The morning times., 1895-12-08

I
| for few years wiligo out 10 face the world
again and fight for the standing ground they
left to come here. Where Will they go?
What has it profited them to be here?
| Some of them wish they had never come,
| and curse the day they once considered the
| beginning OF good fortune.
! But they have been wei paid, generously
paid, most of them What have they done
| with the money?
Salaries begin very near the figure al
| lowed Cabinet officer, IL perquisites and
| all be counted. A thrifty man, not over
| scrupulous, easily runs his income from his
! place ina year into five figures, If the place
| be a good one. Even the conductors OF
| elevators get 81 200 year, with chance
! to make n early . much more on the outside.
With $4,000 a year why should not
| man in auy ordinary station in lie, with
| no necessarily heavy expenses, quit at the
I end OF five years with u comfortable SUN
1 laid by to bring an income that Will keep
| the wolf from the door?
| THEY MIGHT, BUT THE Y DON'T.
| Especially, why should not o single man
| with moderate personal expenses and nj
! outside draft upon his resources quit WASH
/ ington with bank account big enough to
I establish hm self elscw here and leave
! enough to provide against misfortune. too?
! Some of them do; most OF them don't.
| One man who has held office here most
| OF the time for twenty years and received
i from the Government not less than 81 700
| is about at the end of his row with hardly
i money enough To pay his fare home. He
| has a family, and they have seen all kinds
OF ups and downs He has held office un-
der both parties and has been out of office
under both. His places have seldom paid
l. less than s., 900 and have run as high as
Sc 600. He is an unusually bright, use
| ful man. In one department be has been in
valuable to Congressman. They have cotne
to him and leaned upon him for ready in
formation till he was at a time an absolute
necessity to scores of them.
THIS was the heyday of his power. He
had a fine memory for ME n and things, un-
usual tact. and, out of his cups, sound judg-
ment. Not only did members, new and old.
avail themselves OF bis gratuitoas serv-
ices-he as paid well by goyerHment-iu
matters where minute, accurate informa-
ton was required. but they came TO him
with their personal affairs.
THEIR CONFIDENTIAL ADVISER.
Any difficulty requiring delicate hand
ling was likely to be confided to him, and 10
dozens of instances he has skillfulIy un-
tunSIed the webbed siiken threads or slen-
der forces that seemed bout to trip up some
Congressman and won his effusiye thanks
and promises Of support for anything"
In these affairs he frequently came into
Possession or information that gave bin
great control over the ma n he befriended.
At ene time he had Sufficient number of
fnen so bou nj to him as to get almost any
thing when they were combined with
scUrrs who were his friends for his genial
manners and for the sake or many small
fayors- His family lived reasonably well
In those days. and he lived like a prince.
But Ike all things human, this condition
ran its course. His friends were retired, and
new men came in, some of whom were
under obligations to new men as his friends
had been TO him. Without genuine political
principles. he had gotten SO involved with
one party that nothing could Ma ke tn Z other
party leaders believe his protestations
OF reaity. He went out one December day.
1t was cold but he had a ''pull'' with
great r,an in the incoming party sufficient
to Land him In one of the departments.
There be was In uncongenial relations,
and lacked opportunity to keep up his 3c-
quain;aRce and usefulness at the other end
OF Pennsy lvania avenue He kept the place
for the nlone " in ii. drank whisky. quarreied
with his Democratic associates and sa-
periors and made his family unhappy. In
spite OF strained relations and ugly differ
enccs with his office companions he induced
his powerful Democratic friend to keep
bini in for many months
At last, however. this support failed him,
too, and be was out entirely. By virtue Of
many debts, aggreGating several thousand
dollars, he had a cash balance of several
hundred dollars on hand He made a desper-
ate effort to retrieve his fortunes by joining
forces with every Republican recently
thrown out, and laying wires for Pace
with the Incoming Congress. 1t looked for
q time that he had sacceeded, buttndicati0Rs
are now he will be blown out with the
chaff next Monday.
WHERE DID THE MONEY GO?
What then? HIS SIS. 900 is gone; not a
cent left, and a load OF debt instead. He
may fall into line as u members clerk and
so escape beggary- Nothing else now seems
hopeful.
But what became Of the $Io 900? Taks
an evenings outing with aHotuer gentie-
man. Democrat, with u very similar ca
reer, and the question viii be partly an
swered.
1t was a rainy night in October, 1888,
that the Democratic official invited
friend. who was novice In such matters,
to accompany him across the river to J Jack-
son City. He promised to show some inter
est1ng scenes during the evening. The rain
came down in steady, monotoneus drfz-
zie that promised to continue all night
At the Pennsyi yiyania depot the two were
jostled by an impatient crowd with drip
ping umbrellas and damp bundles and bag
gage. They were glad when they reached
the other end OF Long Bridge and stepped
again into the rain.
They stood for q moment on the long.
black, uncovered platform. and the sight
seer noticed Misunderstanding buiiding
with q stairway outside and a cupola on
top. To this building they made their
way through the mud and water. The out
side stair. dripping and creaking. brought
them to door with hole about the height
of a man, closed by little wooden slide
4 knock brought an attendant. who
smiled a recognition to the official. and
admitted them into cosy ante-room-
Thence they passed, after warming and
drying a moment at the fire, into large
hall. where dozen games OF chance were
in full blast. The official sat down at q
roulette table and in two minutes was alb
sorbed In the movements OF the revolving
wheel and the Gathering worries. His COM
panion took seat at the end OF the table
and watched the game for a quarter OF an
hour.
He then turned his attention to the faro,
keno and card tables in turn. At each an
eager crowd hung around. Inpetuom
youths from the departments, fresh from
country towns to generous salaries here,
bent over the tables with parting lips and
cleaning eyes, watching the result Of
each turn, now losing, now winning, but
always steadily pouring a golden stream
into the Golfers of the proprietor Of the
place, who shuffIed about from one game to
another with joke for one, and a hint
for another and an invitation to toddy for
third.
IN THE GAMBLING HE'LL.
The room was brilliantly lighted, but
carefully drawn curtains reinforced the