The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-22
CAPITAL GOSSIP.
Suffering Of the Poor in Cold
Weather.
What Our PostoGlce Department CsSts Un
Gle sam--Average Salary of Postmasters.
What IA Brass Chain. Cheek and Pluck
WIN Do-Ouay a Great Student.

Will Do-Quay Great student.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2e. - Especial. i
During tho recent cold weather there was
extraordinary suffering among the poor
people of the national capital. Among tho
contributors to the relief fund were Prcsi-
dent Cleveland and John II. Mclean, the
Cincinnati newspaper publisher, who lives
In this city. A great deal Of the suffering
here was caused by the cold, for the reason
that the poor people of this latitude are
not as well prepared for rigorous weather
as arc their companions In misery who
live farther north. Cold weather is COM
paratively rare here, and when it docs
come IL finds the very poor wholly unpre-
pared. "A great number of the houses
rented to the poor people OF this city are a
disgrace TO any civilized community They
are half ruined old Shells with miserable
roofs and rotten floors, and the wonder Is
that there was not more suffering on the
part OF the unfortunate people compelled
TO live In them. These novels are often
exceedingly profitable property, paying
from l2 to 10 per cent year upon the In
vestment. They are what is known here
as alley houses, from the fact that they are
Duilb III tDt CtnbCIs VI DlOCho, Ntth
for their streets. These houses are ia
vorite form Of investment In Washington.
No Paternity In 1t.
The people OF the Capital City complain
bitterly at the nigRardliness OF congress
In dealing with their local needs. As Is
well known, there Is no local government
In the Capital City. The executive man
agement Is in the hands of a board Of
,tso aa hu thu
president, while the legislative function Is
exercised by congress. Congress Is the
town council for Washington. Many OF
the western and southern statesmen, who
are devoted to economy bear down rather
hard upon the Capital City They look at
this beautiful town, with its air Of pros
perity and even luxury, and conclude all
this IL due to the fact that the place has
Uncle Sam behind 1t. They say the people
OF Washington are species of government
paupers, where Uncle Sam exercises a sort
of paternal care over his children and Is
making their town one of the show places
Of the country. 1t Is n fact that the peo-
pie here are not able to get from congress
an adequatJ appropriation for charity pur-
poses on account OF this prejudice Where
as In any other city of the country prop
er fund would be provided for care of the
poor out of the taxes here the work of re-
lief has to be carried on almost entirely by
private subscription. Notwithstanding
these little drawbacks, Washington Is be-
lieved to be one of the best governed cities
In the country, and the people here would
vote by an overwhelming majority against
going back TO local self government
The Postal Service.
A reader of these dispatches writes to
me asking for some information as to tho
cost OF running the great postal machine
of the government. willingly comply,
recognizing that the postal service Is the
branch of tho government in which all
citizens take keen interest, because its
operations come to all our doors and enter
our social life. For accurate information,
In response to the inquiry of my CORE
spondent, appealed to the postofflce au-
thorities For this year, the year ending
June 80 next, the postoflce department
Will cost the enormous sum of SS7, 600, 900.
1t Is significant of the rapidity with which
our mails are dispatched and of the devel-
opment of the railway postoflices, OF which
Americans were the originators, that by
far the greatest item of expense In the
postal machine Is that for the railway
mail operations. Including cost of cars,
pay of clerks and money paid the railroads
for hauling the cars, the total outlay for
this purpose during the present year will
be $35, 000 900, or more than one third of
the entire cost Of the postal service. OF
this great sum $25, 500 900 goes to the rail-
roads for carrying the mails, SO, coo, 600
for postal cars and maintenance and moro
than 81, 600, 900 for pay of clerks. of whom
there are now moro than 5000. The sec
ond largest item In the cost Of running
the postal service is the salary of postmas-
ters, amounting to SIG, 900, 600. Inasmuch
as there are about 700 postofices, Ii
will be seen that the average salary of
postmasters is not much over 5000.
The third largest item is the cost of the
free delivery service, which most people
would have put ahead Of everything else
had they been called upon to make an es-
innate But the free delivery service costs
only little more than SIC, 600, 900, while
the clerks hired in postofiices to assist
postmasters cost nearly $40, 600, 900.
= Will and y Way.
A membeh OF congress from western
New York tells me an interesting story OF
how u tramp settled down in Buffalo and
made a raise. 1t appears the fellow had
once been a prize1ghter, but had had
some sort of hard luck and been compelled
to take to the road. Tramping was not In
his line, however, and on reaching Buffalo
he concluded he had had enough of IL. by
phoveling In coal from tho sidewalks he
managed TO pick up few dollars, and
with these he provided himself q silk hat
and brass watch chain. His check and
experience with human nature did the re-
mainder. He rented vacant storeroom,
bought little whisky and barrel Of beer
and few cigars, all on credit. A board
placed over two barrels stood on end made
him a bar A few soapboxes answered
for chairs for bis customers. Tho glass
ware was as cheap as IL could be- Nothing
but sawdust was put on the floor. The
pictures on the walls wero cut out OF the
comic papers. AT night the place is light.
ed by tallow dips. To this chcaply impro.
vised drinking saloon the ex-prizenghter
gave fancy namo and invited his friends
TO the opening Tho novelty Of the thing
made hit, and it Is said the ex tramp Is
now making $500 n week out OF bis rough
Joint, while gilt edged, marble lined,
pnt s,1oeo Hrtpl In oaloot, hnt fotv Hoors