The Washington times., 1895-04-28

| the dollars that they have earned in other
parts.
We all know who are the wealthy people
in town, for their entertainments have
have shown the public what they can take
as a measuring-rod of the money they
possess. But just who pays tax on their
incomes and just what these incomes
amount to is something that is kept pro-
found secret by your Uncle Sam.
In fact, the air of mystery that hangs
over the office of the collector of internal
revenue, where the income returns are mad
up, would appal an ordinary mortal-any
one but newspaper woman, who is ac
customed to facing danger in its many
forms.
The law declares that any one giving in
formation OF the property or oUher such
personal affairs of a person as are set
forth in these proceedings is liable TO
large fine and Imprisonment, and as d
consequence, all the details of the work,
all knowledge of the returns made by
another, are kept from the rest Of the
people who patroniZe the office, and the
public Will never know just who there
were who stepped up and acknowledged 10
having snug sum to spend each year.
THE LADY AND THE CLERK.
Thinking to see something Of the workings
of the thing, Timeslady reporter made her
way up the steps to the room where the
collector and his dapper clerk stand behind
railing that protects them from the crowd.
On the opposite side of the room was high
wire netting that rose from the ceiling
to the floor and behind were desk and two
chairs. The young man, who was slender
oflimb and volubleof words, s,appearedmuch
pleased when the newspaper perwomansaidthat W
she had come in to pay her tax.
We'll / would like to know how you can
tell if / make true statement OF my af-
fairS?" she began, skirmishing against the
enemy. Just suppose / were 10 make a
false return or, being subjecttot the law made
no return at all, could you catch up with
me and force me to pay?"
Il should think we could the young
man replied confidently, as q smile OF
superiority wreathed bis ccuntenauce.
There is no use in anyone trying to escape
this, IL their income renders them liable.
for we will find them out and this viii
only double the amount they have TO paw
Bat ] 90 not think that many try to evade
the tax, for nearly all who have been
touched by the law come in and quietly
settle. always take any ones statement
for the amount of their income, for would
not doubt any one s word.
And so If ] lave an income OF 81 600
and do not come here and state it, you W III
eventually find il out? Why, that supposes
a system or espionage as Perfect as the police
force of tie Russian empirei / ann very
doubtful IL THIS could be Gone" and the
reporter put Gu an air of genuine alarm.
The young man smiled as if lie had caught
the Ignorant lady il cute tap, but he
hadn't
,.T could catcb ,-or, eoS,, o,,o,,cb no cold
'foT ] LEow al1t ady that you have an in
come OF $1,000"
He did? Well, he knew more than any
body else, for the newspaper woman was
painfully aware of that fact that all her
worldly goods consisted OF an Old seal
skin coat ard a rart interest in a wheeZy
typewriter that had seen better days. OF
course, beilg q man, lie lever jumped at
conclusions, but leared lead first into this
one in just the way that the woman had
planned he would.
EVERYTHING PERFECTLY SECRET.
1T would be the best plan for you to
make out Your statement right now" he
continued, as he cast his eye mentally over
the imaginary wealth of his visitor, while
the aforesaid visitor sat devoutly wish
ing 1T Were in her power to make it, ''for
it is poor policy to try and dodge. 1t Will
only bring you extra trouble and expense.
Everything we attend to is perfectly Sc
cret, and we cannot divuige the names or
amounts paid IN, or anything that relates
to our business. The amount is small
only per cent. on all incomes over four
thousand, and the revenues from many
sources, such as rents aud municipal
bonds, are exempt.
For instance, on your income of seven
thousand, the law allows you the four
thousand you are expected to pay per
cent, or tax OF twenty dollars for each
thousand. making sixty dollars fer the
whole three thousand. That is not a
large sum-
But the newspaper woman could not be
persuaded to write up her return, and left
the office with the parting injunction
TO the young man that he could catch her
income if he wanted to-but the chances
are he will be sorry if he ever undertakes
and succeeds III the chase, unless he en-
Joys an April fool.
While, of course, it is absolutely impossi-
Bile to get the names of those who have made
out their returns rs being subject to the la W,
there are enough ladies or wealth in town,
whose fortunes are we'll known 10 form
large circle Of whose liability a pretty
good estimate can be made. OF course,
in cases where the money is that belong
ing to the husband, he is the only one in
the family who pays, but there are many
cases where the fortune is all in the wife's
hands and she is the one who must pay
the sum.
THE RIGGS MILLION.
Among the richest of the single ladies
in the city, are the Misses Riggs, who are
daughters of one of Washington's earliest
business men and the founder of the big
bank OF that name that stands at the corner
of the Avenue and Fifteenth street. They
are very retiring ladies and ones whose
life is full OF transformations kindness.
But they care little for the gay whirl of
social life. To say accurately just what
way their money is invested Were impossi-
BILE, but good majority of it is in bonds,
mortgages aud other securities. 1t Is
estimated to be considerably over mil
lion.
Mrs. Phoebe Hearst, wife of the late
Senator from California, is another of
the rich ladies of the city, and her palatial
home on New Hampshire avenue is one of
the finest houses in town. The interior is
furnished in royal style, and every luxury
that wealth can devise is brought to the
convenience of the owner Mrs Hearst's
property is mostly in California, where her
son is an owner of one of the largest
newspapers in San Francisco. 1t is said
that she carries on her life an insurance
policy of 500 900, so some estimate of her
means can be made.
The Misses Pdtten, whose home is out
on Massachusetts avenue, must have a
pretty large sum to pay unless their wealth
is in land. They are probably the richest
lot of girls in the city, and the money came
from their father, who ''struck it rich''
in the western mines, where he was once
poor miner With riches, he had his
daughters highly educated in Paris and