Arizona republican., 1897-12-19
HIT AND MISS CHAT.

Sesesoeeseo0os osesseeoeseeeo The friends Of ex-Congressman Ba- ker of Kansas are parading, wi,h what may be fairly described as in judicious and inelegant ostentatio }, the fact that he retired from public life after a service of six years the possessor of $17,00O, which he had saved as the result of thrift and self denial.
 Mir. Baker, who was better known as Uncle Billy" Baker, was a popu- list who entered congress in 1891 and was I,Wice reelected. He is, no doubt, entitled 10 commendation for his economical record, but there have been statesmen who served in con- gress and saved more money cut Of the salary paid them by the govern ment than did "Uncle Billy
 For instance, there. was William Alfred Peffer, who was United States senator from Kansas for six years. MT. Peffer had large family, yet he managed to live in Washington on his salary and his allowances for mileage and stationery, and cut of the lump sum to save S3,G00 every year When he retired from the senae last March he was exactly S13,000 ahead of the game, which is S1,000 bett:r than the record made by Uncle Bill 1y' Baker
 Stnange as the statement may ap- pear, it is a. fact that the most eco nomEeal statesman who ever appeared in Washington was from the com monweaEh of Kentucky. Thomas c. McCree.y of Owensbcro was elected to the United States senate in 1868 to fill vacancy, and served for thr-, years. He was not chosen 10 succeed himself, but was elected for the flu term beginning in March, 1873. as iha successor of w. B. Machen. MT. Me Creery .rdsired from the senate in 1879. He served altogether nine years.
 When he entered congress he was a poor man. When he left Washing. on at the end of his congressional seriyc } 7le carried with him a draft for $31,- 800, which sum represented his actual savings from his salary, mileage and stationery accounts. He made it a rula when he first entered the sena e to set apart $S,5OO of his salary each year as a saving, and he saved every
  He might have done better, but he was a man of meShodical habits, and having fixed a stapdard, he was con- tent to live up to it.
 Mir. McCreery was bachelor and was probably one 3f the ablest men who ever sat in thA senate. He was 2 very lazy man, however, and his laziness seemed to aff4ct him mentally as well as DhVSira11% IL was his habit to go no sleep iIi his chair every day just after he haG eaten his lunch con, which always cohSisted of nolh- ing more than piecel of pie and 9 small slice of cheese
 He was a very largS man and a times he snored feaHfully. IL ire luently became necessary fir the sergeant at arms to wake hm bscaust his snoring disturbed rhe proceeding; of the senate. SoInetimes his sleeI was so heavy tha,l he would fall out k o6 his chair, and when this happenet always caused a great commo ior
 the se6ate chamber. In spite O.
 Ee< peculiaritfes, Mir. McCreery wa
 fy popular with his fellow senators A.s 'chums" were Thurman Of Chio Conllling of New York and Zacf U Cha dler of Michigan
 Senator McCreery lived at a quier lit-.e boarding house in Georgetown He had a pass on the street railroad and it therefore cost him noshins to go to and from the capitol. Keurruckian once related to me his ex perience during visit to Senator Nc Creery and I shall tell the story, a I TOW remember it, in order to shov the senator's mode of living. Sait my Kentucky friend:
 T came to Washington as a sigh seer. I had known Senator McCreer, at home and readily accepted an invi tation to be h1s guest during my sta, at the capital. 1 met him by ap pointment the day I arrived at tn east front of the capitol at o'clocl in the afternoon and we took a stree car which ran to his boarding hous in Georgetown.
 He showed the conductor pas for himself, but insisted on payin! my fare. Everything about hi boarding house was agreeable and h told me that the charges were quit, reasonable. He had nice large room and we were given a good supper. remember we mad 1ried chicken, pen ty of fresh milk and butter. Befo.' we went down to supper the senate