The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-02-18
GOSSIP FROM MADISON
How the Legislative OfficehoIders
Draw Their Pay.
THE DUTIES OF THE FLAGMAS.

THE DUTIES OF THE FIAGMAA.
| Something About the Newspaper Report
! ers at the Capital-Committee on Inves-
tigation of Salaries and Number of EN-
| pIoyes Now at Work-People the
Payroll Who Should Not Be There
The Governors Message Finances.
| Madison, Wis, Feb 16.-Each morn
| ing the sessions Of the legislature are
opened with prayer. The local preach
ers divide up this duty, and each re-
ceives for his weeks service the sum of
| SIS. The members pay respectful at
| tention and many assume a devout at
| titude, but it is said to be the only leg
| islature in this country where the mem
bers do not stand. We have all kinds
| of preachers, and the broken German
| and Norwegian tongues are familiar.
| Catholic priests and Episcopal minis
| ters recite the stated prayers of their
| church. Occasionally some man prays
| too long, and the newspaper boys get
restless. But now and then preacher
| simply says the Lords prayer. One of
! the most welcome leaders is Rev. DR..
| James ID. Butler. who will be 50 years
| old March Is. He is called the wisest
| man in Madison. His brain is stored
| with curious lore, and he answers &C
curateIy all kinds of questions. He went
around the world alone when IS years
old. 1t was not long ago that preach
er opened a prayer: 20, Thou overarch-
ing consciousness He was not a Meth
odist
There are easily twenty newspaper
correspondents here from all over the
state, of whom Dick Petherick is the
Nestor. He began in 1863 as errand boy
to Horace Rublee on The State Journal
in Madison, and for ten years was as
sistant to John Hawks, the veteran
manager of that concern, for whom ex-
Gov. Peck was once a poverty-strick-
en- printer
Dick Knows Everybody.
In 1881 Dick began reporting the leg
isIature. and has been at it ever since,
so, of course, he knows everybody. He
is never in hurry and rarely looks for
news. IT just comes to him. His head
is getting white now and he grows more
kindly every time the sun sets, though
his philosophy Of the Street." which
decorates the editorial page of the Mil
waukee Journal, yet savors of the vim
egar cruet.
Each paper has it's particular class
of news The German papers Of Mil
waukee are especially alert as to school
and liquor questions.
Wisconsin man, returning from a
national convention some years ago,
dropped in on one of the leading Ger
man editors and found him excited over
the platform. The. editor was almost
in mood to bolt his old party. The
visitor asked him what he didn't like
in candidates or platform. The editor
called his attention to casual and I'M
important clause, probably tackled on at
the last moment as sop to discontents.
It set forth, substantially that the par
ty favored order among the people
and happy homes"
''But you want happy homes, don't
you?"
eyes; but that isn't it, said the edi-
tor, as he began angrily to pace the
moor. ILLS Is the Opening WGuSG3 IuSIS
will soon be demand for Iowa prohi-
bition.''
It seemed absurd, but the incident
shows how sensitive some of our peo-
pie are.
The legislative officeholders are paid
off every twenty days. They walk
down to the state treasurers office and
get their wages in cash. The sergeant
alarms swears out his time roll: so.
too, does the chief clerk. the speaker
signs them, and when the secretary OF
state has approved and recorded them
the lists are taken to the state treasur-
err.
NTOak, the Postmaster.
The sergeant-at-arms has a list Of
thirty-one men and boys. OF course.
there are not few relatives among the
fortunates, but only one member. Olson
of Berlin, has son on the payroll. OF
the twenty who hold positions other