Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-03-04

ket and taken to Detroit in a special car
at cost of $669.39. The committee
that went with the casket spent $492.51
for Pullman berths and "commissary
supplies, "$145.75 for rooms, board, por-
ters' fees and transportation
case of healthy appetites on a sad err
rand.
Here is a compilation which shows
how the scandal has been developing,
and in which is found the inspiration
for the PETER bill:
Deaths of representatives dur
ing the years 1890 to 1894
inclusive numbered. ..... 21
Their obsequies cost the gov
ernment total of. ..... .$26, 1872 67
An average of. 1925 "a
During the same four years
eleven senators died, and
the average expense of their
funeral ceremonies was. -. 4,542 OF
Total for senate. 1890. $40 1862 22
Total for last two con-
crosses .$76,758 SO
The f1rsC senatorial funeral at which
| government expense was incurred was
that of Francis Malbone of Rhode Is
land. Among the items charged to the
contingent fund in connection with the
! funeral of Senator Malbone were:
Sixteen pounds of crackers. ..... SO 90
Eleven and quarter pounds of
| NAOOoC Oh
| 1t appears from the record that the
committee to audit and control the con-
| tingent expenses allowed the item for
crackers but rejected the bill for cheese.
Senator PETER had his attention
called to the congressional funeral scan
dal when he, as chairman of the COM
mittee, was called upon to look over
| and approve the bills for the funeral of
/ his colleague, Senator Plumb. He cut
down one charge of $500 to $3.50. But
even after the scrutiny which the sena-
| tor gave the items the total was
| $3,O82.75. This was more than 81 900
less than the average for the last ten
senatorial funerals, but it was equal
to the estimated value Of an average
American farm" as Senator PETER puts
it. In the funeral expenses of Senator
| Plumb, paid by the senate, it appears
that after paying $400 for a casket and
$55 for embalming the body in Wash
ington, the committee employed an
other undertaken at Kansas to re-em
balm the body and to attend it two
days, for which $3.50 was paid. The
sashes bought for the twelve members
of the committee to wear cost $46.48.
1t appears that after reaching Emporia
the members of the committee scattered
in various directions to their homes,
and then put in individual bills for
what they spent in getting back to
! Washington by various roundabout
ways. ''Commissary supplies en- route"
for those twelve gentlemen cost $153.41.
'Commissary supplies" cover null
titude of expensive habits. In the old
contingent expense accounts of con-
| gressional funerals were found wine
brandy, cognac, almonds, raisins,
| syrup, soda water and so on. These
items never appear now "Commissary
supplies" sounds better. When con-
gress footed the bill for the nations
hospitality to Louis Kossuth, the Hun
garian patriot, one item in the official
expense account.was:
Champagne, sherry, madeira,
postage, cigars, lemonade, bar
bill, washing, medicine, post
Office stamps, porterage, and
messengers, hack hire paid at
different times, kilograms, SUI
gar. brandy and whisky in
room, porter and ale, envel-
opes, barber's bill. ..........$ .$65S. .82
Brandy and whisky were called
brandy and whisky in those. days,
and not "commissary supplies"
One curious discovery, resulting from
Senator PETERS Industrious inYestiga-
tion is the fact that distance usually
has little to do with the cost of con-
gressional funeral. Senator Plumb was
buried at Emporia, Kan, and Senator
Kenna at Charleston, w. Va. Emporia
is more than 1000 miles west of
Charleston. Senator Kenna's funeral
cost $3475 more than Senator Plumb's.
"Commissary supplies, meals and
lunches" for the Kenna funeral cost
| 1882. .4S-about three times the cost of
the same for the trip from Washington
to Emporia. Charleston, w. Va, is
eleven hours ride from Washington.
Besides this $432.4S for "'commissary
supplies, meals and lunches" on the
Kenna funeral trip, there was charge
of $76.50 for room and board while at
Charleston. A Washington undertaken
went on the trip and received $45 for
his funeral services. while the Charles
ton undertaken got $56 more for his
funeral expenses. The two items al
ready mentioned for "commissary sup
plies" and for room and board" aggre-
eating over $500, do not include $29. Is
for breakfast at an eating station en-
route. The car which carried the body
of Senator Kenna was draped at a cost
of $55.
Besides, undertakers, florists and ho-
telkeepers all perform their work and
make their charges on the same grand
scale, Senator PETER observes,