Arizona republican., 1898-09-22
TOPICS IN
 WASHINGTON.

lard, writes T. s. Van Antwerp in the Minneapolis Journal. Willard pere was 8 most eccentric old gentleman. In addition to owning several of Wash ington's largest hotel properties, he held improved and unimproyed real es- tate scattered along the chief business streets of the capital. Owing to the peculiarities Of Mr. Willard, a good deal Of improved property remained tenantless, and he could not be induced to sell or improve many fine sites. One Of his finest bits Of property he rented for a song to a dealer in tombstones, and this miniature cemetery was an eyesore for years right in the heart O. fashionable Washington. Another splendid site in the very center Of Washingtcn's chief business street was unimproved and occupied by a small fruit stand. At the time of his death, those competent to judge, asserted that his property in realty, stocks. bonds and ready cash amounted to fully S5,- 100000. This vast property passed to Young Joe, there being no will found, and he the only son. One of Mir Will lard's fads was to keep his son entirely away from the city and it's influences. and he grew to manhood and was edu- cated in a small Virginia town, not over twenty-five miles from Washing ton. Before the death of his father, he had shown considerable ability in a business way, and had become a power in a way in his county, having served one term in the legislature, and last fall made a good showing in the race for nomination to congress.
 Since coming into his fathers for tune, the young man has shown pro- gressiveness in handling his affairs so that today, within the incredibly short period Of eighteen months, he has in- creased his fathers estate by $1,000,- coo
 This has been accomplished simply by erecting lasting improvements up- On the many parcels Of unoccupied land which he inherited. The most notable of these improvements is the seven story Wyatt iron fire-prcof cffice build ing. This is now occupied by the Western Union Telegraph company, one bank, a large insurance agency. and about fifteen newspaper bureaus. This building alone yields sufficient revenue to keep a person forever from want. Other properties have been inn- proved to greater or less degree, and tenants were readily found at good rentals fer every nnoccupied building
 When the war broke out Young Will lard, who was a mamber of a local mil itary company in Virginia, enlisted ir the volunteer service to help fight the enemies Of the country. His company was attached to the Third Virginia volunteers, and while they, like many others, did not get to the front, they stood willing and anxious for active o,.fs closed. While encamped at Camp AL ger the figure of Willard was a familiar one in the business section, as he found time to attend to many matters of in terest to the estate, and his tenants. while not neglecting his military du- ties. He is still in the service, and there is not a young man within a ra- dius of many miles who is possessor Of so much Of this worlds goods and chattles as this Virginia captain. He is just B years of age.
 As everybody about Washington knows, Representative Amos J. Cum Inings of New York city, politician and journalist, is a hustler, and particular Iy lndefatigable in serving his con- stituents. A number of men in his district who enlisted in the army CT navy, some seeing active service, and being wounded and in hospitals, now that the war is over desire to return to civil life and appeal to Amos to help them. One day bright and early Mir Cummings started forth armed with bundles of papers for the war and navy bureaus. His heart was light and the air keen as he stepped along briskly. The air became colder as he entered the precincts, of the great army build ing. It almost amounted to a frost Official read tape, combined with laws relative to enlisIing the volunteer army which he and other members of congress placed upon the statute books early last spring confronted him and he made little Or DO progress toward getting bis friends mustered out Through Adjutant-General Ccrbin, Cummings did get little satisfaction, and then concluded to tackle the navy chiefs. There he met complete Wa terlOo. Law and red tape bound his friends to the service of the country with an iron grip mad not one could be released. He had one particularly good case. It was that of 6 man who had re1inquished a $500 position to enter the navy as a common sailor He saw service before Santiago, was TOuQQ6C ana IS uCW rSCupef2un5 1fOni wounds in a New York hospital. This man is particularly anxious, now that the war is ended, to return to his busi- ness. But he had enthusiastically CD : listed for three years and it seemed as though he would be compelled to stay. AS MT. Cummings strolled slowly back to his hotel, much discouraged, he de- cided to try the court of last resort, in behalf of his friends. He concluded to lay several cases before the president. He was admitted to Mir. Mckinley and the cases were thoroughly examined with the result that most of them were indorsed by the president as "meritor- ious and deserving" and granting dis charges at once. Armed with the pres ident's o. K. to the papers, Mir Cum Inirgs returned to the war and navy and red tape was brushed aside in each case and the men in question will be granted discharges immediately. Cum mings would probably not care to have this little trick given away, especally in his district, for it might not work