The Washington times., 1895-07-03


than the government clerks.
The abuse of usurious interest charged
these people was once upon a time a
scandal, but even at this late day there
are victims unnumbered OF the good-na-
tured fellows who VIII give you 500
cash and wait whole month TO collect
your $100, take out SO. and do the
same thing for you next month, as you
win be just $40 behind in your accounts.
If you get $500 they viii let you have
$50, and so on in proportion 10 your
| salary.
In the good old days OF this kind of
highway robbery it was an easy job, and
Shylocks were Shylocks 1t was the priv
ilege then that a clerk could give an
order on the disbursing officer for his
salary, made payable TO Richard Roe, John
| Doe or Jay Gould.
HAD TO DO THE HANDSOME.
And this was very necessary the montl
after the country clerk came TO learn TO
live like city folks. The first thing he
usually did was TO get 4 city girl or two,
according to the divisibility OF a bucolic
heart, and then came the Shylock into the
game.
Theyoung fellow found fromanotheryo
fellow OF last years crop that he could get
all the money he wanted by the very simple
process OF IAN order on the cashier" which
sounded mighty big to man who used TO
get $25 a month and his washing in a
country store. All the money he wanted,
OF course, meant less 10 per cent, and if he
was an absolute stranger So for a friendly
endOHser, who was usually another Shy
lock.
Gentlemen Shylocks did not scruple at
placing advertisements in the newspapers
that clerks could be furnished in this way,
and the Shylocks got as fat as rice birds
on a Southern plantation. Some people
in high places in Washington are credited
with fortunes made in this way, while
the eX-clerks, whose girls are now hap
PLY marrled-perhaps to the Shylock ge-
nus-are again hoeing corn or following
an acrobatic mule up the hillsides OF
their native county.
THEY ARE STILL HERE.
The departmental ShyIock boom coll
lapsed under q Republican administra-
ton, when fiat went forth that orders
on the disbursing officer were 10 longer
receivable. Banks that had been in this
blood-sucking business went out OF eX-
istence, and the Shylock went to study
ing up a still practicable scheme
Although the money changers were
driven out OF the various granite temples,
ostensib!y some of them are there yet, aud
il is said to be most rema rkable thing
that the fellows who have money to lend
can hold their places through every admin
istration. A talk was had with several
clerks in the departments yesterday and
while they all agreed that the bottom had
dropped out OF ShylockiSm, there We're a
few still in the business. Said one:
''Oh, you don't expect me TO squeal, do
you? / would much rather continue TO be
ya1 - har-- 1frrr- saY,,N
squeezing / remain q squeezed. i don't
suppose you'd believe it, but the man who
did one of the biggest businesses OF that
kind here was colored man, who occupied
one OF the most menial positions in the
gift Of the government.
ALWAYS KEPT HIS PLACE.
He held his place just as long as he
wanted it, He was Democrat and a Re
publican in turns, and / believe he could,
if the occasion demanded it, prove that he
was a Caucasian
Are there any loans made now at big in
teFest?"
Yes, but everybody can't get them. II
I the old rule were in force, you could draw
/ your pay three months in advance from one
OF these fellows for a money consideration;
say $50 for three months pay at 500 a
month; thatis 12O percent ayear."
And you can't do that now?'
"Oh, yes; what / mean is chat can't. 1t
| is not everybody who will be- indulged by the
! sharks. Some men are IN so deep that they
can't get out and it is a safe thing to in
dUlge them as long as they hold office and
it is pretty well known who will be the
elect. OF course, you know the lender runs
some risk.
RUNS 4 BIG RISK
"If he has advanced three months pay and
the clerk is dismissed during the first month
OF indebtedness, all OF the advance is lost,
/ unless the Shylock chooses to travel to
Louisiana or Texas to prosecute the
| claim. They are usually, however, abaH
dned and charged to profit and loss.
Are there any money lenders in this
department now?'
"0nly two, but, as l tell you, they
know whom to deal with, and that there
VIII be no kicking. None of their friends
viii do the baby act They are perfectly
safe from official supervision. No orders
are recognized by the officers, and there
! the matter ends. For instance, if / were
| to say 10 an officer. This man charged
me SO per month on $780, the officer
would probably say, Then, why don't
\ you get IL in some place else at 6 per
cent or What are you borrowing money
/ for anyhow
The same story is told in all the depart
ments. The Shylocks are in the cellar OF
on the ground floor and only those who pay
an initiation fee of SO, payable every
month, know anything about them.
POLICEMEN's SHYLOCKS.
Even the policemen have Shylock There
is at least one man who lends the men money
when they are strapped, and he straps
them tighter by a charge of 8 per cent a
month and 2 per cent discount It is re-
| ported that his business is perfectly safe
! and that while headquarters knows some
thing about it, there is no specific law TO
| prevent it. On collecting days people have
noticed him about the detective bureau.
Here is a case in point. An officers
son died. The father wanted $15. He
got it from this money lender, but it
cost him S33 before he got out Of the
| clutches of the Shylock.
There will be something more about
this case and these methods when the
proper time comes.
| Dunn Estate Difficulties
Another turn in the troubled administra