Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-06-07


back In the later forties and had about
reached the end of his tether wheir the war
broke out.
For go years after Hickman's ar rival in
Washington, back in the thirties, he gave
every evidence Of having solved Thaoker-
ay's famous problem Of how to live well
on nothing year. He belonged to q fine
Virginia family, but from his boyhood his
life was so tumultuously irregular that
his father finally concluded he could stand
him ut home no longer and shipped him
off to Washington with the outfit of a gen.
tleman and $4,000 in cash. This was
only a couple of years after Hickman had
attained his majority. He had received q
first rate collegiate education, was Of
handsome and distinguished person, was
skilled in Craftsmanship and the use Of
arms and possessed all the graces of the
gallant of his day.
Upon his arrival he Immediately began
to set q pace for the swift set of men who
at that period were startling the more
staid folks Of the capital with their wild
idiosyncrasies in dissipation. It was time
when young men used to flush with graft
fed pleasure when their young women
friends would clip them with their fans
and call them ''sad Dogs with mock
expiring tbroes Of the Bells Life period,
with its dicing, cockfghting and apothe-
osis Of six bottle men, and Hickman found
the atmosphere that suited him precisely
In Washington. In less than year after
his auspicious entry into the capital his
$4,000 had disappeared, and he was not
only broke, but badly in debt.
For nearly o dozen years after his
money was gone he made no change what
ever in his mode of life. He still remained
the dictator Of proper form in mems at
tire, the creator Of haberdashcry for con.
siderable portion Of this continent. He
was never required to pay for anything he
wanted in the way Of wearing apparel,
and on the periodical visits of the mems
outfitters who at that time made q prac-
tice Of going to Washington from New
York, Philadelphia and Baltimore to get
the trade Of the famous men there, they
would all look up Beau Hickman and
offer him anything he wanted for the sake
Of the advertising his wearing Of their
goods would give them. He lived at the
best hotels in the city, holding their best
suits Of rooms, without over paying cent
for his accommodations. When he would
finally carry the thing too fur for land
lord's submission at one hotel, he would
calmly remove his effects to another.
Tho hotel men Of that time were differ
ent from what they arc today, and they
hesitated to dun man who spent all his
timo check by jowl with the most famous
men In the land. Hickman during this
period was never lacking in pocket money:
| ho had not yet degenerated into the pen.
sioner, but was the elegant beneficiary Of
| the scores Of noted men on his list of init.
mates. The newly arriving senator's and
congressman made practice Of greeting
the beau with . gilded palm when they
| came to Washington; the younger public
men, flushed with political success and
| ambitious for distinction among the rapid
| all night set among whom the beau intro.
duced them, considered It rather an honor
| to put so eminent speedef AZ Hickman
In their debt and responded Willingly d
his taxation.
But the rossate period Of the beau's life
came gradually to an end. Once he began
10 slide the downward scale his descent
WINS rapid. He was compelled to make his
collections q matter Of business instead Of
. matter Of social perturbation. He
never, however, put his demands in q beg.
ging or dependent manner, but approached
his men In the spirit Of one asking his just
deserts for . valuable confederation. In
pensioner for services rendered in his bet
ter days, when he contributed to the mirth
and enjoyment OF his friends.
Hemade practice Of taxing members
Of congress and other officials around
Warrington for . regular and specific
amount, which he would collect in the
most businesslike fashion. When he first
began this sort Of thing. they generally
humored his demands on account Of his