Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-22

set Cox owns a house in this vicinity which is
worth about SAC, 600, and one Of the greensboro
mansions which looks out upon Dupont Circle
was bought by Sunset Cox just before he went
to Turkey, and he told me a short time after
this that he had sold it for $50 .000 and had
made Just $40. 900 off of it.
Money in Bricks and Martar.
There are, venture, fifty men in Congress
who have made and are making more money
out Of bricks and mortar than from law max
ing. James G. Blaine added materially to his
fortune by his real estate Investments and Mrs.
Blaine IL one OF the big taxpayers OF Washing
ton Blaines house on Dupont Circle cost
him about 1000, and it has Melted more than
IL per cent during the past ten years from the
rent which Letter has paid for it. II the
reports are correct its rent has brought
IN during this time to the Blaine family some
place between hundred and hundred and
twenty-five thousand dollars. The house
in which Blaine died was bought by
MIN. understand, for $40 square
Ioot: The ground upon which it is
located must be worth over 800. 900 to-
day. Just next to Blaine's house is the yellow
old-fashioned brick of Don Cameron's, for
which he paid S6S 900 six seven years ago
and which you could not buy now for 800, 0OO
1t has wide frontage. and, like that of Blaines,
would be just the place for a great hotel or
hat Don Cameron owns great deal OF prop
erty about Washington. He has a large amount
Of suburban real estate and it seems that
all he has to do il to stick the spade of his
speculative brain into the ground and the
earth straightway turns into gold. Shrewd
a. was his father Simon, Don is said to
surpass him. and he has made gold
galore here in houses and lands. He
built big red brick mansion on Dupont
Circle. which cost him, l am told, some
thing like $4,000 and he sold it in 1885 for
$1,000 cash. This house was bought by d. P.
MORGAN n VnrG hnp lor on4; % ,>cl
by his widow. Just across from it is the
Window house in which Blaine wrote the frat
part OF his book and which practically ruined
its owner politically. photographs of it being
made and distributed with the question as to
how man could build house Of that kind out
OF S5 5000 year: Cameron has a place along
the It'll street road for which no paid some thing
like $3.50 per acre, but which, it is said, you
cannot now buy for a thousand.
How Don Cameron Lost y Fortune.
On the other side Of this house is the home
Of the ex-VIce President, Levi P Morton, which
cost him fortune, and on which he spent an
other fortune in improvements. Mr.. Morton
bought this house from Telephone Bell and 1t
was in connection with Telephone Bell that
Don Cameron made one Of the few mistakes OF
his life. He must have thought of 1t often
when Bell lived in this big red brick house with
him, for which he paid sl0O, 900 The mistake
.nHs Same,oh maoe was IN not going INTO the
Bell Telephone Company. Shortly after Bell
had made the invention and when the
people yet had no faith in
it he called upon Don Cameron and
offered him a controlling interest In his COM
pany for $1,000. Cameron hesitated for
time and finally refused and Bell left his house
disappointed man. He got the money from
other quarters and made his fortune without
the aid Of Cameron's money. Had Cameron
given him that $1,000. it would have brought
him in the neighborhood Of q million dollars
year, so am told for a number of years. In
talking of 1t some time ago he SAID to one Of
his friends: II would have advanced the money
il hadn't been hard up at the time. believed
that tho investment would prove remunera-
tive, but 1 did not like to risk it,
Rich Men Who Rent.
Some Of the richest statesmen here at Wash
ington pay rent for their homes. and it is
wonderful how much money they put on in i'm
provements on rented property. Secretary
Whitney spent more than go. 900 on the old
FrelinShuysen mansion when he went into
it, and John Wanamaker tore down q number Of
Whitney, improvements and made others. Sem
ator Brice has, during the past year, spent
half of the salary Of his six years senatorial
term on the improvements of the Corcorau
mansion and it il not uncommon for rich man
to spend more in making improvements on his
house here thah the rent he pays for il. Chief
Justice Fuller lives in a rented house on the
corner Of 18th street and Mas ga chusetts avenue.
1t is Senator Van Wyck's mansion. which the
Nebraska man built when he was here in Con-
gress at a cost Of something like 800 900, and
which l understand he would be glad to sell for
less than that amount today. Senator Palmer
Of Michigan still owns his big brown-stone
front on Mcpherson Square, which
cost him in the neighborhood OF sS5 OOO
1t was for some years or the market, ard l sup-
pose, now that Secretary Elkins is going to
leave it. that it will be for sale again this sum-
mer. Senator Mcmillan of Detroit paid some
thing like $50 600 for the house which he lives
in on Vermont avenue. and just above him is
Senator Allison's home, which is worth about
$50, 600. One Of the finest houses at the capital
is that OF Senator Hale, which was built with the
money from the estate of Zach Chandler, and
which cost considerably more than Sl5O, OO1
| Both Senator Teller and Senator Wolcott rent
| their houses. and SO does Senator Henderson,
| who has a fine residence next to the house
| OF Gen. Sheridan. Senator Voorhees, owns a
house here which cost him something like
| ella ,000 and Senator Washburn lives in the
prison-lik mansion of Senator Edmunds at
| the corner of Q street and Massachusetts, ave-
nue.. Ex-senator Bayard owns a house here
which is worth perhaps 100000, and for which
| Senator Cullom pays a good round rent. Cush
Davis Of Minnesota has house on Mas
sachusetts avenue just across the street from
/ Cullom's. and q little above this is the big
house in which Secretary Window was
living at the time Of his death. 1t cost
something like S75. 900 to build and it has had
a For Sale sign in front Of it Tor the past
| year.
The late George Pendleton's house is also for
| sale. 1t is on 18th street above Scott Circle,
and is worth ESQ. 900. Next to it is a mansion
which has just been bough. by the Episcopal
preacher Of st. Johns Church for $50, 000 and
| little further up is Bourke Cockrans Wash
ington home which was built by Secor Robe
1 hsAh l.