned by Mr.
Letter, the retired Chicago merchant.
Senator Stewart is a millionaire-in
| silver mines, mortgages and real estate here.
Speaking Of the Letter mansion am re-
minded of a bit of gossip in real estate cir
| cles. MIR Letter has lived in Paris many
years and has come to the conclusion that
he and his family would like to become
Parisianized. as has James Gordon Bennett,
who, after inheriting fortune from his
father IN New York and making another
one with his great newspapers, went to
Paris decade ago and has become citizen
there, establishing an Americanized news
paper which publishes for the English
speaking readers of Europe all the news of
the United States, inclined to bring our
country and people into ridicue and drag
down our securities and respecta bility. 1t
is not likely, however, that should MIR.
Letter go to Paris to live he will follow the
example of Mr.. Bennett and do SO much to
injure American interests.
Letters Fine Residence for Sale.
well, as was about to say Mr.. Letter
just as he has completed his great and mag
niticent residence here, which he intended
to make his home, has concluded to live in
Paris, and so wants to sell his house to the
federal government for white house OF
residence for the president. There has
been great deal Of agitation for years in
the direction of purchasing residence fol-
the family of the president, and it would moi
.. be strange if the Letter residence, which has
not yet been occupied by any one, and which
is admirably located and designed for the
purpose, is purchased as a presidential man
, sion. 1t has spacious grounds, occupying as
| it does, whole fla atiron" square, is built Of
3 | white stone and marble, is larger than any
, | other residence in Washington, is in the
most fashionable quarter, and any presiden
.. would be tickled to have 1t as his officia
. family abode.
3 Just across Massachusetts avenue from
t Senator Stewards house is the beautiful
residence of the late Mr. Blaine-a hous,
he built with view to occupying when he
was elected president
: Down Massachusetts avenue q short dis
| tance Is the beautiful residence of ex Sena
t tor Van Wyck of Nebraska now occupied b,
5 Chief Justice Fuller. little further on il
4 the large and handsome residence of Senato
h. Proctor, the millionaire gentleman from
4 Vermont, who has made his fortune il
S granite. Senator Henderson lives on ;
: fashionable corner within short distanc,
: of Senator Proctor. Then there is in tn,
: same neighborhood Colonel Tom Bayne O
Allegheny City, Pa, who has served many
years in congress and is taking things eas,
with IA splendid competence.
g Senator Cameron of Pennsylvania is over
a hauling his magnificent residence overlook
= ing the square in front of the white house
1t is another senatorial palace. Around tn
Q street a short way is the Corcoran house, oc
, cupied by Senator Brice of Ohio 1t is still
3 another veritable palace. And Senator Qua,
I of Pennsylvania has bought lot and will
@ build Sl00, 900 dollar residence so as to b
:, a little more comfortable
y In Princeiy Style.
At the corner Of X and Fifteenth street
Representative Hit Of Illinois owns IA larg
and handsome Washington residence wit
spacious grounds. He lives princely Acros
n the street Representative Tom johnson @
J. Ohio lives in true Oriental style.
J. There are a hundred men in congress VIII
have Washington homes of their own, an
' many Of them live extravagantly. The
= would not suffer much in any kind G
v weather, and the work they have to do
% not onerous. But there are others in tn
- other class of congressman who really suffe
from the services they are called upon
perform. They live in cheap boardin
houses, have 10 do their own clerical wor
m and are either rustling through th
ic executive departments, in the con
10 mittee room at the capitol, or at the
'e lodging house desks from early mornin
y until late at night. They are hard workers
u and are trying to economize. But these al
II the men who work at home. They are tb
ie ordinary lawyers or merchants or farmer
NJ. aaNRN. all fg. l.A,u H..