Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-06-13
CAPITAL GOSSIP:
MAsznoron, June Z, lse

ABnAH0A08t ~e8@ " e~'
There d Q whole library Of romance
In the waste paper Of he Government.
At The Treasury trusted women are en-
ployed 70 do nothing else bat 20 over
The contents Of The departments scrap
baskets. This task they perform chiefly
for the purpuse Of picking out the money
which now and then flnds its way Into
such receptacles. Quito often consider.
able sums have been discovered In this
manner. On one OCCASION . package OF
signed warrants from the once OF the
First Comptroller, representing many
Thousands Of dollars, Was encountered
among the refuse. Who're such enor-
nous quantities Of cash 10 dinerent
shapes arc handled daily II 10 not surpris.
Ing that some Of Il should be Lost ana
should eventually reach the place OF de-
poslt for all wallis and strays. Money 10
most freQuntly found In express wrap.
pers which have contained sums 10 paper
notes and certificates sent In for redemp--
ton by banks. The remitter Ia obliged
In every such case to pay the charges
both ways. Very often, ut the last
moment, he will slip Into the parcel the
amount 10 change required for the return
transportation. Very probably the coins
drop between the folds OF the stih brown
paper envelope and conceal themselves.
They are not discovered until the wrap
pers are carefully torn 10 pieces in the
waste room. In some cases they are
only disclosed by tearing on the seals,
beneath which they have hidden them-
selves.
The two branches Of Congress throw
away an immense quantity Of paper.
During short session the doorkeeper OF
the House sells 600 worth Of IL, and the
amount Il doubled In . long session.
Fully 100, 900 pounds Of refuse bills and
laws are carted away TO the junk shops
during each Congress. They fetch from
Si .25 TO sl.40 per hundred pounds. All
such documents are kept for one year 10
the document room and then disposed OF.
The Senate wastes about ono quarter %
many bIlls and laws, which are sold 10
the same way BY the sergeant-at arms.
The Interior Department produces
more waste paper than oil the other de.
partments put together, on account OF
lie great extent, including a. II does the
Pension Once, the Census Bureau, ana
other branches. A room In the main
building Il set apart for the reception OF
all such rubbish. The material fetches
81 cents per hundred pounds. Taking
the wear around II averages In quantity
nearly $4,000 pounds month. An odd
story 10 told OF Q young woman 10 the
Land Office who threw away an envelope
containing her pay for two weeks. She
discarded Il absent mindedly, thinking
she had taken out the money. On dis
covering her mistake she Was naturally
much distressed. She did not know
where she had dropped the envelope, but
colored porter had the Judgment to
look In the waste-paper room, and there
he found Il after q search. Another en-
ploye Of the Interior Department, . man
this time, on receiving bis pay envelope,
walked out to lunch and mailed u In q
letter box on the corner. He discovered
the blunder at once, however, and got
the envelope back from the postman
when he came along to empty the box.
When President Cleveland Issued bis
celebrated manifesto closing the White
House to all ofiice-seekers, the class 90
seriously affected gathered, ~ their only
crumb OF comfort, consolation from the
hope that the seclusi0n thus Afforded
their chief would influence him to make
more appointments and make them
more rapidly. In this, however. they
have been disappointed. While, ~ fore
shadowed In this correspondence,
changes in the various departments are
being made by the cabinet officers ~
rapidly 40 possible, Mr.. Cleveland HIM
self does not seem to be greatly concern
ed about the urgent desires Of the hosts
of anxious applicants, and does not seem
Inclined to act with any more expedition
than he did before. He has recently
been making but few changes, and they
Of minor importance. The ofiice-seekers
continue to hang on here In considerable
numbers, and they are very gloomy
looking lot. They are getting what
satisfaction they can through abusing the
President and worrying such Of their
Senators and Representatives a. are still
In the city, but they are accomplishing
little by 40 doing. They are generally
agreed that Mr.. Cleveland II hard TO
understand and have about concluded
that he can not BE- bullied.
The Census Bureau has Issued q
bulletin on the social statistics OF cities
which will be of Interest to many people.
The bulletin Il about saloons, and II Is
shown that In 257 cities, with total
population Of l5,3l6,lG7, there are 6l,-
336 such places, an average OF one Tor
each $50 persons-men, women, ana
children. The range, however, Is quite
wide, varying from 60 persons In some
cities to 2,lil 10 one and 6,236 in others.
In the cities over 100000 the range Is
from l03 persons to n saloon In San
Francisco and l2s In Buffalo to so In
Philadelphia and 2,4G0 10 Pittsburg.
The licenses on these saloons vary all
the way from 90 to S2,S25 per annum.